Tag Archives: The Annotated Decemberists

The Annotated Decemberists No. 10: “A Cautionary Song”

Posted on May 15, 2012 by

Perhaps no band’s lyrics better lend themselves to pseudo-academic analysis than those of The Decemberists. The Annotated Decemberists is an attempt to puzzle through the Portland, Oregon, group’s entire catalog song by song—examining all the obscure vocabulary, historical references and poetic subtext—or … Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 9: “July, July!”

Posted on March 6, 2012 by

Perhaps no band’s lyrics better lend themselves to pseudo-academic analysis than those of The Decemberists. The Annotated Decemberists is an attempt to puzzle through the Portland, Oregon, group’s entire catalog song by song—examining all the obscure vocabulary, historical references and poetic subtext—or … Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 8: “Here I Dreamt I was an Architect”

Posted on January 11, 2012 by

Perhaps no band’s lyrics better lend themselves to pseudo-academic analysis than those of The Decemberists. The Annotated Decemberists is an attempt to puzzle through the Portland, Oregon, group’s entire catalog song by song—examining all the obscure vocabulary, historical references and poetic subtext—or … Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 7: “Leslie Anne Levine”

Posted on November 30, 2011 by

Perhaps no band’s lyrics better lend themselves to pseudo-academic analysis than those of The Decemberists. The Annotated Decemberists is an attempt to puzzle through the Portland, Oregon, group’s entire catalog song by song—examining all the obscure vocabulary, historical references and poetic subtext—or … Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 6: “The Apology Song”

Posted on November 22, 2011 by

The sixth and final entry from The Decemberists’ debut EP, Five Songs. Yes, you read that right. There are six songs on Five Songs. Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 5: “I Don’t Mind”

Posted on October 5, 2011 by

It sure sounds to me like this verse describes an elderly, infirm woman being abandoned in the woods. It also seems reminiscent of a folk tale, though I can’t point to a specific example. Folklore is rife with descriptions of euthanasia and geronticide, however, as this academic review makes clear Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 4: “Angel, Won’t You Call Me?”

Posted on August 15, 2011 by

The narrator’s relationship to this “Angel” is not explained in detail and therefore left open to interpretation, but basically we have a fairly straightforward musical love letter—albeit one couched in plenty of self-deprecation. Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 3: “My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist”

Posted on July 1, 2011 by

As related to Sean Nelson for a detailed article in the Seattle alt-weekly paper The Stranger, “My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist” was inspired by a particularly awful family canoe trip. Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 2: “Shiny”

Posted on June 1, 2011 by

In his typical, understated fashion, The Decemberists’ songwriter Colin Meloy has said little about this ballad other than, “This is a song about a gypsy.” In it, a dejected narrator pines over a young carny with tan skin, vintage footwear and strangely bewitching eyes. Continue reading →

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The Annotated Decemberists No. 1: ‘Oceanside’

Posted on May 17, 2011 by

I don’t want to dwell too much on the song’s title because it might just be a pretty word, but there’s something odd about trying to get someone to come “oceanside” when they’re already at the beach. Continue reading →

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