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.
Glow Worm
The Handsome Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Once a year, the cold mists clear and you can see inside the earth
High in that crystal palace I built a sailing ship
Mast and wheel of polished brass, sails of golden silk
I piped the engine steam, I set velocitations
I consulted dusty maps, set careful calibrations
Ever inward ever in, peering through my scope
I sailed deep into the hollows, deep inside the earth
Underneath volcanoes and the roots of ancient trees
Underneath stalactites I lit phosphorus lamps
Sparks snapped into the air and coiled up the mast
I watched enormous birds diving through the slate
As I stood upon the prow in my oilskin cap and cape
At last my anchor caught and echoed through the stone
And I climbed an old rope ladder miles through the gloam
Then up above I saw it, a glow worm's little light
And I reached out and caught it in the center of the night
Tightly in my fist I held that glowing worm
Deep down in the hollows I held the center of the world
In "Glow Worm", The Handsome Family takes the listeners on an adventure to the land beneath the earth's surface. The song is a vivid account of a journey to the center of the earth through the eyes of the singer. The opening lines provide a picture of the spires where the air is thin and the cold mist clears once a year, offering the chance to glimpse inside the earth. The singer, who has built a sailing ship, sets out on a journey to explore the unknown. Throughout the song, the singer describes the challenges he faces as he sails through the boiling river and under the roots of ancient trees, lighting up the hollows with his phosphorus lamps.
The lyrics are full of imaginative and dreamlike elements that suggest the journey might well be a metaphor for a surreal, inner journey. The singer consults dusty maps, sets careful calibrations and travels deep into the hollows, suggesting that the lyrics might embody a spiritual journey of self-discovery. The mention of a glow worm's little light in the end, which the singer catches in the center of the night, seems to imply that he has found a guiding light in the midst of darkness. It's a beautiful and thought-provoking song that invites the listener to contemplate the mysteries of the universe and their own journeys in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Up the snowy spires, where the air is thin as glass
Ascending towards the high peaks where the atmosphere is crystal clear
Once a year, the cold mists clear and you can see inside the earth
On rare occasions, the haze lifts to provide a glimpse into the earth's interior
High in that crystal palace I built a sailing ship
Crafting a vessel in the lofty palace using icy materials
Mast and wheel of polished brass, sails of golden silk
Outfitting the ship with luxurious and gleaming components
I piped the engine steam, I set velocitations
Directing the steam-powered engine and increasing speed
I consulted dusty maps, set careful calibrations
Deliberately plotting the course, referring to worn-out charts and fine-tuning the measurements
Ever inward ever in, peering through my scope
Continually moving deep into the hollows, scrutinizing through the telescope
I sailed deep into the hollows, deep inside the earth
Traveling through the hollows, underneath the planet's surface
I traveled a boiling river through streams of mercury
Navigating a hot river among the streams of metallic mercury
Underneath volcanoes and the roots of ancient trees
Passing beneath the volcanoes and ancient trees' roots
Underneath stalactites I lit phosphorus lamps
Illuminating the phosphorus lamps underneath the dripping stalactites
Sparks snapped into the air and coiled up the mast
Electric sparks crackled and wrapped around the mast
I watched enormous birds diving through the slate
Witnessing giant birds swooping down through the slate
As I stood upon the prow in my oilskin cap and cape
Standing on the boat's front deck, cloaked in waterproof material
At last my anchor caught and echoed through the stone
Finally, the anchor caught and reverberated through the rocks
And I climbed an old rope ladder miles through the gloam
Scaling an aged rope ladder for miles through the darkness
Then up above I saw it, a glow worm's little light
Then, catching sight of the worm's faint light from above
And I reached out and caught it in the center of the night
Extending my hand and capturing the worm in the midst of the night
Tightly in my fist I held that glowing worm
Clenching the luminescent worm's body tightly in my hand
Deep down in the hollows I held the center of the world
Gazing at the light in the depths, feeling like I possess the world's core
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRETT SPARKS, RENNIE S SPARKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Up the snowy spires, where the air is thin as glass
Once a year the cold mists clear and you can see inside the earth
High in that crystal palace I built a sailing ship
Mast and wheel of polished brass, sails of golden silk
I piped the engine steam, I set velocitations
I consulted dusty maps, set careful calibrations
Ever inward ever in, peering through my scope
I sailed deep into the hollows, deep inside the earth
I traveled a boiling river through streams of mercury
Underneath volcanoes and the roots of ancient trees
Underneath stalactites I lit phosphorus lamps
Sparks snapped into the air and coiled up the mast
I watched enormous birds diving through the slate
As I stood upon the prow in my oilskin cap and cape
At last my anchor caught and echoed through the stone
And I climbed an old rope ladder miles through the gloam
Then up above I saw it, a glowworm’s little light
And I reached out and caught it in the center of the night
Tightly in my fist I held that glowing worm
Deep down in the hollows I held the center of the world
produccioneslmv
Up the snowy spires, where the air is thin as glass
Once a year the cold mists clear and you can see inside the earth
High in that crystal palace I built a sailing ship
Mast and wheel of polished brass, sails of golden silk
I piped the engine steam, I set velocitations
I consulted dusty maps, set careful calibrations
Ever inward ever in, peering through my scope
I sailed deep into the hollows, deep inside the earth
I traveled a boiling river through streams of mercury
Underneath volcanoes and the roots of ancient trees
Underneath stalactites I lit phosphorus lamps
Sparks snapped into the air and coiled up the mast
I watched enormous birds diving through the slate
As I stood upon the prow in my oilskin cap and cape
At last my anchor caught and echoed through the stone
And I climbed an old rope ladder miles through the gloam
Then up above I saw it, a glowworm’s little light
And I reached out and caught it in the center of the night
Tightly in my fist I held that glowing worm
Deep down in the hollows I held the center of the world
Cristina Ximera
What a beautiful harmony of form and content! What a beautiful plot! I'm totally mesmerized by every aspect of this amazing song.
SprintShoes
Thank you so much, Handsome Family! When I heard this song play on NPR, I fell immediately in love. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to play it on repeat to my heart's content. "Glow Worm" is a haunting, mythical track that's difficult to top. Much love and appreciate to you!
celio
música excelente, banda foda. clássico
Christine Wagley
Just bought this record for my vinyl collecting friend and it's really nice! ~ Soothing vibes
Juan Flores
That most extraordinary poem, interpreted in such a heartfelt way, excites me every time I hear it.
TheWizardOfSmog
How can this staggering gorgeousness have attracted only 200 likes? I despair.
Willie McGee
Utterly unique, they're awesome.
Dave Goddard
Absolutely Brilliant!
windy miller
Sublime.