The band's name derives from banjoist Leonard Podolak's earlier band Scruj MacDuhk (pronounced Scrugg MachDuke). MacDuhk was a warrior chieftain who fought with William Wallace, resisting English occupation of Scotland, during the reign of King Edward I. The entire name is a wordplay on the Disney character Scrooge McDuck created by Carl Barks.
In March of 2007 lead singer and budding songwriter Jessee Havey left the band to pursue other interests. Singer Sarah Dugas joined the band in July of 2007 and is on the road with The Duhks.
In late 2007, percussionist Scott Senior left the band to spend more time with his family, as his partner, Tara Beckta, was expecting their second child. Christian Dugas, Sarah's brother and a former bandmate of Leonard Podolak, has since joined The Duhks. Other members are fiddler Tania Elizabeth and guitarist Jordan McConnell.
In October 2007 The Duhks Sustainability Project http://www.greenduhks.com was launched to raise awareness about ways to live a more economically-viable and ecologically-sustainable lifestyle. In April 2008, The Duhks performed a post Earth Day benefit in Nederland, Colorado.
In spring 2016, the band announced that they would no longer be touring. They have not released any new music since 2014.
http://www.duhks.com
Four Blue Walls
The Duhks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On a stormy night
And she couldn't shut her eyes
And she couldn't blow out the light
So she gave up struggling
And let the candle burn
The hail knocked her window
As her memories knocked in turn
They've been hers since she was small
No sleep in sight
Oh her father
Is the only one
Who pretends he can't remember
What was done
And her mother
Can't find the strength
To do anything at all but stand and pray
In a room with four blue walls
That were closing in together
'Til they got so goddamn small
That she had to brave the weather
By herself
So she went to the barroom
And she picked a fight
He told her she was looking for trouble
And she said "that's right"
She was looking for an eardrum
So she beat him and she shoved
'Til he couldn't quite resist her when she dragged him home for love
To a room with four blue walls
On a floor that's worn like leather
And the shadows fell across them
As she held their eyes together
And they cried
Would you be my ocean
Won't you be the rain
Can a kiss from you rinse another from my brain
Can we wash these floorboards
Can we wash these walls
Can I close my eyes and sleep once and for all
In a room with four blue walls
Filled from floor to roof with water
And a man who calmly calls her "darling dear"
Not "darling daughter"
She sleeps at last
She sleeps at last
And her room had four blue walls
The Duhks’s “Four Blue Walls” portrays a poignant tale of a woman's sleepless night and her inner turmoil. Despite the stormy night, her struggles are not limited to her surroundings, but they are echoed in her memories. She eventually ceases resistance to the situation and lets the light and hail entirely consume her surroundings. The four blue walls, which have been hers since childhood, close in on her in a way that creates a claustrophobic feeling, leaving no escape for her. The lyrics update the listener about her parents, with her father pretending not to remember what has been done. Her mother, on the other hand, cannot do much except standing and praying.
The story continues in the next part of the song, where the woman finds herself in a barroom where she picks a fight. She was looking for an eardrum, which could imply that she wanted someone to hear her out while simultaneously giving voice to her pain. She proceeds to drag her opponent home, demonstrating her strength and dominance in the relationship. The song concludes with a desperate plea for companionship, past pain to be washed away so that she can sleep soundly. Although the woman is alone, the man in the end is “calmly,” calling her “darling dear,” and this simple phrase gives her comfort and allows her to sleep at last.
Line by Line Meaning
It was past her bedtime
She stayed up late
On a stormy night
The weather was bad outside
And she couldn't shut her eyes
She couldn't fall asleep
And she couldn't blow out the light
She couldn't turn off the candle
So she gave up struggling
She stopped fighting
And let the candle burn
She allowed the candle to burn itself out
The hail knocked her window
The hail hit her window
As her memories knocked in turn
Memories flooded into her mind
And her room had four blue walls
Her room was small and enclosed
They've been hers since she was small
She had this room since she was a child
No sleep in sight
She was still awake
Oh her father
Referring to her Dad
Is the only one
Nobody else
Who pretends he can't remember
He fakes that he doesn't recall
What was done
What happened in the past
And her mother
Referring to her Mom
Can't find the strength
She's not able to continue
To do anything at all but stand and pray
She can only stand and hope for the best
In a room with four blue walls
The same room
That were closing in together
The walls felt like they were closing in
Til they got so goddamn small
It became unbearably constricted
That she had to brave the weather
She had to face the exterior tempest alone
By herself
Alone
So she went to the barroom
She went to a tavern
And she picked a fight
She started an argument
He told her she was looking for trouble
He warned her
And she said "that's right"
She admitted she was
She was looking for an eardrum
She wanted a listening ear
So she beat him and she shoved
She resorted to aggression
Til he couldn't quite resist her when she dragged him home for love
He submitted to her and they left together
To a room with four blue walls
Back to the same room
On a floor that's worn like leather
The floor is scuffed and well-used
And the shadows fell across them
It became darker
As she held their eyes together
She held his gaze
And they cried
They shed tears
Would you be my ocean
Can you be someone she can immerse in
Won't you be the rain
Ask someone to be the water for her to cleanse herself
Can a kiss from you rinse another from my brain
Ask if kisses from someone else can make her forget altogether
Can we wash these floorboards
Ask if they can clean the floors
Can we wash these walls
Ask if they can clean the walls
Can I close my eyes and sleep once and for all
Ask for permission to sleep without any disturbance
In a room with four blue walls
The same room
Filled from floor to roof with water
The room is now full of water
And a man who calmly calls her "darling dear"
A man politely refers to her as if she is someone he loves
Not "darling daughter"
The man avoids referring to her as his child
She sleeps at last
Finally, she can rest and sleep
She sleeps at last
Repeating the previous line
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: RUTH UNGAR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind