The Fiery Furnaces signed with the Rough Trade Records music label in 2002, and recorded their debut album in the same year.
Gallowsbird's Bark, released in the autumn of 2003, garnered critical praise for its clever wordplay and original songwriting.
Anybody who thought they had the band pinned at that point was quickly proven wrong with the 2004 release Blueberry Boat, a rock-operatic album whose track lengths were often six minutes long or longer.
While some critics adored the album for its vast complexity, others found it all a little too overwhelming.
After releasing EP in 2005 (considered a full-length album because of its 41 minute play time, but is "officially" an EP) the band then released two further albums - Rehearsing My Choir (2005), a radio-dramaesque concept album about the Friedbergers' Greek grandmother; and Bitter Tea (2006), which is a comparably more conventional album built on still-bent song structures, but with more pop-oriented stylings.
In October 2007 the band released their fifth full-length album, Widow City.
Trivia
- Their name is both a reference to the film "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)" and to the book of Daniel in the Bible.
- Matthew Friedberger has also released two solo albums simultaneously.
- Eleanor Friedberger is rumoured to be in a relationship with Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, because the song "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" from their second album is about her.
- Due to the garage blues elements of the band’s sound and the fact that the band members are siblings, The Fiery Furnaces was often compared by the press to The White Stripes (The White Stripes sometimes promote themselves as siblings, though they are not).
Official Website: www.thefieryfurnaces.com
Bitter Tea
The Fiery Furnaces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a special category business
Down by the multifunctional Dr. Sun yat-sen memorial rollerblade rink
Down by the home of bitter tea
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
Why not come up through the hall of butterflies
And past lane 170
Into our dragon protector layout
And try some bitter tea
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
On the 13th day of the 5th lunar month
Outside a hot spring bath
The old banyan tree looked down on me
Aren't you curious
Aren't you curious
A little curious
About what the osmanthus blossoms taste like
I think you're curious
Yes, you're curious
A little curious
About what the osmanthus blossums taste like
With a cup of bitter tea
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
On the 13th day of the 5th lunar month
Outside a hot spring bath
The old banyan tree looked down on me
I am a crazy crane
I lost my true love in the rain
I am a crazy crane
I lost my true love in the rain
In "Bitter Tea" by The Fiery Furnaces, the singer is inviting someone to visit their special category business located by the multifunctional Dr. Sun yat-sen memorial rollerblade rink and the home of bitter tea. The phrase "bitter tea" is repeated multiple times throughout the song, suggesting that it is the focus or theme of the business. The singer then suggests an alternate route to the business, through the hall of butterflies and past lane 170, leading to the dragon protector layout. The song then shifts to a conversation about the taste of osmanthus blossoms, which is suggested as a flavor of the tea. The singer asks if the other person is curious about the taste, and the song ends with the repetition of "I am a crazy crane, I lost my true love in the rain."
While the meaning of the lyrics in "Bitter Tea" by The Fiery Furnaces is left up to interpretation, the imagery and use of repeated phrases create a dream-like atmosphere for the listener. The song is open to many interpretations, ranging from a cryptic advertisement to a surreal meditation on loss and longing. The use of traditional Chinese iconography, including the reference to the Dr. Sun yat-sen memorial and the osmanthus blossoms, adds to the surreal and dream-like quality of the song. Overall, "Bitter Tea" is a haunting and ambiguous song that encourages the listener to question and interpret its meaning.
Line by Line Meaning
Bitter tea
The main subject of the song is bitter tea
I've got a special category business
The singer has a unique and specific business
Down by the multifunctional Dr. Sun yat-sen memorial rollerblade rink
The singer's business is located near the rollerblade rink in honor of Dr. Sun Yat-sen
Down by the home of bitter tea
The business is located by the place where bitter tea is made
Bitter, bitter, bitter tea
The artist emphasizes the bitterness of the tea by repeating this line
I've seen you slinking off of snake alley
The singer is addressing someone who has been seen sneaking around snake alley
Why not come up through the hall of butterflies
The singer suggests a different, more pleasant route for the person to take
And past lane 170
The artist gives specific directions for the person to follow
Into our dragon protector layout
The place where the business is located has a layout in the shape of a dragon, which may serve as protection
And try some bitter tea
The artist invites the person to try the bitter tea
On the 13th day of the 5th lunar month
The singer sets a specific time and date for an event or occurrence
Outside a hot spring bath
The event or occurrence takes place outdoors, near a hot spring bath
The old banyan tree looked down on me
The singer describes their surroundings, including the presence of an old banyan tree
Aren't you curious
The singer poses a rhetorical question to the person, asking if they are interested in something
A little curious
The singer suggests that the person is only somewhat interested
About what the osmanthus blossoms taste like
The artist introduces the idea of trying something new, in this case the taste of osmanthus blossoms
I think you're curious
The artist confirms their belief that the person is interested
Yes, you're curious
The singer reiterates their belief that the person is interested
With a cup of bitter tea
The singer suggests pairing the new experience of trying osmanthus blossoms with the familiar bitterness of the tea
I am a crazy crane
The artist abruptly changes the subject by proclaiming themselves to be a crazy crane
I lost my true love in the rain
The artist adds a poetic and melancholy element to their self-description of a crazy crane
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind