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 Queen's Rebuke / The Crossing
The Decemberists Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm made of bones of the branches the boughs and the bough beating light
Well my feet are the trunks, my head is the canopy
And my fingers extend to the leaves in the eves
And a bright, brighter shine
It's my shine
Was a baby abandoned
Entombed in a cradle of clay
And I was a soul who took pity and stole him away
And gave him the form of a faun to inhabit
And a day, brightest day
It's my day
And you
Have removed this temptation that's troubled my innocent child
To abduct and abuse
And to render ? and defiled
But the river is deep to the base of the water
And I
I will fly you
To the far side
The lyrics to The Decemberists' song The Queen's Rebuke/The Crossing are a complex and multi-layered exploration of power, nature, and the relationship between the two. The first verse describes the queen as a being made of the very fabric of nature itself - "bones of the branches", "feet are the trunks", "head is the canopy". She is at once a part of nature and in control of it, as seen in "my fingers extend to the leaves in the eves". The repetition of "bright, brighter shine" emphasizes her power and radiance.
The second verse introduces a narrative element, describing the queen's act of compassion towards a baby who was abandoned and entombed in clay. She gives him the form of a faun, an animal hybrid that embodies nature and sexuality. This act is juxtaposed with the image of "the river is deep to the base of the water", suggesting that there is a dark, hidden underbelly to this seemingly benevolent act.
The chorus, "And I will fly you to the far side," is the queen's promise to take the faun to safety, and it echoes the song's larger themes of escape, transformation, and the lure of the natural world.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm made of bones of the branches the boughs and the bough beating light
The Queen describes herself as a product of nature, with her body composed of tree parts and illuminated by sunlight.
Well my feet are the trunks, my head is the canopy
Continuing her description, the Queen likens her feet to tree trunks and her head to a leafy canopy.
And my fingers extend to the leaves in the eves
The Queen's fingers are portrayed as reaching towards the tree's leaves.
And a bright, brighter shine
The Queen's light shines brightly under her leafy crown.
It's my shine
The shining light is her own.
And he
The song shifts focus to another character, hinted at by the previous line and context. This could be referring to the faun mentioned later in the song.
Was a baby abandoned
This character was a baby who was left behind or deserted.
Entombed in a cradle of clay
The baby was buried or encased in clay.
And I was a soul who took pity and stole him away
The Queen claims that she saved the baby and took him as her own out of compassion.
And gave him the form of a faun to inhabit
The Queen transformed the baby into a faun.
And a day, brightest day
The Queen describes the day as being bright, even brighter than the shining light from before.
It's my day
The day belongs to the Queen.
And you
The song addresses another character or entity.
Have removed this temptation that's troubled my innocent child
This character has removed a temptation that threatened to harm or corrupt the Queen's innocent child.
To abduct and abuse
The temptation was to kidnap and harm the child.
And to render ? and defiled
The temptation would have caused harm and damage to the child.
But the river is deep to the base of the water
The river mentioned in the song is very deep, going all the way to the riverbed.
And I
The Queen speaks up again.
I will fly you
The Queen declares that she will fly this character to a faraway place.
To the far side
This faraway place is referred to as 'the far side.' It is left undefined what this means or why the character is being taken there.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: COLIN MELOY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind