Born of the 2010's folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock an… Read Full Bio ↴Born of the 2010's folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving sound of the indie genre. Having performed hundreds of shows on stages across the country, they gravitate toward high-energy melodies, featuring the kinetic percussion of Dan Rickabus, the silky, driving bass lines of Ben Zito and playful guitar leads from front women Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury. Counterbalancing their lively stage presence, their lyrics extol the shadow side of the human condition, delving into mythology and themes of darkness and inner conflict. The band softens the blows of their emotional candor with soulful three-part vocal harmonies, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal. To date, they have released five full length albums, including their 2020 live album, "Here I Am".

Strangler Fig
The Crane Wives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

You built your kingdom
Around me
Now I'm trapped within your walls
and all I want is to be free
For as
win some as you maybe
All you're doing now is losing me
Climb me

Climb me to the canopy
Higher
Higher 'til there's nothing left of me
Tell me
Tell me what you see

Desire
Desire till there's nothing left of me

Overall Meaning

In The Crane Wives's song Strangler Fig, the lyrics depict a person trapped within a relationship where they thought they had found their kingdom and were content with it, but now they feel claustrophobic and suffocated. The person is asking their partner to climb with them to the top of the metaphorical tree, to the point where they can see everything, and then tells their partner to take all their desires until there's nothing left. The song seems to be about the complexities and challenges of relationships, and how the dynamics can change over time.

The opening line "you built your kingdom around me" suggests that the other person in the relationship was controlling, and the singer feels oppressed by their presence. This can be seen with the metaphor of the strangler fig, which grows around and eventually suffocates other trees. The lyrics "climb me to the canopy, higher until there's nothing left of me" seem to be a way of saying that the singer wants to escape from the relationship and be free, like climbing to the top of a tree and leaving everything behind. The use of repetition in the chorus, particularly the phrase "desire until there's nothing left of me", underscores the idea that the relationship has become toxic, and that the singer's partner is taking too much from them.

Line by Line Meaning

You built your kingdom
You exerted control over me and created a world where you hold power.

Around me
This kingdom is solely focused on me and my life is completely entwined with yours.

Now I'm trapped within your walls
I am confined within your boundaries and it feels impossible to escape your grasp.

and all I want is to be free
Despite the security of your walls, I desire to have the freedom to make my own choices and live my own life.

For as
Although

win some as you maybe
You may have success in some aspects of your life.

All you're doing now is losing me
Despite this success, you are failing in your relationship with me as I become more distant.

Climb me
Use me as your ladder to success.

Climb me to the canopy
Climb even higher and reach the top of the trees in pursuit of greatness.

Higher
Keep striving, never settle.

Higher 'til there's nothing left of me
Continue to climb with such intensity that I am drained, with nothing left to give.