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 Island
The Decemberists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lapping currents lay your boat to ground
Affix your barb and bayonet, the curlews carve their Arabesques
And sorrow fills the silence all around, you come and see
There's a harbor lost within the reeds
A jetty caught in over-hanging trees
Among the bones of cormorants, no boot mark here nor finger prints
Come and see
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
Who rose like the wind
Though we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again, come and see
Come and see
In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
A brier cradle rocks its babe to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax and patagon in paralax
A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep, you come and see
Come and see
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
Who rose like the wind
Though we know for sure amidst this fading light
We'll not go home again, come and see
Come and see
As I was rambled
Down by the water
I spied in sable
The landlord's daughter
Produced my pistol
Then my saber
To make no whistle
Or thou will be murdered
Lord
Lord
She cursed, she shivered
She cried for mercy
"My gold and silver
If thou will release me"
Lord
Lord
Lord
I'll take no gold miss
I'll take no silver
I'll take those sweet lips
And I'll deliver
Lord
Lord
I will dress your eyelids
With dimes upon your eyes
Laying close to water
Green your grave will rise
Go to sleep now little ugly
Go to sleep now you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Forget you once had sweethearts
They've forgotten you
Think you not on parents
They've forgotten too
Go to sleep now little ugly
Go to sleep now you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Go to sleep now little ugly
Go to sleep now you little fool
Forty-winking in the belfry
You'll not feel the drowning
You'll not feel the drowning
Hear you now the captain
Heed his sorrowed cry
Weight upon your eyelids
Is dimes laid on your eyes
The song "The Island" by The Decemberists tells a story of a mysterious island that is shrouded in silence and sorrow. The imagery created in the lyrics is haunting, as the audience is transported to the island where there is no human presence, except for a few bones of cormorants. The description of the island is vivid yet vague, leaving the interpretation to the listener's imagination. The lyrics also depict a sense of danger as the character in the song is armed with barb and bayonet, signifying that this is not a safe place to be. The song's chorus emphasizes the theme of being lost and stranded when it repeats, "We'll not go home again, come and see."
The third verse introduces a new setting, nestled in the heat of the lowlands with a brier cradle. The lyrics mention a foretold rumbling sound below the deep, suggesting that there may be some type of catastrophe waiting to unfold. The last verse takes a darker turn with a story about a landlord's daughter who is held captive and offered her gold and silver in exchange for her release, but the character in the song has other sinister intentions. The lyrics are chilling as the character speaks of dressing her eyelids with dimes upon death and burying her close to water.
Overall, "The Island" tells an eerie narrative that keeps the listener engaged with its vivid imagery and dark themes. The song's title aptly represents the theme of being lost and stranded, both physically and emotionally.
Line by Line Meaning
There's an island hidden in the sound
There is an island that is hard to find
Lapping currents lay your boat to ground
The calming water brings your boat close to the shore
Affix your barb and bayonet, the curlews carve their Arabesques
Get ready for battle as the curlews create their intricate movements
And sorrow fills the silence all around, you come and see
A feeling of sadness pervades the quietness and invites you to explore
There's a harbor lost within the reeds
A harbor is hidden among tall grass
A jetty caught in over-hanging trees
A dock is located beneath an overhanging tree
Among the bones of cormorants, no boot mark here nor finger prints
You won’t find any evidence of human presence, just the remains of ancient birds
The rivers roll down to a soundless sea, you come and see
The rivers end up in a quiet ocean, inviting you to explore
The tides will come and go witnessed by no waking eye
The changes in the ocean won’t be seen by anyone awake
Who rose like the wind
The wind is the only one that gets up to see the tides moving
Though we know for sure amidst this fading light
Even though everything is unclear in this dim light
We'll not go home again, come and see
We won’t be able to return home after discovering this hidden place
In the lowlands, nestled in the heat
In the warm and cozy valley
A brier cradle rocks its babe to sleep
A thorny bush gently rocks a child to sleep
Its contents watched by Sycorax and patagon in paralax
Two beings are observing its contents from different points of view
A foretold rumbling sounds below the deep, you come and see
There is a sound coming from deep beneath, that’s worth exploring
As I was rambled
As I was wandering aimlessly
Down by the water
Near the water
I spied in sable
I saw a dark figure
The landlord's daughter
The daughter of a wealthy landowner
Produced my pistol
I took out my gun
Then my saber
And then my sword
To make no whistle
To make no noise
Or thou will be murdered
Or you will be killed
She cursed, she shivered
She was frightened and cursed
She cried for mercy
She pleaded for mercy
"My gold and silver
"Take my wealth
If thou will release me"
In exchange for my freedom"
I'll take no gold miss
I don’t want your riches
I'll take no silver
I don’t need your silver
I'll take those sweet lips
But I’ll take a kiss from you
And I'll deliver
And then I’ll set you free
I will dress your eyelids
I’ll place coins over your eyes
With dimes upon your eyes
And cover your eyes with ten-cent coins
Laying close to water
As you lie near the water
Green your grave will rise
Grass will grow on your grave
Go to sleep now little ugly
Go to sleep now my dear
Go to sleep now you little fool
Close your eyes and rest
Forty-winking in the belfry
Sleeping soundly in the bell tower
You'll not feel the drowning
You won’t experience the sensation of drowning
Forget you once had sweethearts
Forget about your former lovers
They've forgotten you
Because they’ve forgotten all about you
Think you not on parents
Don’t think about your parents
They've forgotten too
Because they too don’t remember you
Hear you now the captain
Listen to the captain
Heed his sorrowed cry
Pay attention to his sad call
Weight upon your eyelids
Your eyes will feel heavy
Is dimes laid on your eyes
From the weight of the ten-cent coins laid on them
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: COLIN MELOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind