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.
Cool Green
The High Violets Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Photographing the innocence of ugliness
Cool green and lime she dresses up waiting for tomorrow
She found a way out of a life of poverty and sin
But it could only happen with that camera her brother pinched
Cool green and lime she dresses up waiting for tomorrow
The lyrics of The High Violets' song "Cool Green" suggest a deeper meaning than what can be initially perceived at first glance. The opening line, "My God how beautiful she said looking through her lens," points toward a sense of wonder and awe in the face of beauty that is not necessarily obvious to everyone. By photographing the "innocence of ugliness," the subject of the song has found a way to see the beauty in things that might otherwise appear unsightly or undesirable. This serves as a metaphor for how we should all strive to see the beauty in the world around us, even in moments of hardship or sorrow.
The second half of the chorus, which repeats the phrase "Cool green and lime she dresses up waiting for tomorrow," adds another layer of meaning to the song. The colors green and lime evoke a sense of renewal and growth, which ties into the themes of beauty and transformation present in the song. The idea of dressing up and waiting for tomorrow suggests a sense of optimism and hopefulness for the future, even in the face of difficult circumstances.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cool Green" encourage the listener to consider the beauty that can be found in unexpected places, and to look toward the future with a sense of hope and anticipation for what is to come.
Line by Line Meaning
My God how beautiful she said looking through her lens
As she looked through her camera, capturing images of the world around her, she felt in awe of the beauty she was able to see through its lens.
Photographing the innocence of ugliness
Through her photography, she was able to capture the beauty and purity that can be found in even the most flawed and chaotic things in life.
Cool green and lime she dresses up waiting for tomorrow
She adorns herself in the cool and refreshing colors of green and lime, eagerly anticipating the new day and the possibilities it might hold for her.
She found a way out of a life of poverty and sin
Through her passion and skill in photography, she was able to rise above the struggles and hardships of her past and create a new future for herself.
But it could only happen with that camera her brother pinched
Even though her brother stole the camera she used to capture her stunning images, ultimately she was able to use it to bring about positive change in her life.
Cool green and lime she dresses up waiting for tomorrow
Once again, she dons her vibrant green and lime clothing, eager to face the new day and all the opportunities and possibilities it might hold for her.
Contributed by Camden H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Erica Hab
Just here to remind everyone how great this song is. I think they may have been ahead of their time.
Sam
The High Violets are like aliens from the future with a special message as a gift that very few will be able to understand for hundreds of years. Love this song.
Jason Pociask
You guys should be so huge, seriously. I first heard you on RadioParadise (Love is Blinding gets played there some) and you are one of my favorite bands, please play in Tempe Arizona sometime!
radioparadisiac
lol re: radioparadise. Same!
FABI P
Masterpiece.
Live4Ever329
Such an underrated band!
mgaston61
there are no words for how much i love this song
Petrovich Bauer
Music like this is why we live
Adrian Brzyski
Sweet tune
Jay Templar
still shines..amazing track <3