The band achieved their greatest critical and commercial success in the mid-nineties when they signed with the influential indie rock label Matador Records. It was during this time that Thinking Fellers produced their most prominent albums, Lovelyville, and the critically lauded college radio hit Strangers from the Universe. Despite its relatively poor production values, Mother of All Saints is considered by many fans the group's masterpiece. In 1996 they toured briefly as an opening act for the then-popular band Live but were not received well by the Live fanbase. Thinking Fellers has been largely dormant since 1996. They have toured sporadically and released only one full album, Bob Dinners and Larry Noodles Present Tubby Turdner's Celebrity Avalanche, which received mixed reviews. They toured Holland, Germany, Switzerland and the U.K. in 1994 and made an appearance on the John Peel radio show on the BBC.
In 2001 author Jonathan Franzen referenced the band in his widely-acclaimed bestselling novel The Corrections. The character Brian, a snobbish fan of "west coast underground bands," listens to the albums of Thinking Fellers Union while writing the music software that will make him a young millionaire. Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 is inactive as of 2007, although band members have not ruled out the possibility of further albums and touring. Their song "The Piston and the Shaft" is frequently used as background music for announcements on National Public Radio stations.
Hurricane
Thinking Fellers Union Local 282 Lyrics
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Funny how your quiet pond can carry me like a rushing river
I don't want to come up now, I just want to stay submerged
Breathing water, sinking down, I just want to let it all drift away
In the song Hurricane by Thinking Fellers Union Local 282, the lyrics describe a person being enveloped in misty rain by a hurricane. The hurricane is a metaphor for a powerful force or feeling that is overwhelming the singer. The hurricane is contrasted with a "quiet pond," which represents a sense of peace or calmness. The singer is carried by this "pond" like a rushing river, indicating that even a seemingly tranquil situation can be powerful and overwhelming. The singer wants to stay submerged and "breath water," suggesting a desire to escape from reality and all of its troubles. The lyrics convey a sense of surrender to a force or feeling that is beyond the singer's control.
Overall, the song seems to be about the way people are often swept away by their emotions and desires, even when they try to resist them. The hurricane and pond are both powerful forces, but they represent different aspects of the human experience. The lyrics suggest that the singer is caught between these two forces, and that they are struggling to find a way to navigate through them.
Line by Line Meaning
Somehow your hurricane envelops me in misty rain
Your overpowering presence surrounds me like a storm, causing my emotions to become unclear and hazy.
Funny how your quiet pond can carry me like a rushing river
Although your demeanor may seem calm and peaceful, you have the ability to take me on an emotional journey, similar to a rapid river's strong current.
I don't want to come up now, I just want to stay submerged
I am so comfortable in this emotional state that I do not want to leave it yet, even if it may not be healthy for me.
Breathing water, sinking down, I just want to let it all drift away
I have accepted my emotional state and am willing to let it consume me, hoping to escape from my troubles and pain.
Contributed by London F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.