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
Mountains of things
The Duhks Lyrics
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I guess I'll never have
I'll be working for somebody else
Until I'm in my grave
I'll be dreaming of a live of ease
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
To have a big expensive car
And have a maid that I can tell
To bring me anything
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
I'll revel in their attention
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
Sweet lazy life
Champagne and caviar
I hope you'll come and find me
Cause you know who we are
Those who deserve the best in life
And know what money's worth
And those whose sole misfortune
Was having mountains o' nothing at birth
Oh they tell me
There's still time to save my soul
They tell me
Renounce all
Renounce all those material things you gained by
Exploiting other human beings
Consume more than you need
This is the dream
Make you pauper
Or make you queen
I won't die lonely
I'll have it all prearranged
A grave that's deep and wide enough
For me and all my mountains o' things
Mostly I feel lonely
Good good people are
Good people are only
My stepping stones
It's gonna take all my mountains o' things
To surround me
Keep all my enemies away
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay
I'll be dreaming, dreaming... Dreaming...
The Duhks's song "Mountains of things" is a powerful commentary on the impact of materialism on society. The song expresses a melancholic awareness of the emptiness of a life obsessed with objects and wealth. The singer expresses despair at the realization that the life they always desired is a life they can never truly attain. Instead, they will be forced to work for someone else their entire lives. The singer dreams of a life of leisure with expensive cars, furs, and a maid to tend to their every need. They revel in the attention they imagine receiving when they possess such things, but they are also aware that those who have nothing but mountains of material wealth at their birth do not have the same luxuries.
The song's lyrics also convey the nihilism that often accompanies the pursuit of materialism. The singer expresses a sense of hopelessness, realizing that no matter how much they consume, they will always want more. They are aware that they may exploit other human beings to consume more than they truly need. The singer also acknowledges that even if they die surrounded by their mountains of things, they will still be lonely. In the end, the song suggests that material possessions cannot provide true happiness or fill the void that exists in one's soul.
Line by Line Meaning
The life I've always wanted
I have always wanted a life of luxury.
I guess I'll never have
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that I will ever have that life.
I'll be working for somebody else
I will have to work for someone else to make a living.
Until I'm in my grave
I will work until I die.
I'll be dreaming of a life of ease
I will dream of a life where I don't have to work and have all that I desire.
And mountains Oh mountains o' things
I desire and dream of having many material possessions.
To have a big expensive car
I want a fancy and expensive car.
Drag my furs on the ground
I will have expensive fur coats that I will drag around to display my wealth.
And have a maid that I can tell
I will have a personal maid that I can order around to bring me anything I desire.
To bring me anything
They will be at my beck and call to bring me anything I want.
Everyone will look at me with envy and with greed
Others will be envious of all that I have and I will love the attention it brings me.
I'll revel in their attention
I will gladly bask in all the attention and envy that others have towards me.
Sweet lazy life
I want an easy, luxurious life without having to work.
Champagne and caviar
I desire the finest delicacies, like champagne and caviar.
I hope you'll come and find me
I hope someone who can provide me with all that I desire will come into my life.
Cause you know who we are
They will recognize and understand what kind of life I want and be able to give it to me.
Those who deserve the best in life
I believe I deserve the best of everything in life.
And know what money's worth
I understand the value of money and material possessions and desire to have as much as possible.
And those whose sole misfortune
Others who were not born into wealth like I was are unlucky and have a harder life.
Was having mountains o' nothing at birth
They were born without any wealth or possessions, which is unfortunate for them.
Oh they tell me
Others advise me to change my ways.
There's still time to save my soul
It's not too late for me to turn my life around and seek a more noble purpose.
Renounce all
I need to give up my desire for material possessions and excess wealth.
Renounce all those material things you gained by exploiting other human beings
I must give up all the wealth and possessions I've gained by taking advantage of others.
Consume more than you need
I want to consume more than I need and live a life of excess.
This is the dream
My dream is to have more than I need and live extravagantly.
Make you pauper
Excessive consumption can lead to poverty and hardship.
Or make you queen
On the other hand, excessive consumption can lead to a life of royalty and luxury.
I won't die lonely
I believe that all my possessions will bring me happiness and prevent me from feeling lonely.
I'll have it all prearranged
I will have everything planned out and prepared for when I die.
A grave that's deep and wide enough
I will have a grand grave that can hold all my possessions and serve as a symbol of my wealth even in death.
For me and all my mountains o' things
All of my material possessions will be buried with me in my grave.
Mostly I feel lonely
Despite all my wealth and possessions, I still feel lonely.
Good good people are
Good people are valuable to me, but only as stepping stones towards gaining more wealth and possessions.
Good people are only
I only see good people as means to an end, rather than valuing their inherent worth as human beings.
My stepping stones
I see good people as stepping stones towards achieving more wealth and possessions.
It's gonna take all my mountains o' things
All of my material possessions are the only things that can protect me from my sadness and loneliness.
To surround me
Only my material possessions can keep me from feeling sad and alone.
Keep all my enemies away
My possessions and wealth will keep others from wanting to harm me or take what I have.
Keep my sadness and loneliness at bay
My material possessions will keep me from feeling sad and alone.
I'll be dreaming, dreaming... Dreaming...
Despite all my possessions and wealth, I will still continue to dream of a life of luxury and excess.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TRACY L CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind