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.
Little Boxes
The Decemberists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky
Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes all the same
There's a green one, and a pink one
And a blue one, and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same
And the people in the houses
All go to the university
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
And there's doctors, and there's lawyers
And business executives
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same
And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martini dry
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university
And they all get put in boxes
And they all come out the same
And the boys go into business
And they marry and raise a family
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
There's a green one, and a pink one
And a blue one, and a yellow one
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
And they all look just the same
The Decemberists’ song Little Boxes is a commentary on the sameness and conformity of the American suburban lifestyle. The song uses the visual metaphor of ‘little boxes’ to represent the homes and lifestyles of the middle-class suburbanites. The ‘ticky-tacky’ materials used to build the houses represent the inauthenticity and uniformity of the suburb – nothing is unique or original. The song also criticizes the educational system, suggesting that it is simply another institution that perpetuates the cycle of conformity, as the students all learn and behave in the same manner.
The conditions of the suburban lifestyle that the song critiques are exemplified in the imagery of the lyrics. For instance, the reference to martini drinks and playing on the golf course paint a picture of a mundane and banal leisure time, which is accessible only to the suburbanite. The song highlights the dark side of conformity, capturing the monotony and boredom in the existence of a suburbanite, who does not have the opportunity to express oneself uniquely.
In conclusion, The Decemberists' Little Boxes song uses a clever literary device to criticize the conformity of the suburban lifestyle. The lyrics provide a compelling commentary on the routine nature of the suburban existence, which takes away the opportunity of individual expression.
Line by Line Meaning
Little boxes, on the hillside
Houses, side-by-side on the hill
Little boxes made of ticky-tacky
These houses being cheap and mass-produced
Little boxes, little boxes, little boxes all the same
All of these houses being similar and identical
There's a green one, and a pink one
There are a variety of houses
And a blue one, and a yellow one
These houses come in different colors
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
Despite the small differences in color, they are all the same cheap quality
And they all look just the same
In the end, they all look identical
And the people in the houses
The occupants of these houses
All go to the university
Attain higher education
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
Despite attaining higher education, they are still confined to societal expectations and norms
And there's doctors, and there's lawyers
Different professions represented in these houses
And business executives
Professionals in positions of power and wealth
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
Despite their different professions, they are all confined by societal norms and expectations
And they all look just the same
Despite their different professions, they are all bound to the same societal norms and expectations
And they all play on the golf course
They participate in activities that are typical for their social class
And drink their martini dry
They participate in typical activities of their social class such as drinking martinis
And they all have pretty children
They have children that conform to societal expectations of beauty and success
And the children go to school
Their children attend typical schools
And the children go to summer camp
Their children attend typical summer camps
And then to the university
Their children are expected to attain higher education
And they all get put in boxes
Their children fall into similar societal expectations as the parents
And they all come out the same
Their children turn out to be similar to their parents despite their higher education
And the boys go into business
Sons follow their father's footsteps into business positions
And they marry and raise a family
Sons get married and start a family
And they all get put in boxes, little boxes all the same
They also become confined to societal expectations and norms like their fathers
There's a green one, and a pink one
The cycle repeats itself, but with a few different variables
And a blue one, and a yellow one
A continuation of the variations
And they're all made out of ticky-tacky
Despite these variations, they still follow the same mass-produced cheapness
And they all look just the same
Ultimately, they all fall into similar societal confinements and norms
Contributed by Mateo J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MrLupus
Get the rox in the box, get the water right down to your socks
This bulkhead's built of fallen brethren bones
We all do what we can, we endure our fellow man
And we sing our songs to the head frames creaks and moans
And it's one, two, three on the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for? What were you meant for?
And it's seven, eight, nine, you get your shuffle back in line
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And you won't make a dime on this gray Granite Mountain Mine
Of dirt you're made and to dirt you will return
So while we're living here, let's get this little one thing clear
There's plenty of men to die, you don't jump your turn
And it's one, two, three on the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for? What were you meant for?
And it's seven, eight, nine, you get your shuffle back in line
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And it's one, two, three on the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for? Whatever you're meant for
And it's seven, eight, nine, you get your shuffle back in line
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
You're welcome people
MrLupus
Get the rox in the box, get the water right down to your socks
This bulkhead's built of fallen brethren bones
We all do what we can, we endure our fellow man
And we sing our songs to the head frames creaks and moans
And it's one, two, three on the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for? What were you meant for?
And it's seven, eight, nine, you get your shuffle back in line
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And you won't make a dime on this gray Granite Mountain Mine
Of dirt you're made and to dirt you will return
So while we're living here, let's get this little one thing clear
There's plenty of men to die, you don't jump your turn
And it's one, two, three on the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for? What were you meant for?
And it's seven, eight, nine, you get your shuffle back in line
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And it's one, two, three on the wrong side of the lee
What were you meant for? Whatever you're meant for
And it's seven, eight, nine, you get your shuffle back in line
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
And if you ever make it to ten you won't make it again
You're welcome people
Joe
Nah it says on their website it's shuffle
Raiden TB
it is shovel, I think
Rob Riley
+MrLupus i hear 'shovel' not 'shuffle', but you are probably right?! :)
Caedyn M
it's never lupus
VideoSaySo
I'm SO late in the game with this band! Will you alumni fans accept a new member? They are simply the most delightful thing I've come across in a long time! I was only familiar with Mariner's Revenge these last couple of years, but I finally managed to seek out more. Glad I did!
isabel hoch
ofc! welcome, fellow fan! <3
Jim McCarthy
It will soon be the 104th Anniversary of the tragic Granite Mountain-Speculator Mine Disaster of June 8, 1917 in Butte, Montana. This is a fitting tribute to the rough and tough copper miners who toiled underground to provide copper to the world! Thanks Colin, Tap 'er light!
Simon Sharp
I hear quite a lot of English Folk Revival in these guys as well as the Appalachian and Irish traditions. Reminiscent of bands like Fairport Convention and Show of Hands.
Ilse Lotz
Ooh! I'm going to check those bands out right now. Thanks!