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.
O Valencia!
The Decemberists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you say you can't break away
But I'm here with my hands on my heart
And our families can't agree
I'm your brother's sworn enemy
But I'll shout out my love to the stars
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
When first we laid eyes
I swore to no compromise
'Til I felt my caress on your skin
Well, how soon we were betrayed
Your sister gave us away
And your father came all unhinged
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go
My O Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down
All I heard was a shout
Of your brother calling me out
And you ran like a fool to my side
Well, the shot, it hit hard
And your frame went limp in my arms
And an oath of love was your dying cry
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll, go we'll go
But O Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I'll burn this whole city down
Valencia
With your blood gettin' cold on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down
"O Valencia!" is a powerful love song by The Decemberists with a tragic ending. The song portrays the story of two lovers, the singer, and Valencia, who belongs to a dangerous gang. Valencia cannot break away from the gang but the singer remains committed to their love. However, complications arise when their families enter the picture; the singer is the sworn enemy of Valencia’s brother, and their love is revealed to her father by a betrayer. Her father goes unhinged and the situation spirals out of control, leading to Valencia’s death. The singer promises to burn the whole city down in revenge.
The song explores the theme of forbidden love and the consequences that arise when two families cannot agree. It’s also a commentary on the influence of gangs on youth and their inability to break out of them. The lyrics coupled with the melody create an intense and emotional atmosphere that is both suspenseful and melancholic.
Line by Line Meaning
You belong to the gang
You are affiliated with a group of people, and their influence is making it difficult for you to break away.
And you say you can't break away
You feel trapped in your current situation and believe that you are unable to leave the gang.
But I'm here with my hands on my heart
I am offering you my love and loyalty despite the circumstances.
And our families can't agree
Our families are not on good terms and do not approve of our relationship.
I'm your brother's sworn enemy
Your brother considers me his enemy, which makes things more complicated.
But I'll shout out my love to the stars
Despite the challenges, I will loudly proclaim my love for you and hope that the universe recognizes it.
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
I will signal to you with a stone at your window when it is safe for us to be together.
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go, oh, oh
Meet me by the car, and we will escape from this situation together as soon as the opportunity arises.
When first we laid eyes
When we first saw each other and fell in love.
I swore to no compromise
I promised to never back down or give in to any external pressure that might try to separate us.
'Til I felt my caress on your skin
Until I physically touched you and knew that our love was real and worth fighting for.
Well, how soon we were betrayed
Unfortunately, our love was betrayed and exposed to those who would seek to harm us.
Your sister gave us away
Someone close to us, your sister, revealed our secret love to others.
And your father came all unhinged
Your father became very upset and acted irrationally when he learned about our relationship.
My O Valencia
My beloved Valencia.
With your blood still warm on the ground
You have been hurt or killed, and your blood is still fresh and warm on the ground.
And I swear to the stars
I make a solemn promise to the universe and all that it represents.
I'll burn this whole city down, oh, oh
I will take extreme action and destroy everything around me to avenge your death or honor our love.
All I heard was a shout
I heard your brother shouting in anger or frustration.
Of your brother calling me out
Your brother is challenging me to a fight or to face some kind of punishment for my actions.
And you ran like a fool to my side
You came to my defense, even though it may not have been the best idea given the circumstances.
Well, the shot, it hit hard
A gun was fired, and you were hit and badly injured by the bullet.
And your frame went limp in my arms
You collapsed or died in my arms after being shot.
And an oath of love was your dying cry
Your final words were a declaration of your love for me, even as you were dying.
Valencia
The name of the city where these events took place.
With your blood gettin' cold on the ground
Your death is becoming more final as your blood begins to cool and congeal on the ground.
And I swear to the stars
I reaffirm my promise to the universe and all that it holds sacred.
I'll burn this whole city down, oh, oh
In order to honor your memory or avenge your death, I will destroy everything around me.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Colin Meloy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eli
You belong to the gang
And you say you can't break away
But I'm here with my hands on my heart
Our families can't agree
I'm your brother's sworn enemy
But I'll shout out my love to the stars
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go
When first we laid eyes
I swore to no compromise
'Til I felt my caress on your skin
Well, how soon we were betrayed
Your sister gave us away
And your father came all unhinged
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll go, we'll go
But Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down
All I heard was a shout
Of your brother calling me out
And you ran like a fool to my side
Well the shot, it hit hard
And your frame went limp in my arms
And an oath of love was your dying cry
So wait for the stone on your window, your window
Wait by the car and we'll, go we'll go
But Oh Valencia
With your blood still warm on the ground
Valencia
And I'll burn this whole city down
Valencia
With your blood getting cold on the ground
Valencia
And I swear to the stars
I'll burn this whole city down
Elizabeth Valencia
This song is so oddly relevant to my life, and I'm surprised I've just heard it...for one, my surname is Valencia. Three years back I fell in love with a boy and kept it secret. My sister was disappointed and forced the truth out, my dad and family were furious, and I struggled through a really dark time. The only difference to the song is that we eventually made it passed all the hardships. They made me a stronger person, and made us a stronger relationship. So stay strong, all you hopelessly in love. Happy endings do come true!
Reflected Crosssite
Did they try to shoot him tho
Squidward tentacles
I didn't ask tho
Aulmeyda
This song is so underrated. Definitely my favorite Decemberists song, and definitely one of my favorite songs of all time.
SatireStudios
Yes!!
Leopard and Lion!
Same here!:)
Anyun Chatterjee
I'm a relatively tough guy. My friend introduced me to the Decemberists this morning. I listened to all their songs today, andI love their music so much, and this song and video made me sob. No regrets.
NextLevel Journey
When you realize that being TOUGH is actually being able to know your emotions and enjoy your life more deeply…
Which is what you admitted happened for you :)
Maryann Slattery Burrows
I totally hear you. 😷😎
Toshi Towers
2022 y la sigo escuchando que hermoso tema