There are aspects of the band's sound - abrasive guitar hooks, immediate drumming, and incessant codas - that speak to living in a big city. But there's also a dreary sparseness, a David Lynch-esque darkness, culled from the other members' native Washington.
The band's skeletal sound began to take shape, with Robert's rust-belt guitar parts lending a restless, sinister edge to Molly's subdued melodies and soft vocal style. Writing became a collaborative effort, and Widowspeak racked up an arsenal of songs. By fall the trio had recorded a six-track cassette using only a built-in laptop microphone and Garageband. The self-released October Tape, as it was called, fell into the hands of Brooklyn's Captured Tracks. Weeks later, after only their sixth show, Widowspeak recorded the 7" single Harsh Realm, in anticipation of a full LP.
Their eponymous debut LP was released on August 9th, 2011 on Captured Tracks.
http://widowspeak.bandcamp.com
Ballad of the Golden Hour
Widowspeak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He tells the time, trailing from my eyes
And they feel even … alone in the tears
Flicking me, how I used to be
We can never, stay forever
Is it now, your best until the cold
It isn’t over, till it’s over,
The night’s clear, it’s clear as …
As the time stretches, as our bodies go
Moving feeling strange, the moment we’re alone
If we live and take, we love in …
Love between, how it used to be
We can never, stay forever
We were destined to grow cold
How you coming over, it isn’t over
The night’s clear, it’s clear as …
I am like the …so I move, behind, golden hour
I’m slowing down, I’ll slow it down
The night I’m slowing down
I’m slowing down,
And I’m slowing down
And I’m slowing down.
The Ballad of the Golden Hour by Widowspeak is a melancholic song that reflects on love and relationships that fade away with time. The song describes a moment with someone who has become a stranger and who carries with them the weight of the past. The first verse introduces a character who is described as "cold flint" walking in the light, suggesting a sense of detachment and distance. The lyrics "he tells the time, trailing from my eyes" evoke the image of tears and the pain of parting. It seems like the singer is reflecting upon a love affair that has come to an end, and as the character walks away, she feels alone and flickers how she used to be with him.
The chorus “We can never, stay forever, Is it now, your best until the cold, It isn’t over, till it’s over, The night’s clear, it’s clear as…” reinforces the idea that nothing lasts forever and that every relationship has its own expiration date. The second verse hints at the moment of intimacy when "our bodies go, moving feeling strange, the moment we're alone." Clearly, the passion has faded, and they're only fulfilling their carnal desires in the absence of love. Even though the past was beautiful, they're destined to grow cold, and despite this, they remain together until the night ends.
Line by Line Meaning
There’s a cold flint, as he walks in light
He appears distant and unapproachable, almost like a hard, cold stone illuminated by light.
He tells the time, trailing from my eyes
He can gauge my emotional state, almost as if he is able to read time from my teary eyes.
And they feel even … alone in the tears
The tears amplify the sense of loneliness that I feel, making me feel more isolated and disconnected.
Flicking me, how I used to be
He reminds me of how I once was, making me feel nostalgic and reflective.
We can never, stay forever
Nothing lasts forever, and we must come to accept that inevitability.
Is it now, your best until the cold
Is this the best he has to offer, until the emotionless coldness sets in?
It isn’t over, till it’s over,
Don't give up hope yet, because nothing is truly over until it's truly over.
The night’s clear, it’s clear as …
The clarity of the night brings to light the starkness of my situation.
As the time stretches, as our bodies go
As time passes and our bodies age, we face challenges that test our emotional resilience.
Moving feeling strange, the moment we’re alone
When we're alone, it can be difficult to discern what we're feeling and why we're feeling it.
If we live and take, we love in …
Living life and experiencing love involves taking risks and accepting the consequences that follow.
Love between, how it used to be
The love we once shared has changed, and we long for its past warmth and familiarity.
We can never, stay forever
Nothing lasts forever, and we must come to accept that inevitability.
We were destined to grow cold
Our love was never meant to sustain its initial warmth and passion, but rather only to last for a period of time.
How you coming over, it isn’t over
There is still a chance for us to reconnect and reignite what we once had.
The night’s clear, it’s clear as …
The clarity of the night brings to light the starkness of my situation.
I am like the …so I move, behind, golden hour
Just like the golden hour is a fleeting moment, so am I, and I must embrace every moment before it passes me by.
I’m slowing down, I’ll slow it down
I'm consciously trying to slow down and savor every moment, rather than racing past them without appreciating their value.
The night I’m slowing down
During the stillness and quiet of the night, I'm taking the time to reassess my priorities and focus on what truly matters.
And I’m slowing down
I'm determined to make the most of every moment and not let them pass me by too quickly.
And I’m slowing down.
I'm taking the time to appreciate each moment and find joy in the beauty of life.
Contributed by Ryan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@JaPo92
as the crow flies
as we walks in lines
he tells the time
trailing from our eyes
and if we live until
we’re long in the teeth
think of me and how i used to be
we could never
stay forever
cause you know we’re destined to go cold
it isn’t over until its over
and what’s good is good as gold
as the times change
and our bodies go
will we feel strange
in a world that we don’t know
and if we live until
we’re long in the teeth
we’ll only dream of how it used to be
and we could never stay forever
we were destined to go cold
are you coming over? it isn’t over
and what’s good is good as gold
it’s all slowing down
all the light will surround you
bright gold around you
gold lights around you
gold before they found you
it’s all slowing down
@JaPo92
what you were, what it was
you were fixing to get lost
i tried to tame you
it wasn’t long til you were taking off
lighting out was on your mind
lonely on the road at night
you’re still a wild one
but what is it you’re running from?
all scared like you’re staring down
the barrel of a gun.
no pistol could get you,
no rifle could shoot fast enough
some try to love you,
but it’s never long before you shake ‘em off.
lighting out was on your mind,
lonely on the road at night.
lights so low a glare in your eyes,
jumped the gun, and you were too shy.
@Deadsea_1993
Still as beautiful as when I heard it all those years ago. Truly a Fleetwood Mac meets Mazzy Star approach
@LessismoreSara
I was waitin' for the second album! great guys!
@Soundwasteland
This is amazing. Heard it earlier on XM radio ''College Rock'' it blew me away. I thought after it ''such a beutiful song,beutiful voice and guitar sound. Glad to know im not the only one tryin to brng 90s alt rock back. at times in the song i thought my heart would stop. I would love to make music with the female singer. She has a perfect voice.
@nemwa
Amazing song, can't wait for the album
@BooOxford
nice Mazzy Star / Belly feel to it, need to catch'em live this year
@spankiek
Good call, I totally agree! The "Rumours" cover was actually Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks, who had a very public affair during the making of that album. Which has nothing to do with Widowspeak, but I'm stoked because I'm seeing Widowspeak with Pure Bathing Culture on Oct. 12. Two of my favorite bands, coincidentally and fantastically playing the same bill!
@partykaleta
best babe voice I've heard in a long long time
@allenprice391
Baby voice whatever that means
not sure to what you listen. Anyway it is really good. Like the guitars as well
@jonarnold2394
Amazing.
@Puffpuffaye
lovely