The group features Frazey Ford (guitar, vocals), Samantha Parton (guitar, mandolin, banjo, vocals) and Trish Klein (electric guitar, banjo, harmony vocals). Jolie Holland is a former member and also a frequent guest.
The story of the groups begins in early-to-mid ’90s in the Kootenay Mountains outside of British Columbia, where caravans of tree planters toiled each year to replenish the rich Canadian forests that suffer abuse by the lumber industry. Ford and Parton lived the vagabond lifestyle and made a rudimentary living as tree planters during the summer months and doing other odd jobs or traveling during the winters. When they met at a tree planters’ camp, they discovered a mutual love of music, but ultimately went their separate ways.
A few years later, Klein and Ford hooked up when both were attending music school in Nelson, British Columbia. For a time, the three of them headed in different directions: Ford went to Montreal and then Guatemala, Klein to Vancouver, and Parton traveled south through America with her dog Sherpa by her side, eventually settling in New Orleans. Chance brought the trio back together in Vancouver in the winter of 1999. By this time, each had been experimenting with many different styles of music – Ford was in a trip hop band in Montreal, Klein and Ford later formed the soul/folk band Saltwater June in Vancouver, and Parton had been touring the back roads of America with spoken word punk poet Chris Chandler as well as her country-duo side project, The Illegitimate Daughters of Johnny Cash.
Their luminous debut, ‘Blue Horse was named one of 2002′s Top 50 albums by Britain’s Q Magazine. The albums "Chinatown" followed in 2003 and "Hello Love" in 2006.
In 2008 the band took a break from touring and recording. Ford released her debut solo album, "Obadiah", in 2010. The band is scheduled to play the 2011 Winnipeg Folk Festival.
A Little Blues
The Be Good Tanyas Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know I'll see you, I just don't know when.
Little stars, all a 'twinkling,
I wonder where you are, I wonder what you're thinking.
I know I gave my heart a little soon,
I walk for miles underneath the moon,
I sing this sad, lonesome little tune
For you.
A little patch of grass, under the overpass,
I'll rest for hours, amid the flowers,
Just a tiny bird with a little song
And when the sun comes up, I'll be long gone
In these lyrics, the singer is feeling undone again, likely due to a breakup or some other kind of hurt. She knows she'll see the person again, but not when, and she's left wondering about their thoughts and whereabouts. She acknowledges that she may have given her heart too quickly to this person, and she spends her time walking under the moon and singing a sad, lonesome tune for them. The use of the stars and moon in the lyrics convey a sense of searching and longing, as they are symbols of something vast and distant that the singer is trying to reach for.
The second half of the lyrics switch to a different scene - the singer is resting under an overpass on a patch of grass, surrounded by flowers. She's like a tiny bird with a little song, taking respite before moving on to her next destination. The song ends with the implication that the singer is constantly moving on, leaving things behind as she goes.
Overall, the lyrics speak to themes of heartbreak, longing, and resilience. The imagery of stars, moon, and flowers add to the melancholic mood of the song, while the bird and the idea of moving on suggest a certain amount of hope and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Well here I am, undone again.
I find myself in a state of disarray once more.
I know I'll see you, I just don't know when.
I am aware that I will encounter you again, yet I am uncertain of the time it will happen.
Little stars, all a 'twinkling,
The small celestial bodies illuminate the sky in a gleaming fashion.
I wonder where you are, I wonder what you're thinking.
I contemplate your current whereabouts and speculate about the contents of your thoughts.
I know I gave my heart a little soon,
I acknowledge that I surrendered myself emotionally too quickly.
I walk for miles underneath the moon,
I trek considerable distances during the night.
I sing this sad, lonesome little tune
I vocalize a sorrowful, solitary melody.
For you.
Directed towards you.
A little patch of grass, under the overpass,
An area of verdure, located beneath a bridge structure.
I'll rest for hours, amid the flowers,
I shall recline for multiple periods, surrounded by flora.
Just a tiny bird with a little song
A small avian creature, presenting a modest melody.
And when the sun comes up, I'll be long gone
By the time the daylight emerges, I would have departed from this location.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: SAMANTHA PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind