My Interview With Todd Sheaffer About "Mourning Flies"

Mourning Flies by Railroad Earth

Lyrics: Todd Sheaffer

what were you dreaming? . . . that made you sweat . . soaking wet . . . in a fever?

dark wings circling . . . slowly around . . slowly around . . slowly around

what grip held you? . . tossed & turned you . . tossed & turned you?

where were you going? carried away . . carried away . . & calling?

oh . . then mourning flies . . the fields awake & come alive . . darkness goes . .

the crows appear . . the scurrying squirrel . . the apple tree deer . . the sun fills

our bed . . the sun fills our bed

some cloud’s caught us . . trouble all around . . trouble comin’ down

six wings circling . . slowly around . . slowly comin’ down . . upon me

oh . . then mourning flies . . the fields awake & come alive . . darkness goes . .

the crows appear . . the scurrying squirrel. . the apple tree deer . . the sun fills our bed

. . the cats walk our head

they were on my chest . . it was a funny feeling . .

they had a map of my heart . . pulled pieces & parts & flew away . .

the birds were on my breast . . it was a funny feeling . .

they had a map of my soul . . dug for the coal & pulled it out . .

will you ever know?. . i’ll be right there with you . .

i have a map of your heart . . the pieces & parts

to make it whole again

oh . . ‘til mourning flies . . the fields awake & come alive . . darkness goes . .

crows appear . . the scurrying squirrel . . the apple tree deer . . carry me through

. . i’ll carry you

where have you been?

tell me where have you been?

where have you been?

tell me where have you been?

Hey Todd, I have 3 questions for you today, about the song Mourning Flies, I was first wondering what’s the meaning behind the song?

Well its a link of two stories — In the old place I used to live at, the Stillwater Getaway, we used to have a big old field. There was a old farmhouse, and out in the woods and there was a field out there, and there was this one period — well one half of the story is that my girl Erin, her mom had died, and she was having these feverish kind of nightmares, and when somebody is lying next to you, and they’re having these dreams that are making them toss and turn, I just started to wonder what that was… And at the same time, there was this a possum that wondered into the field next to my house, to die, because it was just time for it to go, and it walked into my field, and I was walking and I just came across it one day, and it was clear it was breathing really heavely, and it was clear that it had walked into that field to die, so I left it alone, but the next day; a day later, three birds, big vultures, had spotted or detected (laughs) – or however they find their coming meals, they had spotted the possum, and they were flying above it, and just wheeling in circles, and that’s where the imagery of the 6 wings circling comes from. And then, you know, the next day they were still there, and every once in a while they would go up again and circle around, and circling closer each day, and it took about 3 days, and finally I went back the third day and it had completely disapeared, it was gone, the birds had taken it and flew away… So thats pretty much mostly the imagery, but its also somehow related to us in the farmhouse and the nightmare dreams, and I just tied the two together wondering if they were related, or at least related in someway those two events going on, ya know. So, I don’t know, its a strange one, its not really a simple song, but thats the basic idea, and thats the story.
Does the song address anyone or anything?

Well, the imagery is pretty clear I Think, the setting is pretty exact, there’s a apple tree that was in our yard, and then there’s the deer that would come around the apple tree, and the crows each morning would come and fly, but no one specifically…

My final question is is there any message behind it of any sort?

Well, it’s pretty much about, death and rebirth,

There’s the interview, I hope you enjoyed, and please, keep on checking back on my blog, as I interpret what is going on in the jamband music scene.