<… Read Full Bio ↴The Long Winters is an American indie rock band based in Seattle, USA.
Singer-songwriter John Roderick was born in Seattle, Washington, and moved to Anchorage, Alaska, during his elementary school years. He later returned to Seattle and formed both Bun Family Players and The Western State Hurricanes. Following the collapse of the latter, he acted as touring keyboardist for Harvey Danger.
In 2001, Harvey Danger singer/songwriter Sean Nelson suggested that he and Roderick record an album, with half of the songs penned by John and the other half by Sean. Death Cab for Cutie band member Chris Walla had recently opened the Hall of Justice studio in Seattle and agreed to help them record.
John recruited Joe Bass of Sky Cries Mary and Brian Young of Fountains of Wayne to flesh out several of the songs, and the album gradually evolved to feature only John's songs. After several months, The Worst You Can Do Is Harm was finished.
John traveled to New York, where he played solo shows and quickly began to write new songs, several of which would be included on the Long Winters's second album, When I Pretend to Fall.
While in New York, John was contacted by Barsuk Records — the label that would release The Worst You Can Do Is Harm — who made it clear that they wanted John to promote the release by touring. He returned to Seattle, where he was joined by Chris Caniglia, former Western States Hurricanes drummer Michael Shilling, and Eric Corson on bass. Thus, The Long Winters were born.
Sean Nelson offered to sing harmony vocals on a number of songs at the band's first live gig. He ended up casually performing with the band for their first few shows before committing to full-time enrollment.
The original trio responsible for The Worst You Can Do Is Harm (John Roderick, Sean Nelson, and Chris Walla) is often considered the original incarnation of the band. John and Sean, along with recruits Eric Corson and Michael Shilling (the drummer in Roderick's previous band, the Western State Hurricanes) are the core players behind When I Pretend to Fall, with Sean having replaced Chris Caniglia as the band's keyboardist. When I Pretend to Fall was released and John, Sean, Eric and Michael embarked on an ambitious series of tours throughout 2003 in support of the album. The band toured North America with Barsuk Records labelmates Nada Surf and Death Cab for Cutie, and later spent November touring Europe. Michael Shilling eventually quit in December of 2003, burned out by the hectic touring and lifestyle of the band.
With the best wishes of the Long Winters, Sean left in March 2004 to rekindle his former band.
At the time of Sean's departure, the Long Winters had begun rehearsing with Michael Shilling's replacement for the band's 2004 tours, former Death Cab for Cutie percussionist Michael Schorr. Confronted with a double blow to the band's line-up, John took the opportunity to reinvent the band — especially with an East Coast tour supporting The Pernice Brothers, a more fleshed out European tour, and a nationwide tour supporting the Decemberists that would take the band through the spring and well into the summer. Thus, the leaner three-piece version of The Long Winters was born, featuring John Roderick, Eric Corson, and Michael Schorr.
This extensive spring/summer 2004 tour took its toll on drummer Michael Schorr, who left the band shortly after its completion. John continued to do small promotional events and shows throughout the latter half of 2004 and 2005, often previewing a handful of new Long Winters songs.
The latest incarnation of the Long Winters features John Roderick on vocals, guitars, and keyboard, Eric Corson on bass and back-up vocals, and Nabil Ayers on drums. The Long Winters toured with Keane in October 2005 in support of an EP released on October 11th, 2005, titled Ultimatum. John Roderick did a solo mini tour through Europe in May 2006 to promote awareness for the third full-length LP, Putting the Days to Bed, which was released on 25 July 2006. In the fall of 2006 the band, now with guitarist/keyboard player Jonathan Rothman replacing Michael Squires, toured the USA, after which they joined Keane once again for a European tour. Listed among the hardest touring bands in music, the Long Winters begin 2007 with yet another European tour, followed by a month of shows in the USA and Canada.
Cinnamon
The Long Winters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I gave you a sign,
The birds were all quiet,
You were so quiet,
Some hear a call,
Some are the messengers,
I thumb through the pictures,
They said, "Do you remember when you saw her last"
I said, "Her skin is cinnamon,
Her skin is cinnamon."
I have too many stories, keeping it serious,
Some are collectors, some keep it straight,
It was a hospital,
I was delirious,
I clung to the stretcher
And drew them a heart.
Two gondolas to carry us,
Grand Via was hilarious,
St. Paul was there to marry us,
We lied, "We're already married!"
'cause here's proof: we have suntans,
And I spoke up with my new hands,
Listen to my car,
What is it telling us?
Start... please start, please start.
Is it spring where you are?
I waited all winter
Chasing the lamp cords back to the wall,
It's a plausible scenario:
I clung the stretcher,
I drew them a heart.
The opening lines of The Long Winters' song Cinnamon suggest a moment of intimacy between two people, with the singer signaling to their partner while the morning sun filters through the curtains. The references to quiet and stillness create a mood of calm before the storm. The chorus brings up the idea of memory and how it differs from person to person, with some remembering the encounter, and others serving as witnesses to the "scene of the crime". The verse "Her skin is cinnamon" could be interpreted as a metaphor for something that is provocative or forbidden, but also alluring.
The second verse introduces the theme of storytelling, with the singer referring to "too many stories", some serious and some more casual. However, the line "It was a hospital, I was delirious" suggests a situation that's anything but light-hearted, with the singer being in an intense or traumatic situation. The image of "clinging to the stretcher" suggests desperation, while "drawing a heart" perhaps suggests the singer trying to hold onto a sense of love or hope.
The final verse introduces more surreal imagery, with mentions of gondolas and new hands. The chorus comes back again, but now with references to sun tans and the hope of spring. Overall, the song is a work of beauty and emotional depth, suggesting that despite whatever struggles or awkwardness we may face in our lives, we should always cling to hope and memories of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Sun through the curtains,
The sun shone through the curtains as morning arrived.
I gave you a sign,
I signaled to you.
The birds were all quiet,
The birds stopped singing.
You were so quiet,
You were silent.
Some hear a call,
Some people hear a summons or a plea.
Some are the messengers,
Some are the bearers of messages to others.
I thumb through the pictures,
I looked through old pictures or memories.
And know them all.
And I recognize all of them well.
They said, "Do you remember when you saw her last"
Someone asked me if I recall seeing her the last time.
I said, "Her skin is cinnamon,
I responded by describing her complexion as brownish-red.
Her skin is cinnamon."
I repeated my statement in a somehow cheerful way as if the rhythm of her skin made me delighted.
I have too many stories, keeping it serious,
I have many experiences or tales that I try to treat as significant.
Some are collectors, some keep it straight,
Some stories are just gathered, while others have to be recounted without deviation.
It was a hospital,
The place where these incidents occurred was a medical facility.
I was delirious,
I was confused or disorientated.
I clung to the stretcher
I held onto the bed's wheeled support frame because of my unstable condition.
And drew them a heart.
And I sketched a heart-shaped figure on it or on a sheet of paper nearby.
Two gondolas to carry us,
Two Venetian watercraft took us couples as passengers.
Grand Via was hilarious,
The main shopping avenue of Madrid, Gran Via, was amusing or entertaining.
St. Paul was there to marry us,
We had our matrimony ceremony in St. Paul Cathedral, which was abundant in symbolism of love and commitment.
We lied, "We're already married!"
We told a fib to avoid unnecessary discussions or questions.
'cause here's proof: we have suntans,
The evidence that we spent time together in a sunny place is our tanned skin.
And I spoke up with my new hands,
With a gesture of novelty or ownership, I expressed myself using my newly recovered limbs.
Listen to my car,
Please pay attention to my automobile.
What is it telling us?
What is it conveying about its health or purpose?
Start... please start, please start.
I wish that the car would start without any problem or frustration.
Is it spring where you are?
I asked about the season in your location.
I waited all winter
I endured the entire season of winter without having you around.
Chasing the lamp cords back to the wall,
I followed the path of a disconnected electrical bulb cord to its source to fix the problem.
It's a plausible scenario:
It's likely or reasonable to consider that.
I clung the stretcher,
I supported myself on the gurney because of my weakened state.
I drew them a heart.
I used a pen or a finger to make a heart symbol to express my affections.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: John Roderick
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@opusinwub
God, even this makes me miss old Seattle, even though we were way past that at this point, by about five years at least; I can't believe I missed this show. John and Sean are two of my favorite musicians.
@PootsGarage
This song takes me back
@SnakeAndTurtleQigong
Wow!
Followed John here from Podcastland, only to discover a favorite new group!
So grateful for his work.
@giulianopaoloni9572
thanks to Spotify I discovered this song!!! 👌
@TheDoubledownA
My favorite song of all time, good to see the Long Winters back at it.
@nateatchison161
These long Winters albums are the fukin cake. That voice, writing.. 🔥
@deepsky7206
love this song!!!!!
@JoeMoreg
Band: Hey, this song is in 6/8
Drummer: Sure it is...
@KimWare
I just covered this song, and I'm a drummer ... the first time I heard it I was like WTF is he doing?!? It's grown on me, but yeah!
@leonelsoto4563
Please let them know that I get here becouse their 6/8 ove r4/4 experiment that I heard o Spotify. Congrats!!