The Decemberists is a folk rock band which formed in 2000 in Portland, Oreg… Read Full Bio ↴The Decemberists is a folk rock band which formed in 2000 in Portland, Oregon, United States. The band currently consists of Colin Meloy (vocals, guitar), Chris Funk (guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, pedal steel guitar), Jenny Conlee (organ, piano, accordion), Nate Query (electric bass, acoustic bass, cello) and John Moen (drums). Notable former members include Rachel Blumberg (drums, vocals) and Jesse Emerson (bass).

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.

The Hazards of Love 2
The Decemberists Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And here I am
Softer than a shower
And here I am
To garland you with flowers

To lay you down
In clover bed
The stars a roof

Above our heads

And all my life
I never felt the tremor
And all my life
That now disturbs my fingers

I lay you down
In clover bed
The stars a roof
Above our heads

And we'll lie 'til the Corn Crake crows
Bereft of the weight of our summer clothes
And I'd wager all

The hazards of love
The hazards of love

And take my hand
And cradle it in your hand
And take my hand
To feel the pull of quicksand

I lay you down
In clover bed
The stars a roof
Above our heads

And we'll lie 'til the Corn Crake crows
Bereft of the weight of our summer clothes
And I'd wager all

The hazards of love
The hazards of love

The hazards of love
The hazards of love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Decemberists’ song “The Hazards of Love 2” describe a moment of intimacy between two lovers who are lying down, surrounded by nature. The singer is overwhelmed by the physical sensations he is experiencing as he touches his partner's hand. He says he has never felt this tremor before, which seems to suggest that this is a new relationship or experience for him. They are lying in a clover bed with the stars above them, enjoying each other's company until the morning comes. The song title, “The Hazards of Love”, suggests that this moment of happiness may be fleeting, and that there is some danger or risk associated with being in love.

The melody of the song has a dreamy quality, with soft guitar and mandolin backing up the vocals. This matches the gentle, romantic mood of the lyrics. However, this song is part of a larger rock opera, also titled “The Hazards of Love”, which tells a darker story of a woman named Margaret who falls in love with a shape-shifting forest creature. The overall narrative of “The Hazards of Love” deals with themes of betrayal, mortality, and sacrifice.

Line by Line Meaning

And here I am
I am present with you

Softer than a shower
I am gentle and vulnerable

And here I am
I am present with you

To garland you with flowers
To adorn you with beautiful things

To lay you down
To bring you to rest

In clover bed
In a comfortable place

The stars a roof
The night sky above us

Above our heads
Over us

And all my life
For the entirety of my existence

I never felt the tremor
I never experienced this sensation

And all my life
For the entirety of my existence