The Extraordinaires have produced three full-length albums to date. Their first, "Ribbons of War," is a brilliant themed CD telling the operatic love tale of the brooding Captain, the fair Annelies, and their forbidden love. Their second full-length - "Short Stories" - is a collection of stand-alones featuring tracks such as "The Arsonist" "Warehouse Song" and "Neighborhood Watch". In '08 they opened for Man Man on their acclaimed US tour and released "Battle of the Vans" a split 7-inch with label mates Kill You in the Face.
The Extraordinaires' newest album, entitled "Electric and Benevolent," is set for release on June 19th, 2009, as they kick off their US summer tour in Philadelphia. Music and updates can be found at their myspace: http://myspace.com/theextraordinaires
The Sad Tale of Eli Culp
The Extraordinaires Lyrics
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And the ocean smells of death and the air screams oh so loud
And I count seven days passed by
And I get to wonderin' why
That my wife left me out here all alone
Goddamn why'd she have to die
And as I look up toward heaven and the sun shines down on me
What is happenin' here? I haven't felt this alive in days
To see this fight right in front of my eyes flames destruction and dismay
Debris and fire all around, "This is a shitstorm!," I screamed out
Explorer of the sea and protector of the sky
Both of you are gonna die
And as I look up toward heaven and the sun shines down on me
and I squint my eyes and realize an airplane fallin' to the sea
The Extraordinaires's song The Sad Tale of Eli Culp tells the story of a man who has been lost at sea for seven days, after being abandoned by his wife who had died. In the song, Eli Culp describes the overwhelming smell of death and the deafening sound of the air as he tries to make sense of his situation. He wonders why his wife left him all alone and feels betrayed that she had to die.
As Eli Culp looks up towards the sky, he witnesses a gruesome sight - an airplane falls from the sky and crashes into the ocean. He is shocked by what he sees and expresses his emotions through screams of "flames, destruction and dismay". In that moment, he yells out in despair, as both the explorer of the sea and the protector of the sky are doomed to die.
The song is a powerful commentary on the fragility of human life and the cruelness of fate. It provokes deep emotions of sadness and desperation, leaving the listener with a sense of the uncertainty of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Where am I now? It seems I got lost somehow
The singer is confused and disoriented, not knowing where they are or how they got there
And the ocean smells of death and the air screams oh so loud
The surroundings are foreboding, with a strong sense of danger and death in the air
And I count seven days passed by
The singer has been stranded and alone for a week
And I get to wonderin' why
The artist questions why they were left to die and what could have caused their situation
That my wife left me out here all alone
The artist was deserted by their spouse to face this harsh situation alone
Goddamn why'd she have to die
The singer's wife has died, compounding their feeling of abandonment and loss
And as I look up toward heaven and the sun shines down on me
The singer sees a glimmer of hope, possibly divine intervention, in their dire circumstance
And I squint my eyes and realize an airplane fallin' to the sea
The hope is short-lived as the artist realizes the danger is still present and others are suffering
What is happenin' here? I haven't felt this alive in days
The danger and action around the artist bring a sense of adrenaline and excitement, a welcome change from the monotony of their environment
To see this fight right in front of my eyes flames destruction and dismay
The artist is witnessing a tragedy unfold before them, with destruction and sadness all around
Debris and fire all around, "This is a shitstorm!," I screamed out
The chaos and danger of the situation lead the singer to curse and express their frustration
Explorer of the sea and protector of the sky
The plane and the artist share a common theme of exploration and adventuring
Both of you are gonna die
The singer grimly predicts the outcome, unable to intervene and save those on board the plummeting plane
Contributed by Sadie R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.