Each member is originally from Anchorage, Alaska and migrated separately to Portland, Oregon to start a career in music.[7][8]
Initially they called themselves "The Funeral Band", performing in the streets and outside of music venues. The name eventually changed to The Builders and The Butchers, "for no other reason than it was the only name all five members liked."[8] The first year of acoustic performances were mostly street shows until opening for the experimental band Man Man in 2006.[8] “We very slowly started plugging [our instruments] in.” Sollee says,[8] but the group had to figure out how to utilize its two percussionists on stage. They found that by splitting one drum kit between Seely and Rude, with one handling the kick drum and another playing the snare, they developed what the group calls a “deconstructed” drumming style.[8]
The band's song-writing process involves Sollee writing the lyrics out and presenting it to the other members, who then start playing and putting the music around these lyrics.[6]
In May 2008 the band won the Willamette Week’s “Best New Band of 2008”[9] and Seattle Sound’s “Best Live Performers 2008”.
In late 2010, The Builders and the Butchers signed with Badman Recording Co. and released their third album, Dead Reckoning on February 22, 2011.[10][11]
The Wind Has Come
The Builders and the Butchers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ill crawl on my knees til the end of my days.
and the night is much colder alone in my skin
and everything fades to black.
the wind has come to take my love away
it offered more to her then the promise i made
no words and no flowers ill send you again
and darkness comes to find me in the end.
when golden candle light is growing dim.
the wind has come to take my love away.
she sailed foreign shores while i drowned in the bay.
and i sink slowly down as the tides rolling in.
and everything fades to black.
everything fades.
"The Wind Has Come" is a poignant song by The Builders and the Butchers that speaks about the loss of love to the winds of fate. The opening line, "the wind has come to take my love away," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is devastated by the loss of his lover and is willing to do anything to keep her, even if it means crawling on his knees. The imagery of the night being much colder alone in his skin is powerful and adds to the sense of isolation the singer feels.
As the song progresses, the singer acknowledges that he cannot compete with the winds of fate that took his lover away. He knows that no amount of words or flowers will bring her back to him. The repetition of "everything fades to black" emphasizes the finality and hopelessness that the singer feels. The line "and darkness comes to find me in the end, when golden candle light is growing dim" adds to the sense of melancholy and finality in the song.
The final verse of the song refers to the singer's lover sailing to foreign shores while he drowns in the bay. The symbolism of the singer drowning in the bay while his love sails away is powerful and emphasizes the hopelessness the singer feels. The last line, "everything fades" emphasizes once again the finality of loss and the acceptance that the singer must come to terms with.
Line by Line Meaning
the wind has come to take my love away
My loved one is leaving me, and the wind is taking them away.
ill crawl on my knees til the end of my days.
I will do whatever it takes to try and win them back, even if it means constantly pleading for forgiveness on my knees.
and the night is much colder alone in my skin
Without my loved one, everything feels colder and lonelier, even the nights.
and everything fades to black.
Life feels bleak and hopeless without my love, and I feel like I'm losing everything.
it offered more to her then the promise i made
The wind is taking my love away because it has something more to offer than the promises I made to them.
no words and no flowers ill send you again
I won't try to win my love back with fancy words or pretty gifts, as I know those won't fix what I've done.
and darkness comes to find me in the end.
Inevitably, darkness will come to haunt me and remind me of my mistakes.
when golden candle light is growing dim.
Even when things seemed bright and hopeful with my loved one, the light eventually fades away.
she sailed foreign shores while i drowned in the bay.
My love has moved on to new, distant places while I am stuck in the same pain and regret.
and i sink slowly down as the tides rolling in.
Just as the waves roll in, reminding me of my terrible loss and heartache, I feel like I am sinking slowly down into the depths of despair.
everything fades.
Despite my best efforts, everything continues to slip away from me and fade into darkness.
Contributed by Logan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.