Their seventh CD, Last Days of Wonder (June. 2006) was one of Mojo’s top ten American Albums for 2006 and called “an unqualified triumph” by Uncut. Of their sixth CD, Singing Bones, The UK’s Independent wrote, “Rarely, even in the fatalistic world of country music, has the precarious mystery of mortality been captured with such poetic grace as on Singing Bones.”
They have appeared in the movie, I’m Your Man (2005), a tribute to Leonard Cohen as well as Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus (2004). In 2004, a reader's poll in Mojo named The Handsome Family's third CD, Through the Trees one of the ten essential Americana records.
Last Days of Wonder is a collection of love songs sung in airports, garbage dumps, drive-thru windows and shark-infested waters. The CD celebrates the little miraculous moments of beauty found in everyday life: a golf course shining in the rain, hanging lights bouncing in the breeze, pigeons singing from billboards, trees blooming in squares of dirt. The songs linger on those moments when we’re pulled from the ordinary to feel awed by mystery, bewildered by beauty, terrified by the vast unknowable around us (whether we wander through shady groves or crowded parking lots).
Brett Sparks, who writes the music, draws from medieval melody, country-politan string arrangements, tin-pan alley crooners, and dusty hillbilly records to weave together the fabric of this record. Rennie Sparks, who writes the lyrics, makes magical realism from polar adventure stories, pagan hunting songs and her own time spent (like most people) riding up elevators, staring out hotel room windows, and driving interstate highways. The entire album was recorded over a year's time in the converted garage studio at the back of the Sparks' Albuquerque house. Brett recorded it all on a Mac and a whole mess of wires, microphones and little metal boxes. Alongside the usual guitar, bass and drums you will hear mellotrons, ukulele, banjo, bowed wine glasses, and trombone.
Brett and Rennie (The Handsome Family) have been married for 18 years. In their live performances The Handsome Family are sometimes up to a six-piece band and sometimes just Brett and Rennie with (or without) a laptop computer.
Famous Blue Raincoat
The Handsome Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record.
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
Did you ever go clear?
Ah, the last time we saw you you looked so much older
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
You'd been to the station to meet every train
And you came home without Lili Marlene
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
And when she came back she was nobody's wife.
Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
Well I see Jane's awake --
She sends her regards.
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
What can I possibly say?
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I'm glad you stood in my way.
If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.
And Jane came by with a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
The Handsome Family's Famous Blue Raincoat seems to be a letter written by the singer, addressed to someone named Leonard, who seems to be a former lover or friend. It's clear that the singer has received information about Leonard's life, including the fact that he's building a house in the desert, that he's apparently given a lock of his hair to someone named Jane, and that he planned to "go clear" at some point in the past. The singer also reflects on his own feelings towards Leonard and the relationship they once had, acknowledging that Leonard may have caused him trouble, but ultimately forgiving him.
The song's imagery is rich and enigmatic, with details like the torn blue raincoat and the rose in Leonard's teeth adding depth to the portrait of this mysterious figure. It's unclear whether Leonard is alive or dead, and whether or not he and the singer will ever see each other again. The lyrics are tinged with nostalgia and regret, but also a sense of acceptance and moving on.
Overall, Famous Blue Raincoat is a haunting and evocative song that captures the complexity of human relationships and the passage of time.
Line by Line Meaning
It's four in the morning, the end of December
It's early in the morning, towards the end of the year
I'm writing you now just to see if you're better
I'm writing to check on your well-being
New York is cold, but I like where I'm living
It's chilly in New York, but I enjoy living there
There's music on Clinton Street all through the evening.
Clinton Street has music playing throughout the night
I hear that you're building your little house deep in the desert
I've heard you're constructing a home in the desert
You're living for nothing now, I hope you're keeping some kind of record.
You're not doing anything worthwhile, I hope you're keeping track of things
Yes, and Jane came by with a lock of your hair
Jane brought me a lock of your hair
She said that you gave it to her
Jane claims you gave it to her
That night that you planned to go clear
The evening you intended to leave town and start fresh
Did you ever go clear?
Did you ever follow through with your plan to start anew?
Ah, the last time we saw you, you looked so much older
The most recent time we met, you looked significantly aged
Your famous blue raincoat was torn at the shoulder
Your renowned blue jacket had a tear in the shoulder
You'd been to the station to meet every train
You went to the station to greet every incoming train
And you came home without Lili Marlene
Upon returning, you didn't have Lili Marlene with you
And you treated my woman to a flake of your life
You gave my partner a glimpse of your lifestyle
And when she came back she was nobody's wife.
When she returned, she was no longer married to me
Well I see you there with the rose in your teeth
I can picture you with a rose held between your teeth
One more thin gypsy thief
You're one more deceptive gypsy
Well I see Jane's awake --
I can tell that Jane is now awake
She sends her regards.
Jane sends her greetings
And what can I tell you my brother, my killer
What can I say to you, my sibling and the one who caused my pain
What can I possibly say?
There's not much I can say to express my feelings
I guess that I miss you, I guess I forgive you
I suppose I miss you, and I suppose I forgive you
I'm glad you stood in my way.
I'm appreciative of the obstacles you presented in my life
If you ever come by here, for Jane or for me
If you ever visit here, for either Jane or me
Your enemy is sleeping, and his woman is free.
Your adversary is sleeping, and his partner is unattached
Yes, and thanks, for the trouble you took from her eyes
Thank you for removing the sadness from her eyes
I thought it was there for good so I never tried.
I assumed the sorrow was permanent, so I didn't attempt to make things better
Contributed by Oliver C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.