The Wailin' Jennys have released several albums and tour regularly through North America and Europe. The group is also often featured on the American Public Media program, A Prairie Home Companion. Their album, Firecracker, made it to the number two spot on the Billboard Bluegrass charts, in 2006.
The group was founded in 2002, when a guitar shop in Winnipeg - called Sled Dog Music[1] - brought three soloists - (Ruth Moody, Nicky Mehta and Cara Luft) - together for a joint performance. The show was well received and the owner scheduled a follow-up, which was also a great success. The owner then "offered that they might go on tour and call themselves the Wailin' Jennys."[2] The group's name is a pun on the country singer Waylon Jennings.
Luft left, in 2004, to pursue her solo career and was replaced by Annabelle Chvostek, a singer/songwriter from Montreal.
At the 2005 Juno Awards, the group won Roots and Traditional Album of the Year (Group) for their 2004 album 40 Days.[3]
In 2007, Chvostek left the group and was replaced by Heather Masse, a Maine-born singer with a background in jazz and blues, as well as folk, who also fronts the Brooklyn-based Heather & the Barbarians.
All of the members of the Jennys maintain solo careers, in addition to their efforts with the group.
Take It Down
The Wailin Jennys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take it and burn it to the ground
Some things were never meant to last
Take it down down down
Take it down
I'm still married to it all
That ain't no place to hand around
Take it down down down
Take it down
And I've grown accustomed to the way
You hurled us into space
I'll never make that trip
Tears all rusted on my face
I'm just an empty place
Where your love used to fit
South Carolina, where are you?
You were once lost, now are found
The war is over, the battle's through
Take it down down down
Take it down
Take it down down down
Take it down
The Wailin Jennys' song "Take it Down" is a melancholic tune that speaks of letting go of something that once held a significant place in the singer's heart. From the opening lines, "Take everything that we've had, take it and burn it to the ground," it is evident that the singer understands that some things, no matter how much they once meant, are meant to end. The repetitive chorus of "take it down, down, down" underscores the need to let go fully and completely.
The second verse reveals that, despite the emotional separation from the relationship, the singer is still tied to it in some way. "I'm still married to it all; that ain't no place to hang around. My love is fifty feet tall, take it down down down," suggests that while the singer understands that it's time to move on, that doesn't mean it's easy to do so. The bridge, "And I've grown accustomed to the way you hurled us into space. I'll never make that trip. Tears all rusted on my face. I'm just an empty place where your love used to fit," further highlights how hard it is to walk away from something that was such a significant part of one's life.
The song's final verse takes a turn, addressing the broader theme of the Confederate flag and its associated symbolism, which is significant to the band's southern heritage. They speak directly to those who would cling to this symbolism, saying "South Carolina, where are you? You were once lost, now are found. The war is over, the battle's through, take it down down down, take it down." This verse wonderfully ties the song's two separate themes of personal loss and broader cultural shifts together.
Line by Line Meaning
Take everything that we've had
Remove and destroy every possession and memory that we have shared
Take it and burn it to the ground
Completely demolish everything to the point that it is no longer recognizable
Some things were never meant to last
There are certain things in life that do not have a long-lasting purpose
Take it down down down
Keep destroying it until nothing remains
Take it down
Continue breaking apart and destroying everything we have known
I'm still married to it all
Even though everything is falling apart, I am still connected to it and can't let go
That ain't no place to hand around
It is not healthy to continue to hold on to something that is no longer beneficial or positive
My love is fifty feet tall
The love that was once shared between two people was immense and seemingly insurmountable
And I've grown accustomed to the way
I have become familiar with the way things are and have accepted them, even if they are not ideal
You hurled us into space
You took us away from our comfort zone and into a new and unfamiliar environment
I'll never make that trip
I will not be able to experience that journey again because it was too painful or difficult
Tears all rusted on my face
My tears have become so frequent and insistent that they have begun to corrode my skin
I'm just an empty place
I am now an empty shell of who I used to be
Where your love used to fit
The love that once occupied and filled my heart is now gone and cannot be replaced
South Carolina, where are you?
As an allegory, the once familiar and comforting things are now nowhere to be found
You were once lost, now are found
The things that were once out of reach are now more accessible or within grasp
The war is over, the battle's through
A time of conflict and struggle has come to an end
Take it down down down
Continue to tear everything down until there is nothing left
Take it down
Keep bringing everything to its inevitable end
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN HIATT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind