The brothers began playing together on Sunday afternoons at their father's barbecues but the band started when they moved to a little apartment in Brooklyn and began to play at the Subway stations near 42nd. Street and Union Square in Greenwich Village.
They released their debut album Through These Reins and Gone in 2006 and in 2007 they got a deal with Loose Music in Europe. Through These Reins and Gone made it onto Radio Woodstock WDST's top 25 albums of 2006. The Felice Brothers have played at Levon Helm's Midnight Ramble in Woodstock, NY, toured with Bright Eyes played at the 2008 Clearwater Festival, and Bonnaroo in Manchester, TN.
Lion
The Felice Brothers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A monster in Orion
Alas, the humans came
Now I'm handled with a chain
Hear the children holler
A serpent for a collar
I will get no rest
AND THE CROWD COMES AND GOES
TO WHAT END, NO ONE KNOWS
Critics might be caning
The bankers bring their family
There will always be
A little crumb for you and me
Me and the serpent crawler
A child for a dollar
I will get no rest
In this mirrored wilderness
AND THE CROWD COMES AND GOES
TO WHAT END, NO ONE KNOWS
Like the ships on the wind
Like the dust in the meadow, sand
Tour in my sickness
I know all your secrets
He is such a fool
He drowned his love in a swimming pool
Hear the trainer holler
A serpent for a collar
He hates it when I roar
And when he's drunk he hits it more
AND THE CROWD COMES AND GOES
TO WHAT END, NO ONE KNOWS
Like the ships on the wind
Like the dust in the meadow, sand
The lyrics to "Lion" by The Felice Brothers convey a sense of captivity and oppression through the perspective of a wild animal - a lion that was once a "monster in Orion." The opening verse sets the stage, depicting the lion's current state of being handled with a chain by humans. The chorus brings in a sense of mystery and uncertainty, with the crowd coming and going to an unknown end. The second verse paints a bleak picture of the world around the lion, with critics and bankers taking what they please while leaving only a "little crumb" for others. The image of a serpent being used as a collar is particularly striking and adds to the sense of entrapment the lyrics convey.
The third verse brings in more characters, each representing different forms of oppression. The lion is trapped in sickness while others know all its secrets, and a trainer yells at it while using a serpent as a collar. The lion roars, but it is hated and punished for doing so. The final repetition of the chorus adds to the ambiguity and feeling of unease, as if the lion's fate is uncertain and out of its control.
Overall, the lyrics of "Lion" are powerful and emotional, using animal imagery to express themes of oppression and the struggle for freedom.
Line by Line Meaning
I was once a lion
I used to be a powerful creature
A monster in Orion
I was like a ferocious beast among stars
Alas, the humans came
Sadly, humans arrived and changed everything
Now I'm handled with a chain
But now I am restrained and controlled with a chain
Hear the children holler
Listen to the kids shouting
A serpent for a collar
I am bound by a snake-like collar
I will get no rest
I cannot get any peace
In this hornet wilderness
In this dangerous and chaotic world
AND THE CROWD COMES AND GOES
People come and go
TO WHAT END, NO ONE KNOWS
But nobody knows why
Critics might be caning
Critics may be chastising or condemning
The bankers bring their family
Bankers bring their families to watch
There will always be
There will always exist
A little crumb for you and me
A small piece of something for each of us
Me and the serpent crawler
I and the snake-like creature bound to me
A child for a dollar
A kid is sold for only a dollar
I will get no rest
I cannot get any peace
In this mirrored wilderness
In this world with distorted reflections
Like the ships on the wind
Like boats carried by the wind
Like the dust in the meadow, sand
Like dust in a field, sand on a beach
Tour in my sickness
I am traveling while I am unwell
I know all your secrets
I am aware of all your secrets
He is such a fool
He is a complete idiot
He drowned his love in a swimming pool
He ruined his relationship in a trivial way
Hear the trainer holler
Listen to the trainer yell
A serpent for a collar
I am still bound by a snake-like collar
He hates it when I roar
He dislikes it when I show my strength and power
And when he's drunk he hits it more
And when he is intoxicated, he hits me even harder
Contributed by Bella O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@HermanniTurkki
Go Felice Brothers! You've been a huge influence to us! Sincerely yours, finnish folk-racket band Hermanni Turkki
@Sheriff_Ochs
My fav track off Favorite Waitress. This music video is something else.
@Erik_Ahl
This is so catchy and lovely! Perfect roadtrip music!
@jam-nc8ut
If I ever get kidnapped by a circus, I want this to be part of the soundtrack.
@jmpmcd
love the choreography ....see you boys on friday at the academy 3....manchester england...
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
I have no idea where the hell are you.
@AZ
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"the Pink panther was red and faded."
,dan'
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
"Dandylion Dan the lion. El means the in Spanish."🖕🏼🖕
,dan'"
@the-bottom-of-a-black-hole-.
Do the opposite of these people.";
,dan'