In the summer of 2010, Harrington and Wright were playing for spare change in Boston’s Faneuil Hall Marketplace. In two short years since, Tall Heights has headlined packed listening rooms across New England, toured down to Austin, TX to showcase at South By Southwest Music Festival, and performed alongside national acts like David Wilcox, Ryan Montbleau, and Andrew Belle.
For the duo’s debut full-length effort, Man of Stone (May, 2013), Tall Heights returned to the home studio, sinking deeper into the vast world they’ve meticulously built for two. The title track and first single, Man of Stone, recalls a time when cavemen documented day-to-day existence on the walls of their stone-sheltered dwellings. “Emblems of cavemen they taught me / the importance of typing in bold,” contextualizes the rest of the record and challenges a careful listener to view each song as a vital documentation of what is both banal and extraordinary. The record exists in a fire-lit, shadowy space for their growing army of fans to inhabit. After two powerful EPs, Rafters (2011) and the Running of the Bulls EP (2012), there has been a growing cry for more from these young artists, and Tall Heights delivers with an LP of grand vision and scale.
RECENT PRAISE
“Tall Heights’s delicate melodies and gentle harmonies create a rare public space where the people can slow down, even stop, and suspend the chaos of city life in exchange for some really great music.”-Meghna Chakrabarti, NPR
“if you still remember how happy your ears were when you first listened to Bon Iver or Arcade Fire and realized you’d stumbled into singer/songwriter oblivion… you can trust me when I say this show is worth seeing.” – Boston Magazine
“…beautiful harmonies, exquisite musicianship, intricate songwriting. I love it when the bar is set so high” –David Wilcox
Hell and High Water
Tall Heights Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of all we've thought, for all we've seen, we're in
Through hell and high water
Over, under, we would take the bridge
That salty wonder takes us bit by bit
And we're its plunder, like the Cape's thin wrist
And left to ponder: fold or flex a fist?
Through hell and high water
When waves bring tides in
Are we bold enough to think we'd win?
When storms bring winds and
When winds bring the hurricane
There's nowhere she wants she's never been
Our levee's so much stronger now from testing them
But are they strong for what we will begin?
Peninsula is fading
Oh, bright city's gauging
While the old man's hardwood floors remove again
When storms bring waves and
When waves bring tides in
Are we bold enough to think we'd win?
When storms bring winds and
When winds bring the hurricane
There's nowhere she wants she's never been
So open up your door and let her in
Bridges falling down, be patient
In this tidal town, keep waiting
When storms bring waves and
When waves bring tides in
Are we bold enough to think we'd win?
When storms bring winds and
When winds bring the hurricane
There's nowhere she wants she's never been
The wise men open up and let her in
That sea ain't waging war
It's just another storm
Then she will leave and you'll be standing
The lyrics of Tall Heights's song "Hell and High Water" depict the perseverance of two people through life's difficulties, represented by the metaphor of swimming through hell and high water. The song highlights that despite all the difficulties encountered in life, we must continue to push through, rather than give up. The lyrics suggest that the journey through life is not always an easy one, but we must not let fear hold us back. The lyrics also mention the salty wonder of the Cape's thin wrist, symbolizing that through our journey, we may encounter hardships, but the journey will make us stronger. The lyrics suggest that through persevering through difficult times and not giving up, we will emerge stronger and more resilient.
The song also touches upon the idea that perseverance is not always enough, and we must also be prepared when hard times come our way, represented by the mention of storm waves, hurricanes, and winds. The lyrics reflect that storms will come, but we must be bold enough to fight through them and never give up, even during the most tumultuous times. The relevance of the song goes beyond individual struggles, as it touches upon the wider concept of dealing with uncertainty, change, and unexpected challenges.
Line by Line Meaning
Through hell and high water we have said we'd swim
We have promised to persevere through any difficulties and obstacles that come our way.
Of all we've thought, for all we've seen, we're in
We have experienced and pondered many things, and now we find ourselves in a challenging situation.
Over, under, we would take the bridge
That salty wonder takes us bit by bit
And we're its plunder, like the Cape's thin wrist
And left to ponder: fold or flex a fist?
We will traverse through this difficult journey, experiencing it little by little. We are at the mercy of this journey and must decide whether to give in or persevere.
When storms bring waves and
When waves bring tides in
Are we bold enough to think we'd win?
During difficult times, we must question whether we have enough courage to overcome and find success.
There's nowhere she wants she's never been
Our levee's so much stronger now from testing them
But are they strong for what we will begin?
We have been through many struggles before, which have made us stronger, but are we strong enough to face future challenges?
Peninsula is fading
Oh, bright city's gauging
While the old man's hardwood floors remove again
The landscape is changing, the city is growing, and the past is fading away.
So open up your door and let her in
We must embrace change and allow it to enter our lives.
Bridges falling down, be patient
In this tidal town, keep waiting
We must remain patient and resilient even when things around us seem to be falling apart.
The wise men open up and let her in
Those who are wise understand the importance of embracing change and the opportunities it presents.
That sea ain't waging war
It's just another storm
Then she will leave and you'll be standing
The challenges we face are not meant to harm us, they are simply part of the natural ebb and flow of life. Eventually, the storm will pass and we will still be standing.
Contributed by Camilla I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
George Simpson
on Back To Autumn
i really enjoyed listening to this song and the close harmony. i have a feeling we will be hearing more good music from these musicians!
George Simpson
on Spirit Cold
What spectacular harmonies! A beautiful song! You can be proud of this sound.