"...a songwriting, accordion playing, harmony singing, storytelling,
hand drumming, banjo strumming, soul stirring,
two woman tour-de-force."
With award-winning songwriting and musicianship, Wishing Chair, "never fails to create that exhilarating sense one gets when great melodies, strong harmonies, and superb execution come together," says The Performing Songwriter Magazine. The 6th CD and latest offering from this roots/folk duo is no exception. Produced by Grammy nominated producer Mark Hallman, Underdog is "folk to the core," (Lexington Herald-Leader) delivering a rich collection of stories and clear-eyed diatribes, outlaw weddings, love songs, and an anti-Bush circus for good measure.
Since 1995, the folk and soul partnership of multi-instrumentalist Miriam Davidson and songwriter Kiya Heartwood has become well regarded for their engaging performances, passionate activism, stirring harmonies and award winning songs. With any subject being fair game, they have earned high honors from Kerrville (Political Songwriting Finalist 2003), Falcon Ridge (Emerging Artist Finalist 2002), Outmusic (double Winner 2003, Finalist 2004) to The South Florida Folk Festival (double Winner 2003).
Throughout the U.S and Canada, they have won over audiences and presenters alike performing in venues ranging from The Bluebird Cafe in Nashville to The Ark in Ann Arbor, Uncle Calvin's in Dallas and Club Passim in Cambridge, and at festivals including the National Women's Music Festival, the Kerrville Folk Festival, the Clearwater Folk Festival, the South Florida Folk Festival and the Philadelphia Folk Festival.
Crow
Wishing Chair Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can't you smell the rain
Won't you go and open the windows
I tell you children things are gonna change
Won't you listen how that wind blows
Listen how that wind blows
Big man talking way too loud
Making poison like a factory
How we gonna stop it
How we gonna stop it
Tell me children how can you sleep so sound?
When all the locks are rattling
Hungry voices round and round
Who? you should be asking
Who? you should be asking
Take those apples from the tree
They tell you that you will die
Old Crow she just laughs and laughs
She knows that that's a damn lie
Knows that that's a damn lie
A storm is coming
Can't you smell the rain
Won't you go and open the windows
I tell you children things are gonna change
Won't you listen how that wind blows
Listen how that wind blows
Listen how that wind... crows
The song "Crow" by Wishing Chair is an insightful and thought-provoking commentary on the state of the world today. The lyrics begin with the line "A storm is coming, can't you smell the rain," which sets the tone for the entire song. There is a sense of urgency and impending danger that runs through the song, and the chorus of "Listen how that wind blows" reinforces this feeling. The first verse paints a picture of a world where powerful people spout empty words and create harm in the world, and the second verse questions why people are able to sleep soundly while chaos rages around them. The final verse turns to nature and the image of a crow, which represents knowledge and wisdom, as it sees through the falsehoods of the world and "just laughs and laughs."
Overall, the song is a call to action for listeners to pay attention to what is happening in the world and to take responsibility for their own actions as well. It speaks to the power of nature and the importance of taking heed of its warning signs. The crows that appear in the song are a symbol of this natural world, and the lyrics suggest that by listening to them, we can gain a better understanding of what is happening in the world and how we can work to make it a better place.
Line by Line Meaning
A storm is coming
Trouble is on the way
Can't you smell the rain
Can't you sense the signs of impending trouble?
Won't you go and open the windows
Be prepared and let the outside world in
I tell you children things are gonna change
Things will not stay the same, be ready for change
Won't you listen how that wind blows
Pay attention to the whispers of change in the air
Listen how that wind blows
Listen to the hints of change all around you
Big man talking way too loud
Powerful people are speaking boldly and boastfully
Words as empty as a pocket
Words that lack substance and meaning
Making poison like a factory
Generating negativity and hostility with ease
How we gonna stop it
How can we prevent this destructive behavior?
Tell me children how can you sleep so sound?
How can you rest peacefully while chaos is brewing?
When all the locks are rattling
When everything is unstable and unnerving
Hungry voices round and round
Needy and anxious people clamoring for attention
Who? you should be asking
Who is responsible for this turmoil?
Take those apples from the tree
Be wary of false promises with hidden consequences
They tell you that you will die
Deceptive forces use fear to control you
Old Crow she just laughs and laughs
The wisdom of experience sees through the lies and laughs
She knows that that's a damn lie
She knows the truth that contradicts the aforementioned lie
Listen how that wind... crows
The wind carries the cries of warning from the wise crows
Contributed by Avery H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Don.
The song was recorded ny Martin Cathy in 1976