The Brothers Comatose is an American five-piece bluegrass band based in San… Read Full Bio ↴The Brothers Comatose is an American five-piece bluegrass band based in San Francisco, California. The band consists of brothers Ben and Alex Morrison, who play guitar and banjo respectively, along with Gio Benedetti on the bass, Philip Brezina with the violin, and Ryan Avellone on the Mandolin.

Ben Morrison and Alex Morrison are brothers. They have been making music together from birth. Ben's first word was 'front-man' and Alex's was 'moustache' (see band photo). Joe Pacini and Gio Benedetti met Ben and Alex in high school. They shared many a living room jam session, many a raucous music party, many a front-stoop hoedown, but there was no band.

After years of studying, vision quests in far off lands, moving about, relocating, and the occasional intermittent music party, the young and now much hairier fellows found themselves in San Francisco with Alex, Ben and Joe living in a vibe-steeped flat on Haight Street, playing music (Ben on guitar, Alex on Banjo - both of them singing - and Joe on mandolin and cigarette breaks) at parties and open mics across the fair city. They needed a bassist. Gio happened to be a bassist. He also happened to live nearby.

The, now, quartet continued their tradition of stoop-and-living-room-esque performances, but moved them public. The dive bars of San Francisco became inspired, momentary homes, as friends, fans and music lovers rallied around the snug honesty of the band's barroom shows. All they lacked was a brilliant fiddler with tremendous soloing skills, and with feet and soul firmly planted in the legacy of Old-Time, Bluegrass musics. Oh where, oh where could such a person be?

Philip Brezina - graduate student in classical violin at the nearby Conservatory and recent transplant from Pennsylvania - knew good roots music, knew how to play it and, best of all, knew how to play it on the fiddle. He wandered into the quartet (answering an ad posted in the Conservatory halls), and the long lost Brother Comatose was found.

Doors began opening. Performances at such legendary places as San Francisco's Fillmore Poster Room, the Great American Music Hall, and the Hardly Strictly Bluegrass Festival followed, supporting such acts as The Devil Makes Three, Justin Townes Earl, Hillstomp, Greensky Bluegrass, John Doe and the Sadies, Yonder Mountain String Band and others.

Now touring in support of their recent debut full-length, Songs From The Stoop, The Brothers Comatose aim at converting the entire West Coast into their Living Room Music Party. Their shows exude a foot-stomping, shout-along, drink-along ease that was once a staple in every music-playing, front-stoop-possessing home in the land. Their shows can't help but remind folk that music is collective, is for dancing, is for sharing, and for whatever else you might do with friends and family in your own living room.

Angeline
The Brothers Comatose Lyrics

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If I had a million dollars
I'd buy a rocket and aim for the stars
Fall into orbit round the moons of Mars
We could leave this whole world behind

If I could breathe underwater
I'd build a house on the bottom of the ocean
We could dance and make love in slow motion

While the fish all swim around

The more I learn the less I know
I won't leave your side I can't let you go
And my will is strong and the moon is bright
I'm going to lay you in my arms tonight

Angeline
Make me or break me darling
Could get you off my mind
Hold me close
Angeline
Come and take my hand little darling
Let's step into the night

If I had a million dollars
I'd buy a rocket and aim for the stars
Fall into orbit round the moons of Mars
We could leave this whole world behind

If I could float above the clouds
I'd lift you up and watch the rain fall down
Spend the night with our feet off the ground
And sail into the morning light

The more I learn the less I know
I won't leave your side I can't let you go
And my will is strong and the moon is bright
I'm going to lay you in my arms tonight

Angeline
Make me or break me darling
Could get you off my mind
Hold me close
Angeline

Come and take my hand little darling
Let's step into the night

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of “Angeline” by The Brothers Comatose convey an intense desire to escape the mundanity of life with the woman they love. The first verse, with its opening line “If I had a million dollars,” perfectly captures the pervasive feeling of futility people have when faced with the limitations of their current circumstances. The singer dreams of a kind of cosmic escape from the routine of everyday life, where he and his beloved “could leave this whole world behind” and soar away into the stars beyond. The second verse continues the theme by suggesting an aquatic escape, where the singer imagines himself and his lover alone in a house at the bottom of the ocean, free from the distractions of the outside world. The final verse completes the triptych of images, with the singer literally lifting his lover off the ground as they “float above the clouds,” disconnected from the earth below.

The chorus of “Angeline” captures the intensity of the singer’s feelings: “Make me or break me darling, could get you off my mind / Hold me close, Angeline / Come and take my hand little darling, let's step into the night.” It is a plea for connection in a world that is often cold and unwelcoming. The repetition of the name “Angeline” gives the track a kind of haunting quality, as if the singer’s desire for escape can only be fulfilled by being with this one special person. The track overall gives a sense of longing and passion, and the singer’s hopefulness that they will find a way to escape their mundane lives and find happiness together.

Line by Line Meaning

If I had a million dollars
Describing a hypothetical scenario where the singer has an abundance of money

I'd buy a rocket and aim for the stars
The singer imagines using their wealth to explore the cosmos

Fall into orbit round the moons of Mars
Delving into the specifics of space travel, the singer envisions a journey to Mars's moons

We could leave this whole world behind
A sense of escapism, imagining leaving Earth and all its problems behind

If I could breathe underwater
The artist now imagines having another ability, the ability to breathe underwater

I'd build a house on the bottom of the ocean
Taking advantage of newfound underwater breathing, the singer sees themselves constructing a unique dwelling place

We could dance and make love in slow motion
With underwater living comes the freedom to experience life and love at a different pace

While the fish all swim around
In their underwater house, the artist enjoys the presence of aquatic life

The more I learn the less I know
The artist reflects on the paradox of gaining knowledge, realizing that it only highlights how little they truly understand

I won't leave your side I can't let you go
A pledge of loyalty and devotion to a beloved partner

And my will is strong and the moon is bright
Possessing a strong will, the singer takes inspiration from the illuminated night sky

I'm going to lay you in my arms tonight
Delivering on their earlier promise, the artist expresses their desire to hold their partner close

Angeline
The name of the singer's beloved, to whom the song is addressed

Make me or break me darling
This line touches on the emotional intensity of the relationship, characterized by an all-or-nothing attitude

Could get you off my mind
The singer confesses their inability to stop thinking about their partner

Hold me close
A simple expression of desire

Come and take my hand little darling
A request for their partner to join them in whatever adventure lies ahead

Let's step into the night
An invitation to embark on a journey together, with darkness and mystery ahead

If I had a million dollars
The song repeats its earlier lines, hinting at the desire to use wealth to escape reality

I'd buy a rocket and aim for the stars
Reiterating the space travel dream, with a sense of determination to make it a reality

Fall into orbit round the moons of Mars
The same specific destination as before, showing consistency in the artist's dreams

We could leave this whole world behind
The same desire for escapism, repeated for emphasis

If I could float above the clouds
Another imaginative scenario, this time focused on the ability to levitate

I'd lift you up and watch the rain fall down
Sharing the experience with their partner, the artist wants to enjoy the weather from a unique perspective

Spend the night with our feet off the ground
The dream of levitation is not isolated, but part of a deeper longing for freedom and joy

And sail into the morning light
Another vivid image of exploration and adventure, with the added element of sunrise

Contributed by Micah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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