The Mariner's Revenge Song
Encyclopedia
"The Mariner's Revenge Song" is a track by The Decemberists
from their 2005 album Picaresque
. The song describes a story of revenge
.
, explains to his companion how (unknown to him) their lives were interwoven.
The narrator details how, when he was three, his widowed mother fell in love with a roustabout
, who was charming at first but was later revealed as a gambler and womanizer. The roustabout then disappeared, leaving only his gambling debts and the mother sick with consumption
. The magistrate
repossessed their estate to pay for the debts and the mother later died, leaving the boy an orphan. On her deathbed she asked the boy to avenge her death, which serves as the chorus of the song, telling him:
Fifteen years later, having found work cleaning a priory, the boy hears of a whaler captain who matches the roustabout's description and is known for "wanton cruelty". The next day he joins a privateer
ship to hunt him down. After 20 months at sea, they spot the whaling ship, but a giant whale attacks both ships before they are able to board. All of the crew is killed, except the narrator and the roustabout.
The narrator then tells the man who ruined his mother's life that it must have been by Divine Providence
that only they survived, and cautions the roustabout to listen closely, as what he will be told next will be the last words he will hear. As the lyrics end, the same theme that plays during the chorus is heard in a progressively escalating tempo.
When played live, the song utilizes a characteristic variety of instruments, with Chris Funk
on mandolin
, Nate Query
on stand-up bass and bowed bass, Colin Meloy
on vocals and guitar
, John Moen
on floor tom
and Jenny Conlee
on accordion
. The band usually brings out a large paper maché whale jaw to use as a prop, and encourage the audience to "scream like you're being swallowed by a whale" during the part of the song when the whale attacks the ship.
On March 21, during their "Twilight in the Fearful Forest Tour 2007" at The Landmark Lowes Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey
, the song was "revived" and brought back from retirement as the last song played in the regular set. Colin Meloy
said that they were playing it for all the people who never experienced the song live. The band continued to play it throughout the tour.
had to stand much further away because of the relative loudness of the drums.
The song, and most of the album, was recorded between August-September 2004 at an old church in the Decemberists' home town (Prescott Church, Portland). Footage of the recording process can be found on the DVD The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook
.
The Decemberists
The Decemberists are an indie folk rock band from Portland, Oregon, United States, fronted by singer/songwriter Colin Meloy. The other members of the band are Chris Funk , Jenny Conlee , Nate Query , and John Moen .The band's...
from their 2005 album Picaresque
Picaresque (album)
Picaresque is an album by The Decemberists released in 2005 on the Kill Rock Stars record label. It was produced by Chris Walla of Death Cab for Cutie....
. The song describes a story of revenge
Revenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
.
Plot summary
The story begins as the narrator, one of two survivors stranded in the belly of a whaleWhale
Whale is the common name for various marine mammals of the order Cetacea. The term whale sometimes refers to all cetaceans, but more often it excludes dolphins and porpoises, which belong to suborder Odontoceti . This suborder also includes the sperm whale, killer whale, pilot whale, and beluga...
, explains to his companion how (unknown to him) their lives were interwoven.
The narrator details how, when he was three, his widowed mother fell in love with a roustabout
Roustabout
A roustabout is a labourer typically performing temporary, unskilled work. The term has traditionally been used to refer to traveling-circus workers, natural gas, or oil rig workers....
, who was charming at first but was later revealed as a gambler and womanizer. The roustabout then disappeared, leaving only his gambling debts and the mother sick with consumption
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
. The magistrate
Magistrate
A magistrate is an officer of the state; in modern usage the term usually refers to a judge or prosecutor. This was not always the case; in ancient Rome, a magistratus was one of the highest government officers and possessed both judicial and executive powers. Today, in common law systems, a...
repossessed their estate to pay for the debts and the mother later died, leaving the boy an orphan. On her deathbed she asked the boy to avenge her death, which serves as the chorus of the song, telling him:
"Find him, bind him,
tie him to a pole
and break his fingers
to splinters.
Drag him to a hole
until he wakes up,
naked,
clawing at the ceiling of his grave."
Fifteen years later, having found work cleaning a priory, the boy hears of a whaler captain who matches the roustabout's description and is known for "wanton cruelty". The next day he joins a privateer
Privateer
A privateer is a private person or ship authorized by a government by letters of marque to attack foreign shipping during wartime. Privateering was a way of mobilizing armed ships and sailors without having to spend public money or commit naval officers...
ship to hunt him down. After 20 months at sea, they spot the whaling ship, but a giant whale attacks both ships before they are able to board. All of the crew is killed, except the narrator and the roustabout.
The narrator then tells the man who ruined his mother's life that it must have been by Divine Providence
Divine Providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
that only they survived, and cautions the roustabout to listen closely, as what he will be told next will be the last words he will hear. As the lyrics end, the same theme that plays during the chorus is heard in a progressively escalating tempo.
Performance history
"The Mariner's Revenge Song" has been one of the Decemberists' most popular at live performances. It had been played at virtually every live show as an encore since its release up until the 2006 tour. At this point, the band swore off playing it at nearly all of the shows, saying that they were giving it a break for a while.When played live, the song utilizes a characteristic variety of instruments, with Chris Funk
Chris Funk
Christopher Lyman Funk is a multi-instrumentalist and member of the Portland, Oregon, indie rock band The Decemberists. He is originally from Valparaiso, Indiana where he worked at Front Porch Music which inspired his love of American Folk Music. He plays guitar, pedal steel, piano, violin,...
on mandolin
Mandolin
A mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
, Nate Query
Nate Query
Nate Query plays electric bass, upright bass, and cello in the rock band The Decemberists. He is also credited on Michael Zapruder's record. Former bands include Calobo and Everyday Dirt. His most recent project is the acoustic band Black Prairie with a number of other Portland...
on stand-up bass and bowed bass, Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy
Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica, percussion and interpretive hand gestures.-Early life...
on vocals and guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, John Moen
John Moen
John Moen is a musician and member of The Decemberists, Boston Spaceships, and Perhapst. He sings, plays the drums, five banjos, the melodica, occasionally the keyboard, and dances around with a floor tom...
on floor tom
Floor tom
A floor tom is a double-headed tom-tom drum which usually stands on the floor on three legs. However, they can also be attached to a cymbal stand with a drum clamp....
and Jenny Conlee
Jenny Conlee
Jenny Conlee is the accordionist, pianist, organist, keyboardist, melodica player, and occasional backup singer and harmonicist for the indie rock quintet The Decemberists, roles she has filled on each of the band's releases.-Portland music:...
on accordion
Accordion
The accordion is a box-shaped musical instrument of the bellows-driven free-reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as a squeezebox. A person who plays the accordion is called an accordionist....
. The band usually brings out a large paper maché whale jaw to use as a prop, and encourage the audience to "scream like you're being swallowed by a whale" during the part of the song when the whale attacks the ship.
On March 21, during their "Twilight in the Fearful Forest Tour 2007" at The Landmark Lowes Theater in Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, the song was "revived" and brought back from retirement as the last song played in the regular set. Colin Meloy
Colin Meloy
Colin Patrick Henry Meloy is the lead singer and songwriter for the Portland, Oregon, folk-rock band The Decemberists. In addition to vocals, he performs with an acoustic guitar, 12-string acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bouzouki, harmonica, percussion and interpretive hand gestures.-Early life...
said that they were playing it for all the people who never experienced the song live. The band continued to play it throughout the tour.
Recording
The band has stated that the song was recorded in one take around a single microphone. The various band members stepped towards the mic and back to control the audio level of their instrument. Drummer Rachel BlumbergRachel Blumberg
Rachel Blumberg is an American drummer and singer, best known for her tenure as the drummer for the indie rock band The Decemberists. Blumburg was a member of many Portland, Oregon-based indie bands, including Sissyface, Boycrazy, Norfolk & Western, The Minders and M...
had to stand much further away because of the relative loudness of the drums.
The song, and most of the album, was recorded between August-September 2004 at an old church in the Decemberists' home town (Prescott Church, Portland). Footage of the recording process can be found on the DVD The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook
The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook
The Decemberists: A Practical Handbook is a 2007 film featuring indie rock band The Decemberists. The film includes music videos, a live concert, and documentary footage.-Content:...
.