… Read Full Bio ↴The Uncluded is a duo that consists of Aesop Rock and Kimya Dawson.
In 2007, while on tour supporting his album None Shall Pass, indie rapper/producer Aesop Rock wrote a fan email to folk singer/songwriter Kimya Dawson. A few years later, in 2010, they reconnected during the creation of arts-and-oddities blog 900Bats, which in turn sparked the pair's collaborative musical efforts. After appearing on each other's respective recent solo records, Aesop Rock's Skelethon and Kimya Dawson's Thunder Thighs, both found more worth pursuing within the group dynamic, and The Uncluded were hatched.
The group name, The Uncluded, was chosen based on an excerpt from the book Imaginationally by artist/writer Michael Bernard Loggins. Imaginationally is an illustrated dictionary of words Loggins created to describe his daily experiences and thoughts.
Their debut album, Hokey Fright, was recorded over the course of a year using a variety of locations and devices, from voice memo recorders to fleshed out studios. Aesop and Kimya wrote, performed, and recorded the whole album, with the exception of the drums on "Delicate Cycle", which were played by James McNew of Yo La Tengo.
Having both experienced some loss in recent years, conversations about mortality served as a starting point for what would eventually become an album as much about finding therapy through writing/sharing as it is about being ok with admitting fear in the face of adversity. There is a sense of self-exploration and discovery that happens during the songs, as if the two are doing the problem-solving in front of you. While much of the album maintains a serious tone, Dawson and Rock's oddball humor plays an integral part in humanizing the obstacles that can initially seem too massive to process.
Earthquake
The Uncluded Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a powerless darkness had laid me down
The lights are out all over town
But the earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake got me out of bed
See the little bird fly 'round his head
As the little boy sits on the ground
And makes the toy cars drive around
It's a loss that I can't comprehend
(There's been a fundamental loss we aren't comprehending)
Cause his mother died the other day
He's only three years old
Her body's gone but her soul is here to stay
See the little birdy-watch him grow
See the little birdy-watch him grow
(And grow and grow and grow and grow and grow and grow and grow)
October ended with a single feather funneling its way
To muddy Earth in front of funny sparrow copycatting
Eventually it would select and circle one
As if to pause and crown the victim of a loss I wasn't comprehending
There's been a fundamental loss we aren't comprehending
(It's a loss that I can't comprehend)
It's said the winged in post-mortal visitation echo well
The stasis of a spirit taken from its only home
A legend quoted by the wreathing of a grieving child
When all that's left to do is sit and watch the creatures grow and grow.
And grow and grow and grow and grow and grow and grow and grow
The winds and rain have begun inching in a frame
Like darkness with a bounty on whatever lay me down
The town had been retiring to its quarters as if waiting for the earthquake
See the little birdy watch him grow
The winds and rains and here again and a powerless darkness had laid me down
The lights are out all over town but the earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake got me out of bed
The Uncluded's song Earthquake is a poignant meditation on loss and grief. The opening lines, "The wind and rain are here again, and a powerless darkness had laid me down," describe the singer's sense of despair and hopelessness. The power outage reinforces this sense of darkness and isolation. However, the earthquake jolts the singer out of bed, and the little bird flying around a little boy's head becomes a symbol of hope and resilience. The lyrics suggest that even in the midst of the most profound losses, life goes on, and there is beauty and growth to be found in unexpected places.
The song alludes to the idea of post-mortal visitation, which is the idea that the spirits of the dead can visit the living. The line "It's said the winged in post-mortal visitation echo well" suggests that the little bird could be a symbol of the singer's mother, who recently passed away. The idea that her soul is still present and watching over her son gives the singer some comfort.
The chorus, "There's been a fundamental loss we aren't comprehending," is a reminder that grief is a complicated and difficult emotion to process. The loss of a loved one can feel overwhelming and impossible to comprehend. However, as the song progresses, the singer finds solace in the little bird and the image of growth and renewal.
Overall, Earthquake is a beautiful and moving exploration of grief and resilience. It suggests that even in the darkest moments, there is hope and beauty to be found in unexpected places.
Line by Line Meaning
The wind and rain are here again
The weather has turned bad again.
And a powerless darkness had laid me down
The darkness feels oppressive and causes feelings of being powerless.
The lights are out all over town
There is a power outage in the entire town.
But the earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the artist up from their sleep.
See the little bird fly 'round his head
The artist sees a bird flying around the head of a little boy.
As the little boy sits on the ground
The little boy is sitting on the ground.
And makes the toy cars drive around
The little boy is playing with toy cars.
It's a loss that I can't comprehend
There has been a loss that the artist cannot quite understand or process.
Cause his mother died the other day
The little boy's mother died recently.
He's only three years old
The little boy is very young, only three years old.
Her body's gone but her soul is here to stay
The little boy's mother has died but her spirit lives on.
See the little birdy-watch him grow
The artist observes the little boy growing up.
October ended with a single feather funneling its way
A feather fell to the ground at the end of October.
To muddy Earth in front of funny sparrow copycatting
A sparrow is playfully copying the behavior of another bird on the muddy ground.
Eventually it would select and circle one
The sparrow eventually chooses one bird to circle around.
As if to pause and crown the victim of a loss I wasn't comprehending
The artist interprets the sparrow's behavior as some sort of ritual acknowledging a loss that they do not fully understand.
It's said the winged in post-mortal visitation echo well
According to legend, birds have a special connection to the spirit world.
The stasis of a spirit taken from its only home
The spirit of the little boy's mother has been taken from its earthly home.
A legend quoted by the wreathing of a grieving child
The singer hears the legend from the little boy who is grieving the loss of his mother.
When all that's left to do is sit and watch the creatures grow and grow.
In the face of loss, all that can be done is to watch life go on and nature continue to grow.
The winds and rain have begun inching in a frame
The weather has changed and the winds and rain are slowly moving in.
Like darkness with a bounty on whatever lay me down
The darkness feels dangerous and threatening, as if it is actively trying to harm the artist.
The town had been retiring to its quarters as if waiting for the earthquake
The entire town was quiet and still, as if it was anticipating an earthquake.
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the artist up from their sleep.
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the singer up from their sleep.
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the singer up from their sleep.
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the singer up from their sleep.
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the artist up from their sleep.
See the little birdy watch him grow
The artist observes the little boy growing up.
The winds and rains and here again and a powerless darkness had laid me down
The weather has changed and the darkness still feels oppressive.
The lights are out all over town but the earthquake got me out of bed
Despite the power outage, the earthquake was what ultimately woke the singer up.
The earthquake got me out of bed
The earthquake woke the artist up from their sleep.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Digitron0898
Years later. I still enjoy this album :)
@rhymesayers
We can't wait to release this album - it's a great project.
@rubixcube1996
It's a fuckin great album
@acrylics9717
the world was not ready for this. still too ahead of this time. truly a genius work of art displayed here.
@childhoodtimemachine8795
+Acrylics You're so right. I'm still trying to process how this combination of talents works so seamlessly. A true genuine and genius outlier in the hip-hop world, if you can even label this masterpiece as simply "hip-hop".
@acrylics9717
+ChildhoodTimeMachine I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way
@BruhHowDidIGetHere
+Acrylics I don't get the song at all lol
@acrylics9717
+Bruh study the lyrics either through constant rewind or viewing the lyric video
@MEdalFan26
broh i totuhlly get thisz
@TheBadTenants
This combo is so fantastic. plays to both their strengths. Love this.