Thank you! Our son introduced us to the Decemberists and he particularly loved evocative story songs.
When he died, we had his body at the house for a few days as friends and family came around to pay love and respect. We sang Crane Wife 3 to him, and I got to play it on the octave mandolin he had specially made for himself. Then we used it again as processional music at the funeral.
He (and we) also loved The Hazards of Love (his name was William) but Rake’s Song was inappropriate and “the wanting comes in waves” hurt too much at the time even though we did a fun version as a family ensemble.
By which I mean: we have constructed so much meaning around the songs in our lives and deaths, it’s wonderful to hear their meaning to you and their own birth stories. Thank you for the music and the stories and the memories.
As a Japanese kid who grew up on this tale, I find this song to be a delight and utter perfection. Thank you for pulling back the curtain on these, Colin!
i’m with you, fontanelle isn’t weird, we all had one at some point in our lives. if i were a reporter, i’d save my vocabulary question for something like “sibylline” or “bombazine”
i just felt called to listen to the crane wife songs yesterday, and they never fail to make me weep. i was at your performance for the crane wife album at the wiltern in LA. and there was something about seeing and hearing those songs live that made them so emotionally real to me, and now every time i hear them i am transported back to that feeling, and the tears flow. thank you for this look behind the curtain, and thank you for all you do. ♥️
It’s interesting that you mentioned Belle and Sebastian as an inspiration. There a times when I’ve been reminded of B & S in your songs….. I’m particularly thinking of connections between Stars of Track and Field, and This Sporting Life……not assuming any connections on your part, by the way…..for me, these song have a similar feel lyrically.
I borrow from Robyn Hitchcock heavily in some of my melody constructs. And, for what it’s worth, both Crane Wife and Hazards inspired me to start writing a concept album set in the Homeric world of the Iliad and the Odyssey with the primary actors being the women in these stories. So thank you, Colin. Absolutely love these annotated song postings.
Thanks so much for this (and the songs, obviously)! Crane Wife 1, 2, & 3 is my favorite 15 minutes of playing/singing I do when I have some time alone in the house, ~recreating your KEXP performance from 2010. Just phenomenal melodies throughout. Thank you.
I frequently had Crane Wife stuck in my head during newborn feedings because I’d see the fontanelle (or feel it for dehydration, as anxious newborn parents are wont to do) and remember the song. Sleepy memories of staring into the dark and thinking about fontanelles, cranes, and the line “shouldered all the night before” from June Hymn.
My range is not the same as yours, sadly, but HEART sits in a lovely spot in my range too and it's a sound that I can let come out of my chest voice. It does feel so good.
So wonderful to hear the inspiration behind these and learn the story that they are based upon. I can't help be curious though as to why they are out of order on the album. I am guessing it is just a matter of flow, but after listening to Crane Wife 1&2, and then Crane Wife 3 subsequently and now knowing the story, it is even more profound to hear them in order. Either way, they are some of my favorite Decemberists tracks, whether played in order or not. :)
This series of song is something I've come back to again and again over the years so much so that it became my son's favorite story. We both actually got the crane tattooed on our arm as a sort of symbol of how the story connects us.
Your ability to weave story into song is what I always try to convey to people who ask, "Who are The Decemberists?". In short they are a culmination of literature and music- to me any way.
I've always loved that you used "fontanelle". How perfectly it resides in that line. Another that has always stuck with me lyrically is Lake Song. "Sibylline reclining in your pew...". The way the words just softly tumble into each other and skip like smooth stones across the water. Brilliant.
The crane wife series has always been one of my favorites of yours and one of my favorite songs/cycles of all time. It was the first album of yours i owned. That video of you performing it seemingly on a whim at the radio show actually made me want to start playing guitar. The idea that a person and an instrument could tell all these epic stories at will.. while obviously an ancient tradition, was somehow summed up for me triumphantly in that brilliant performance video and it spurred me to play. I will cover one and three from time to time (and tinker with two on the guitar that I am still only vaguely acquainted with). Love the annotated song series, thank you for sharing!
This is my favorite Annotated Songs yet, down to the part where Jenny got you the bookstore job. I absolutely love this song. Thank you. While I dislike festivals, one of my best memories is from Boston Calling in 2014; it was pouring rain, and you opened with the Crane Wife. The rain did become annoying, but it was perfect during this song.
I was amused to read the comment about the “down wove” verse. Every time I (try to) play the song myself, I always feel weird singing that verse, but I could never pinpoint my problem with it. Glad to hear the author also has reservations!
Thank you! Our son introduced us to the Decemberists and he particularly loved evocative story songs.
When he died, we had his body at the house for a few days as friends and family came around to pay love and respect. We sang Crane Wife 3 to him, and I got to play it on the octave mandolin he had specially made for himself. Then we used it again as processional music at the funeral.
He (and we) also loved The Hazards of Love (his name was William) but Rake’s Song was inappropriate and “the wanting comes in waves” hurt too much at the time even though we did a fun version as a family ensemble.
By which I mean: we have constructed so much meaning around the songs in our lives and deaths, it’s wonderful to hear their meaning to you and their own birth stories. Thank you for the music and the stories and the memories.
what a beautiful and vulnerable share, thank you for this nat. may your son’s memory be a blessing.
Much love to you and your family. Thank you for sharing something so personal.
As a Japanese kid who grew up on this tale, I find this song to be a delight and utter perfection. Thank you for pulling back the curtain on these, Colin!
i’m with you, fontanelle isn’t weird, we all had one at some point in our lives. if i were a reporter, i’d save my vocabulary question for something like “sibylline” or “bombazine”
Or Sycorax 😉
One of my all time favorites. What an absolute delight. Thanks, Colin ❤️
Footnote 9 there just inviting Chairry and the rest of us to dance and scream whenever Colin Meloy, of The Decemberists, uses a three-syllable word.
https://imgur.com/gallery/K6n5Tj3
i just felt called to listen to the crane wife songs yesterday, and they never fail to make me weep. i was at your performance for the crane wife album at the wiltern in LA. and there was something about seeing and hearing those songs live that made them so emotionally real to me, and now every time i hear them i am transported back to that feeling, and the tears flow. thank you for this look behind the curtain, and thank you for all you do. ♥️
It’s interesting that you mentioned Belle and Sebastian as an inspiration. There a times when I’ve been reminded of B & S in your songs….. I’m particularly thinking of connections between Stars of Track and Field, and This Sporting Life……not assuming any connections on your part, by the way…..for me, these song have a similar feel lyrically.
I borrow from Robyn Hitchcock heavily in some of my melody constructs. And, for what it’s worth, both Crane Wife and Hazards inspired me to start writing a concept album set in the Homeric world of the Iliad and the Odyssey with the primary actors being the women in these stories. So thank you, Colin. Absolutely love these annotated song postings.
Thanks so much for this (and the songs, obviously)! Crane Wife 1, 2, & 3 is my favorite 15 minutes of playing/singing I do when I have some time alone in the house, ~recreating your KEXP performance from 2010. Just phenomenal melodies throughout. Thank you.
I frequently had Crane Wife stuck in my head during newborn feedings because I’d see the fontanelle (or feel it for dehydration, as anxious newborn parents are wont to do) and remember the song. Sleepy memories of staring into the dark and thinking about fontanelles, cranes, and the line “shouldered all the night before” from June Hymn.
My range is not the same as yours, sadly, but HEART sits in a lovely spot in my range too and it's a sound that I can let come out of my chest voice. It does feel so good.
So wonderful to hear the inspiration behind these and learn the story that they are based upon. I can't help be curious though as to why they are out of order on the album. I am guessing it is just a matter of flow, but after listening to Crane Wife 1&2, and then Crane Wife 3 subsequently and now knowing the story, it is even more profound to hear them in order. Either way, they are some of my favorite Decemberists tracks, whether played in order or not. :)
This series of song is something I've come back to again and again over the years so much so that it became my son's favorite story. We both actually got the crane tattooed on our arm as a sort of symbol of how the story connects us.
Your ability to weave story into song is what I always try to convey to people who ask, "Who are The Decemberists?". In short they are a culmination of literature and music- to me any way.
I've always loved that you used "fontanelle". How perfectly it resides in that line. Another that has always stuck with me lyrically is Lake Song. "Sibylline reclining in your pew...". The way the words just softly tumble into each other and skip like smooth stones across the water. Brilliant.
thank you for addressing my wonder on this one
The crane wife series has always been one of my favorites of yours and one of my favorite songs/cycles of all time. It was the first album of yours i owned. That video of you performing it seemingly on a whim at the radio show actually made me want to start playing guitar. The idea that a person and an instrument could tell all these epic stories at will.. while obviously an ancient tradition, was somehow summed up for me triumphantly in that brilliant performance video and it spurred me to play. I will cover one and three from time to time (and tinker with two on the guitar that I am still only vaguely acquainted with). Love the annotated song series, thank you for sharing!
This is my favorite Annotated Songs yet, down to the part where Jenny got you the bookstore job. I absolutely love this song. Thank you. While I dislike festivals, one of my best memories is from Boston Calling in 2014; it was pouring rain, and you opened with the Crane Wife. The rain did become annoying, but it was perfect during this song.
I was amused to read the comment about the “down wove” verse. Every time I (try to) play the song myself, I always feel weird singing that verse, but I could never pinpoint my problem with it. Glad to hear the author also has reservations!