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
Calico
Widowspeak Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Though the yard was overgrown
And your shirts were all tailored
And my dresses were all calico
Oh, your bed was always covered
The black pants you wouldn't ware
That was part of the pattern
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
When I released the spare room
I never sat in front of you
And through the thin wall
We heard our neighbors argue
But I couldn't just shut up and lie
I never let you have your last night
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
Your house was a good one
Though the yard was overgrown
Your shirts were all tailored
My dresses were all calico
The song "Calico" by Widowspeak is a poignant tribute to a past relationship. The first few lines immediately conjure up vivid images of the singer's former lover's home. The use of the repetition of "good" and "overgrown" in the same line creates a sense of contrast in the listener's mind, perhaps representing the balance of the good and the bad within the relationship. The tailored shirts and calico dresses are symbolic of the effort put into the appearance of each person in the relationship. The image of the bed always being covered suggests a certain social propriety or strictness in the relationship. The fact that the black pants (symbolizing a darker side, perhaps?) were not worn only emphasizes this point.
However, the lyrics take a turn with the mention of the spareroom being released and the thin wall. We get a sense of distance and isolation within the relationship, of voices carrying through dividing structures. The refrain of "Calico" returns, as if the singer is almost trying to hold onto something that is slipping away. The final lines of the song, where the singer repeats the first four lines, provide a sense of cyclical inevitability. The repetition reinforces that the end of the relationship does not necessarily imply an end of certain patterns and behaviors.
Line by Line Meaning
Your house was a good one
Although your home may appear older, it had a certain charm that I admired.
Though the yard was overgrown
Although the grass and plants outside may have grown long, it didn't diminish the house's beauty.
And your shirts were all tailored
Your clothing was custom-fitted perfectly to give you a professional and sophisticated appearance.
And my dresses were all calico
In contrast, my clothing was simple and old-fashioned, often made of calico fabric.
Oh, your bed was always covered
Your bedroom was always made up and tidy, complete with clean sheets and blankets.
The black pants you wouldn't wear
Although you had a stylish pair of black pants, you never decided to wear them and always chose something else.
That was part of the pattern
Your tendency to avoid the predictable or expected was part of your personality and behavior.
And it fit just like it should
Your behavior always seemed to fit perfectly within the pattern of who you were and how you acted.
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
An exclamation to emphasize the importance of the difference between the two lifestyles.
When I released the spare room
When I gave up my personal space in the house, it was a difficult decision to make.
I never sat in front of you
I always felt a certain distance between us, physically and emotionally.
And through the thin wall
The walls of the house were thin, allowing sound to travel easily between rooms.
We heard our neighbors argue
The sound of shouting and arguing from the neighboring house could often be heard inside our home.
But I couldn't just shut up and lie
I was incapable of keeping my feelings to myself and pretending that everything was okay, even if it meant avoiding a conflict.
I never let you have your last night
I never allowed you the satisfaction of ending our relationship on your terms, always leaving the final say to myself.
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Kaona
Your house was a good one
Though the yard was overgrown
And your shirts were all tailored
And my dresses were all calico
Oh, your bed was always covered
The black pants you wouldn't ware
That was part of the pattern
And it fit just like it should
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
When I released the spare room
I never sat in front of you
And through the thin wall
We heard our neighbors argue
But I couldn't just shut up and lie
I never let you have your last night
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
CALICO, CALICO, CALICO, CALICO
XTSY
che voce! davvero sensuale...
dorothea granola
so fucking good i'm shook honestly
Caitlin Gagnon
Effing love this.
bob orange
Can't wait till this releases
Calvin Ramsey
Sounds like the lead singer from Warpaint
DJZwart Broek
sometimes she sounds like Kim Deal and sometime like the CHVRCHES singer
Half Moon Honey
Oh shit