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
This Fall
The Duhks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They're pairing up, preparing for the cold to come
They cling and dangle at each other's side
Not keen on letting air flow by
This fall they all fall all around me
Some were meant to fall deeply in love this year
I was meant to fall into the depths of this basement
Alone, all alone in my head
chorus
Some were meant to fall head over heals this year
I was destined to fall into the workshop to labour
Guess I wouldn't have time even if I had the chap
Yet my heart longs to long for someone
Those joyous folks, those happy people
Who can't help but stare straight into each other's eyes
They're taken, simply smitten
I fear they've lost their minds!
Who can blame them when I know I'd spare mine?
This fall they all fall all around me…
chorus
I refuse to be cold but would rather be alone
Than to have a body that warms my feet
But keeps my heart frozen
I'll pile on the blankets at the foot of my bed
And trust my zealous heart will one day conquer its desire
chorus
The Duhks's song 'This Fall' is a melancholic track that speaks of loneliness, isolation, and the pain of unrequited love. The fall setting adds to the feeling of loneliness as everyone around the singer is pairing up and preparing for the cold that is about to come. The opening line of the song "This fall they all fall all around me" expresses the overwhelming feeling of being surrounded by happy couples while the singer is left alone. The leaves falling from the trees represent the happy moments of others that are falling all around the singer.
The first verse talks about how some people were meant to fall in love while the singer was meant to fall into an empty bed. The line "Alone, all alone in my head" is particularly poignant as the singer is dealing with their loneliness in their own mind. The chorus talks about how everyone seems to be falling in love while the singer is not even close to finding someone to fall in love with. The second verse brings in the theme of labor and how the singer was destined to fall into work and toil away in a workshop instead of falling in love.
The bridge of the song shows the singer refusing to settle for anything less than true love. They would rather be alone than to be with someone who only warms their feet but freezes their heart. They pile on the comforters at the foot of their bed as they trust their zealous heart to one day conquer their desire.
Line by Line Meaning
This fall they all fall all around me
The leaves are falling all around the singer in preparation for winter.
They're pairing up, preparing for the cold to come
The falling leaves are sticking to each other, getting ready for winter.
They cling and dangle at each other's side
The leaves are attached to each other and hanging from the branches.
Not keen on letting air flow by
The leaves are blocking the wind from passing through the trees.
Some were meant to fall deeply in love this year
Some people were destined to find love this year.
I was meant to fall into the depths of this basement
The singer is feeling down and stuck in a sad situation.
Meant to fall ever so deep into an empty bed
The singer is supposed to be alone in bed.
Alone, all alone in my head
The artist is lonely and only has their thoughts for company.
Some were meant to fall head over heals this year
Some people were destined to fall deeply in love this year.
I was destined to fall into the workshop to labour
The artist is meant to work hard this year instead of focusing on love.
Guess I wouldn't have time even if I had the chap
Even if the opportunity for love arose, the singer wouldn't have time for it.
Yet my heart longs to long for someone
Despite being busy, the artist still yearns for love.
Those joyous folks, those happy people
The singer is observing other happy couples around them.
Who can't help but stare straight into each other's eyes
The happy couples are deeply in love and can't take their eyes off each other.
They're taken, simply smitten
The happy couples are already in relationships and completely enamored by each other.
I fear they've lost their minds!
The artist is surprised by how deeply the happy couples are in love.
Who can blame them when I know I'd spare mine?
The artist can empathize with the happy couples and understands why they are so in love.
I refuse to be cold but would rather be alone
The singer would rather be alone than in a relationship that doesn't fulfill them.
Than to have a body that warms my feet
The singer doesn't want someone in their life just for the sake of physical warmth.
But keeps my heart frozen
The artist doesn't want to be with someone who doesn't make them happy.
I'll pile on the blankets at the foot of my bed
The artist will keep themselves warm and cozy in their bed alone.
And trust my zealous heart will one day conquer its desire
The artist believes that one day they will find someone who truly makes them happy.
Writer(s): Sarah Marie Andree Dugas Copyright: Duhks Publishing Designee
Contributed by Anna D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.