Influenced heavily by the sounds of MBV, Ride, Spaceman 3, Lush, and the Cocteau Twins, the band soon developed a following. After a few early line-up changes they drafted in one of Portland's most amazing voices, Kaitlyn ni Donovan. Having an extremely successful solo career of her own, Kaitlyn immediately added the lush vocals and beautiful melodies the band needed. One self-released EP later, the band were in the studio recording their debut album "44 Down." Released in 2002 on independent label Reverb Records, the album was singled out by Under the Radar and Magnet magazines with full page features, noting its influence.
The High Violets followed up their debut with the album "To Where You Are," which was released in 2006 (Reverb). Produced, engineered, and mixed by Tony Lash (Dandy Warhols, Elliott Smith, Tahiti 80) and Jeff S. Saltzman (Sleater Kinnery, Stephen Malkamus), it took over three years to create and was well worth the wait. Press releases proclaimed Clint Sargent's layered guitars the standout feature and Kaitlyn ni Donovan's watercolor vocals the crowning jewel on the CD's shimmering sounds -- "well crafted songs giving fans new and old a healthy dose of their soft and hard sides expertly mixed together." Portland's KINK radio showcased the album on its Local Music Spotlight and Seattle's KEXP invited the band to perform a live broadcast prior to their CD release.
The band completed a successful nationwide tour in 2006 along with performances at the SXSW Music Festival and Musicfest NW. While in Austin they met Emmy-winning producer, director, and editor, Dutch Rall, who worked with the band to produce a fantastic video of "Invitation," and a mini documentary that recently aired on PBS. Check out the video on www.myspace.com/thehighviolets.
44 Down
The High Violets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Love your many faced creature.
Truth be known I'm lost,
I can't see that far.
Try and reach Mal de Mare,
Enamored beyond measure.
I can't see that far,
The one only star.
I'm not falling.
Laremont did I call you home,
One must stand alone.
It goes down..45
Will go down.
I'm not drowning.
It goes down.. 45
It goes down
I'm not drowning
The lyrics to The High Violets' "44 Down" seem to center around feelings of being lost and enamored at the same time. The singer talks about being on top of the air and loving a creature with many faces. This may refer to feeling free and untethered while also being drawn to someone who is complex and perhaps unpredictable. The singer admits to being lost and unable to see very far, yet still tries to reach for something called Mal de Mare, which may be a metaphor for a dream or aspiration.
As the song progresses, the singer mentions Laremont and standing alone, suggesting that this person or place may be a source of strength or stability. The repeated refrain of "it goes down.. 45, I'm not drowning" may be a reminder to stay afloat and not succumb to strong emotions or difficult circumstances. The song ends with the line "it goes down, I'm not drowning", which reinforces the idea of resilience and staying afloat.
Line by Line Meaning
Feature I'm on top the air,
I feel like I'm on top of the world.
Love your many faced creature.
I love all the different aspects of your personality and who you are.
Truth be known I'm lost,
To be honest, I feel lost and directionless in life.
I can't see that far.
I don't have a clear vision for my future or where I'm going.
Try and reach Mal de Mare,
I'm trying to overcome some emotional or mental obstacles in my life.
Enamored beyond measure.
I'm completely in love and infatuated with something or someone.
I can't see that far,
Again, I don't have a clear vision for my future or where I'm going.
The one only star.
There's only one thing guiding me in my life at the moment.
It goes down.. 45,
Some pivotal event or moment is about to happen. '45' could reference a year or a specific time.
I'm not falling.
Despite the upcoming change, I'm not going to lose my footing or give up.
Laremont did I call you home,
I may be calling out to someone or something specific for help or guidance during this uncertain time.
One must stand alone.
Even with help, ultimately I need to face this change on my own.
It goes down..45
Reiterating that this pivotal moment is approaching.
Will go down.
This change is inevitable and will happen.
I'm not drowning.
Despite the uncertainty and fear around this upcoming change, I'm not going to let it overwhelm me.
It goes down.. 45
Reiterating that this pivotal moment is approaching.
It goes down
This change is happening now.
I'm not drowning
Despite the uncertainty and fear around this change, I'm not going to let it overwhelm me.
Contributed by Vivian L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.