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
Here Comes the Summer
The Fiery Furnaces Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black marks off charcoal from the dune: remember?
I thought it wouldn't be too soon; we'd wait at least until its June.
The twenty-ninth of March it rained: remember?
You looked so sad that I explained: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
The freezing wind gives you a shock: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
October damp on down the street: remember?
The sodden leaves stuck to your feet: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
July the third we stayed up late: remember?
And thought how long we'd have to wait: remember?
It'll be so long until it's soon; it'll be so long until its June.
The Fiery Furnaces's "Here Comes the Summer" is a nostalgic song about waiting for the arrival of summer, while reminiscing on memories of past seasons. The lyrics evoke the passage of time through seasonal changes, jumping from December to March, and then to May and July, linking these moments through the singer's anticipation for the start of summer. The repeated phrase "remember?" suggests the act of holding onto precious memories of time spent with someone special, perhaps a longing for the return of that person in the upcoming summer season. The imagery used in the song is vivid, from the dark December skies to the sodden leaves stuck to one's feet in October. The lyrics go on to express the waiting that is required for the arrival of summer, as though it's some sort of summertime heaven that is always just out of reach, but at the same time, it feels like it's always about to start. The line, "I swear, I swear, that I will do my part," expresses how the singer feels about experiencing summer's temporary glory, as if it's something he has to work for.
This song's strong emotional power is conveyed through both its lyrics and melody. The lyrics, though somewhat ambiguous, are full of content and carry a nostalgic yearning for life's simpler moments, while the melody that accompanies them is an honest expression of the emotions experienced when waiting for a particular season to arrive. The song's slow tempo is perfect for creating an atmosphere of yearning and anticipation, as it helps to facilitate the feeling of the passing of time while waiting for something. It's an enjoyable song to listen to that will leave its listeners feeling nostalgic for their past summers while looking forward to the next one.
Line by Line Meaning
Last day in May, the afternoon: remember?
Do you remember that last day in May when we spent the afternoon together?
Black marks off charcoal from the dune: remember?
Do you remember how we made black marks on the sand dunes with charcoal?
I thought it wouldn't be too soon; we'd wait at least until its June.
I thought it was too early to be summer, and we were going to wait until June to do summer things.
The twenty-ninth of March it rained: remember?
Do you remember that rainy day on March 29th?
You looked so sad that I explained: remember?
Do you remember when you looked sad and I tried to cheer you up by explaining things?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
You knew it was still too early for summer, and we'd have to wait until June to have summer fun.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I've been anxiously waiting for summer to arrive and it seems like it's finally here.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
I promise to do my part in making this summer a great one.
December dark at six o'clock: remember?
Do you remember how dark it gets in December at only six o'clock?
The freezing wind gives you a shock: remember?
Do you remember how the freezing wind would shock you in the winter?
October damp on down the street: remember?
Do you remember how damp it would get in October when we walked down the street?
The sodden leaves stuck to your feet: remember?
Do you remember how the wet leaves would stick to your shoes in October?
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I've been waiting for this summer to arrive for so long, and it finally seems like it's beginning.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
I promise to make the most of this summer and do my part to enjoy it to the fullest.
July the third we stayed up late: remember?
Do you remember staying up late on July 3rd?
And thought how long we'd have to wait: remember?
Do you remember thinking about how long we had to wait for summer to start?
It'll be so long until it's soon; it'll be so long until its June.
It feels like it will take forever for summer to arrive, and we have a long way to go until June.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: MATTHEW FRIEDBERGER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jorge Mata
<3
Last day in May, the afternoon: remember?
Black marks off charcoal from the dune: remember?
I thought it wouldn't be too soon; we'd wait at least until its June.
The twenty-ninth of March it rained: remember?
You looked so sad that I explained: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
December dark at six o'clock: remember?
The freezing wind gives you a shock: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
October damp on down the street: remember?
The sodden leaves stuck to your feet: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
July the third we stayed up late: remember?
And thought how long we'd have to wait: remember?
It'll be so long until it's soon; it'll be so long until its June.
scout gallagher
I love this band. I like the guitar and vocals and the melodies they make up and the textures they make up
Jorge Mata
<3
Last day in May, the afternoon: remember?
Black marks off charcoal from the dune: remember?
I thought it wouldn't be too soon; we'd wait at least until its June.
The twenty-ninth of March it rained: remember?
You looked so sad that I explained: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
December dark at six o'clock: remember?
The freezing wind gives you a shock: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
October damp on down the street: remember?
The sodden leaves stuck to your feet: remember?
You knew it wouldn't be too soon; we'll have to wait until its June.
I've been waiting since I don't know when and now it finally seems about to start.
I swear, I swear, that I will do my part.
July the third we stayed up late: remember?
And thought how long we'd have to wait: remember?
It'll be so long until it's soon; it'll be so long until its June.
Gabriel Csaba
I never gave a toss about the Furnaces until I randomly stumbled upon Eleanor's first solo album, and now I'm falling in love with all of this retroactively. It's never too late I guess.
vinkystripe
What a wonderful band to be discovering! Hope you're still enjoying them :)
mesqueunclub75
Boy, do I remember! Great times my 20's
Givrine Ono-Wesley-willis
I saw them in 2006 and Eleanor in 2016, both times mindblowing
Leonardo Bravo Vergara
Los escucho desde Los Fiery Furnances y ahora en la carrera solista de Eleanor y me encanta todo...!!!!
Dante Tucker
forgot how awesome this song is
James Starkey
The sound of my early twenties.
Julieta Bernal
X4!