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.
Gorilla
The Handsome Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Having lunch with a serial killer
Talking about that pain in your heart
Talking about a pretty blue scar
Talking just to keep calm
Phyllis wasn't feeling well
She'd forgotten if she had fell
Noticed she'd lost her wedding band but
He was scared to tell her
I'm afraid to die
I wanna die
I'm afraid to die
The killer said I'm afraid of foam
And I can't remember where I put my comb
If that don't give me the right to cry
What if I told you I kissed the sky?
Would you mind if I killed you?
Magilla remembered being young
And how he used to fold his tongue
Then he remembered being old
And how his lips and feet were cold, but still he wanted
To live forever
I'm afraid to die
I wanna die
I'm afraid to die
I wanna die
The lyrics of The Handsome Family's song "Gorilla" provide a surreal and thought-provoking narrative that explores themes of fear, mortality, and the complexity of human emotions. The song starts with an unexpected image of two seemingly unlikely characters, Magilla Gorilla and Phyllis Diller, having a meal with a serial killer. This sets the stage for a conversation that delves into the deep pain that resides within one's heart, and the attempts to keep calm in the face of it.
Phyllis Diller, feeling unwell and uncertain of whether she had fallen, receives comfort from Magilla Gorilla in the form of his supportive gesture of holding her hand. However, Magilla notices that Phyllis has lost her wedding ring, and he is hesitant to break the news to her. This interaction symbolizes the fragility and vulnerability of relationships, as well as the fear of losing something so precious.
The song takes a surprising turn when the killer confesses his fears, expressing a fear of foam and memory loss. He questions whether these struggles give him the right to cry, and even poses the provocative question of whether the listener would mind if he killed them. This juxtaposition of mundane fears and the question of morality adds an unsettling layer to the song.
Magilla's reminiscences about his youth, specifically his ability to fold his tongue, contrast with his realization of growing old and experiencing the coldness in his lips and feet. Despite this awareness of mortality, he expresses a desire to live forever, highlighting the human longing for immortality in the face of the inevitability of death.
Overall, "Gorilla" presents a surreal and introspective exploration of fear, mortality, and the complexities of human emotion. It invites listeners to reflect on their own fears, the fragility of relationships, and the fleeting nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Magilla Gorilla and Phyllis Diller
Magilla Gorilla and Phyllis Diller
Having lunch with a serial killer
Having a meal with a person who has committed multiple murders
Talking about that pain in your heart
Engaging in conversation about emotional distress
Talking about a pretty blue scar
Discussing an attractive yet visible wound on the body
Talking just to keep calm
Engaging in conversation as a coping mechanism to stay relaxed
Phyllis wasn't feeling well
Phyllis was not in good physical condition
She'd forgotten if she had fell
She had a lapse in memory and couldn't recall if she had fallen
The sweet gorilla took her hand
The gentle gorilla held her hand
Noticed she'd lost her wedding band but
Observed that she no longer had her marriage ring
He was scared to tell her
He felt afraid to inform her about the lost ring
I'm afraid to die
I have a fear of death
I wanna die
I have a desire to die
The killer said I'm afraid of foam
The murderer expressed a fear of foam material
And I can't remember where I put my comb
And I cannot recollect where I placed my hair comb
If that don't give me the right to cry
If that doesn't justify my cry for help
What if I told you I kissed the sky?
What if I revealed that I experienced something extraordinary?
Would you mind if I killed you?
Would it bother you if I ended your life?
Magilla remembered being young
Magilla recalled his youthful days
And how he used to fold his tongue
And how he would manipulate his tongue into different shapes
Then he remembered being old
Then he recollected his aged state
And how his lips and feet were cold, but still he wanted
And how his lips and feet felt chilly, yet he still desired
To live forever
To exist eternally
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: RENNIE SPARKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind