The Walkabouts was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by Chris… Read Full Bio ↴The Walkabouts was an American rock band formed in Seattle in 1984 by Chris Eckman and Carla Torgerson. Other members have been Michael Wells, Glenn Slater and Terri Moeller. The Walkabouts disbanded in 2015.

Although the Walkabouts started in Seattle, US their main base of popularity was Europe. Their blend of folk idioms and noisy experimental rock has won them lots of devoted fans; however, even with twelve studio albums and another 15 EPs, live albums and compilations released, they still remain below the radar of the public at large.

The band drew inspiration from folk and country music, particularly Townes Van Zandt, Neil Young and Johnny Cash, but also from other types of artists and musical styles such as Scott Walker, Leonard Cohen, French chanson and Jacques Brel. Their sound is typically rich, with string arrangements and keyboards in addition to the standard rock instruments. In reviews the band's music is often described as melancholic or mellow, while Eckman's lyrics, concerning such themes as human relations, loneliness and restlessness, are often emphasized as poetic.

The Walkabouts achieved commercial success and a strong fanbase in Europe, where they have done promotion and extensive touring since early 1990s. They have occasionally even made it high on the record charts in countries such as Greece and Norway.

Carla Torgerson and Chris Eckman met in 1983 when they were both working at an Alaskan fish cannery as a summer break from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. In 1984 they moved to Seattle, and the band was born when they joined forces with Chris' two younger brothers, drummer Grant and bassist Curt. The Eckman brothers had been playing in various punk rock and pop groups during their college years, and Carla came from a folk and street singing background. The band took their name from the cult Nicolas Roeg film, Walkabout. [1]

They released their first EP, 22 Disasters, in early 1985. Curt Eckman then left the band, to be replaced by Michael Wells. Their second EP, Linda Evans/Cyclone, was released in 1987. The following year they released their first album, See Beautiful Rattlesnake Gardens, on the PopLlama label, before being signed by Sub Pop as that label's first non-grunge band. Adding keyboard player and multi-instrumentalist Glenn Slater, they released three albums on Sub Pop over the next few years - Cataract (1989), Rag & Bone (1990), and Scavenger (1991). They also toured extensively, particularly in Europe. In 1992 they left Sub Pop Seattle, but remained with Sub Pop Europe who issued three more albums, New West Motel (1993), Satisfied Mind (1993), and Setting The Woods On Fire (1994). Drummer Terri Moeller replaced Grant Eckman in 1992, when he left to care for his new born son, Dakota Eckman.[1]

Satisfied Mind was their first of several albums largely or wholly comprising songs originally written and recorded by an eclectic variety of other artists, including Nick Cave, Charlie Rich, Johnny Rivers, Patti Smith, Mary Margaret O'Hara, and Gene Clark. Their 1996 collection of unreleased songs, Death Valley Days, also included songs by Neil Young, Nick Drake and Bob Dylan, and in 2000 they issued Train Leaves At Eight, which broadened the approach further by including songs by European artists including Mikis Theodorakis, Goran Bregović, Jacques Brel and Neu!.[1]

In 1995 the band signed with Virgin Records in Germany and released Devil's Road (1996) - recorded in part with the Warsaw Philharmonic - and Nighttown (1997), leading to new levels of success in Europe. Michael Wells left the band for several years in 1996, rejoining in 2003. In 1999 they moved to the German record label, Glitterhouse Records (the successor to Sub Pop Europe), and released Trail of Stars (1999), Train Leaves At Eight (2000), Ended Up A Stranger (2001), Slow Days With Nina (2003) - an EP tribute to Nina Simone - and Acetylene (2005).

Eckman and Torgerson have also released albums as side projects under the name Chris & Carla and as solo artists. Eckman has worked with Willard Grant Conspiracy in recent years, on the albums Regard The End and Let It Roll, as well as with The Bambi Molesters.

Terri Moeller has also formed The Transmissionary Six with Paul Austin, formerly of Willard Grant Conspiracy.

Cello Song
The Walkabouts Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

( written by Nick Drake )

Strange face, with your eyes
So pale and sincere
Underneath you know well
You have nothing to fear
For the dreams that come to you when so young
Told of a life

Where spring is sprung

You would seem so frail
In the cold of the night
When the armies of emotion
Go out to fight
But while the earth sinks to its grave
You sail to the sky
On the crest of a wave

So forget this cruel world
Where I belong
I'll just sit and wait
And sing my song
And if one day you should see me in the crowd

Lend a hand and lift me out
To your place in the cloud

Overall Meaning

The Walkabouts's song Cello Song is a cover of Nick Drake's original song. The lyrics of the song speak to the experience of feeling out of place in the world and seeking refuge in music and dreams. The song opens with a description of the singer's eyes as "so pale and sincere," suggesting a sense of depth and sensitivity. The singer acknowledges feeling fragile and vulnerable in the face of the "armies of emotion" that exist within them, yet the dreams they have held since childhood offer a sense of hope and possibility. The closing lines of the song suggest a desire to transcend the difficulties of the world and connect with others who might provide support and companionship, offering a sense of hope and connection amid the isolation and uncertainty of life.

Line by Line Meaning

Strange face, with your eyes
Your countenance is peculiar, and your gaze is piercing, discerning.

So pale and sincere
Your skin's hue appears ashen, but your honesty is evident.

Underneath you know well
You are fully aware, deep down inside.

You have nothing to fear
You possess no apprehensions or worries.

For the dreams that come to you when so young
As a child, you envisioned goals in vivid detail.

Told of a life
These dreams forecast a future.

Where spring is sprung
A period of rejuvenation and regeneration is imminent.

You would seem so frail
At first glance, you seem delicate and vulnerable.

In the cold of the night
When darkness shrouds the land and it's chilly.

When the armies of emotion
At times when our sentiments become overwhelming.

Go out to fight
They engage in a fierce battle.