Named both in reference to the Russian Decembrist Revolt (they use the national anthem of the Soviet Union as an introduction at many concerts) and to the atmosphere associated with the month of December, the Decemberists write songs that range from upbeat pop to instrumentally lush ballads. They often employ instruments like the accordion, Hammond organ, Wurlitzer organ, and upright bass. In their lyrics, they eschew the angst and introspection common to modern rock, instead favoring a storytelling approach, as evidenced in songs such as "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" from the 5 Songs EP and "The Mariner's Revenge Song" on Picaresque. Their songs convey tales ranging from whimsical ("Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect") to epic ("The Tain") to truly dark ("Odalisque"). They often invoke historical events and themes from around the world. Early in their career, The Decemberists' musical and lyrical aesthetics frequently prompted critics to compare them to Neutral Milk Hotel. Since their debut, their sound has undergone a consistent evolution, most notably in the direction of progressive rock with a strong folk influence, though they have also been described as indie rock and, by Stephen Colbert, as "hyper-literate prog rock." For example, one song, "When the War Came", uses a little-known story from the Siege of Leningrad to describe the heroism of civilian scientists during warfare. The lyrics state: "We made our oath to Vavilov / We'd not betray the solanum / The acres of asteraceae / To our own pangs of starvation". Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov was a Russian botanist whose laboratory, a seedbank containing 200,000 types of plant seeds, many of them edible, was preserved throughout the siege, during which hundreds of thousands of people died.
In March 2005, the Decemberists were reportedly the first band to distribute a music video via BitTorrent -- the self-produced "16 Military Wives" (from Picaresque). That same month, the band's equipment trailer was stolen; fans contributed to a replacement fund, and another fund-raiser was organized via an eBay auction, with buyers bidding for copies of Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey and original art work by Carson Ellis. They also received help from Lee Kruger, The Shins, The Dandy Warhols and other musicians. The Martin Guitar Company offered six- and twelve-string guitars on permanent loan. In early April, police discovered the trailer in Clackamas, Oregon, and a fair amount of the band's merchandise, but the instruments and equipment were not recovered.
On 12 December 2005, Meloy revealed to Pitchfork Media that they had signed to Capitol Records, and planned to begin recording their major label debut with producers Tucker Martine and Chris Walla, of Death Cab for Cutie fame, in April 2006. The Decemberists' first album on Capitol, and their first major label debut, The Crane Wife, was released on 3 October 2006. The release was accompanied by an appearance the same day on the world-wide syndicated TV talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien when the track "O Valencia!" was performed. The Decemberists began their tour in support of The Crane Wife, with The Rout of the Patagons Tour, on 17 October 2006, at Portland, Oregon's Crystal Ballroom. Their opening act was Lavender Diamond. Later on in the tour, Alasdair Roberts opened for the band.
In July 2007 the Decemberists set out on a five-date tour with a full orchestral accompaniment. On 7 July, the tour put the group on the stage of the historic Hollywood Bowl for the first time in their career, and they were joined by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. On 15 July the group performed with The Mann Festival Orchestra at The Mann Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They then played a free concert in Chicago, Ilinois, at the recently developed Millennium Park with the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra. In September 2007 they also played at Austin City Limits Music Festival in Austin, Texas.
In October 2007, they began The Long and Short of It Tour. However, having completed the European portion of the tour and immediately after playing the Chicago dates, the rest of the tour was canceled due to illness.
On 24 March 2009, the band released The Hazards of Love, their fifth album. The album's first single, "The Rake's Song", was made available for free on the band's website. The album featured guest appearances from My Brightest Diamond, Becky Stark of Lavender Diamond, Robyn Hitchcock and Jim James. The album peaked at #14 on the Billboard 200.
On 11 January 2011, the band released their sixth album The King is Dead. The band released the first single "Down by the Water" for free on their website. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart in the United States and is the highest charting album in the band's career. The second single, "This Is Why We Fight" was released on January 25, 2011.
There is another band with the same name:
(2). The Decemberists formed in Liverpool in 1984 when Andy Ford and Tom Gent from Swim Naked hooked up with Colin Pennington, who had just left The Tunnel Users. They played their first show at The Cavern in 1985 and then played extensively in their home city. After recording demo tapes which attracted attention from BBC Radio 1's John Peel and Rough Trade Records, they secured a residency at University Of London Union (ULU). Their first release was James Is (Still The Same) on the Discreet Campaigns compilation cassette tape alongside New Order and Cocteau Twins. After the appearance of Gift Horse on the Ways To Wear Coats compilation LP in 1987, the band changed their name to Hellfire Sermons.
James Is (Still The Same) was included on The Sound Of Leamington Spa Volume 6 in 2009. They are listed as ‘The Decemberists Of Liverpool 1985-87’ on this album to make a distinction from the famous 21st century group of the same name.
Everything I Try to Do Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right
The Decemberists Lyrics
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Hair all a mussed but your clothes didn't look so bad
And back on the street, the rain was descending
In cold dirty sheets, so under the awning we sat
And then you hailed yourself a yellow cab
And I sat for a time by the valets in line
And I read what you wrote on the card
Saying "try not to take it so hard"
But there's this nagging suspicion that won't leave me alone tonight
Its just that everything I try to do, nothing seems to turn out right
We laid on our backs and stared at the ceiling
Messed with your slacks, but ended up just holding your hand
The rain will remain, the tv was telling
A drip of the drain as your legs lifted brilliantly bent
And fall to resting on the ottoman
So we turned off the tube and we crawled to your room
Leaving discarded clothes in our way
And we both had some fun, though I twice bit my tongue
And it lasted too long for my taste
And there's this nagging suspicion that won't leave me alone tonight
Its just that everything I try to do, nothing seems to turn out right
And there's this nagging suspicion that won't leave me alone tonight
Its just that everything I try to do, nothing seems to turn out right
A wink and a wave and your off to your family's
I sit and watch as the taxis lights distantly fade
I guess I always thought it'd end this way
The Decemberists' "Everything I Try to Do Nothing Seems to Turn Out Right" tells the story of a lackluster date and a failed attempt at intimacy, with a sense of dissatisfaction and disappointment throughout. The song begins with the couple leaving a disappointing movie and waiting under an awning, seeking refuge from the rain. The singer reads a card they received from the date earlier in the night, which features a drawing of a cowboy and a balloon with the message, "try not to take it so hard." Despite this message, the singer is plagued by a nagging sense that nothing seems to go right for them, even as they try to connect with their date.
As the evening progresses, the couple ends up in bed, where despite a brief moment of fun, the singer is left feeling unsatisfied and unsure. The song ends with the date leaving, and the singer watching their taxi fade away, feeling resigned to the fact that the night went exactly as they thought it would.
The lyrics "everything I try to do, nothing seems to turn out right" capture the feeling of frustration and disillusionment that can come with failed romantic pursuits. The song is melancholic in its tone, with singer Colin Meloy's distinctive voice conveying a sense of resignation.
Line by Line Meaning
The film was a bust, but we stayed to the ending
Even though the movie wasn't good, we watched it till the end
Hair all a mussed but your clothes didn't look so bad
Your hair was messy, but your clothes looked fine
And back on the street, the rain was descending
When we got outside, it was raining heavily
In cold dirty sheets, so under the awning we sat
The sheets of rain were cold and unpleasant, so we sat under the awning to stay dry
And then you hailed yourself a yellow cab
You called for a taxi and left
And I sat for a time by the valets in line
I sat for a while next to the valet parking area
And I read what you wrote on the card
I read the note that you left for me on the card
Above a cowboy you drew a big dark balloon
You drew a big, dark balloon above a cowboy
Saying "try not to take it so hard"
The text on the balloon read, "try not to take it so hard"
But there's this nagging suspicion that won't leave me alone tonight
Despite your words, I can't shake off this feeling that something is wrong tonight
Its just that everything I try to do, nothing seems to turn out right
I feel like nothing I do is working out the way I want it to
We laid on our backs and stared at the ceiling
We lay down and looked up at the ceiling
Messed with your slacks, but ended up just holding your hand
I started to fiddle with your pants, but ended up just holding your hand
The rain will remain, the tv was telling
The news on TV said that the rain was going to continue
A drip of the drain as your legs lifted brilliantly bent
As you lifted your legs, a drop of water dripped from the drain on your foot
And fall to resting on the ottoman
And rested your legs on the ottoman
So we turned off the tube and we crawled to your room
We turned off the TV and crawled to your bedroom
Leaving discarded clothes in our way
We left our clothes on the floor, making it difficult to move around
And we both had some fun, though I twice bit my tongue
We enjoyed ourselves, but I accidentally bit my tongue twice
And it lasted too long for my taste
The experience lasted longer than I wanted it to
A wink and a wave and your off to your family's
You said goodbye with a wink and a wave and went to your family's house
I sit and watch as the taxis lights distantly fade
I sat and watched as the taxi's lights faded into the distance
I guess I always thought it'd end this way
I had a feeling that things would end up like this
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: COLIN MELOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind