The Circle Married the Line

Album: Metals (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Toronto resident Feist penned most of the lyrics Metals in the fall of 2010. She then headed to Big Sur, on the Californian coast and set up an ad hoc recording studio to record the album. Feist rented a cottage nearby, and each morning walked along a ridge overlooking the ocean to the studio. "My commute to work was with my backpack filled with my laptop, journals, and whatever books I was reading," she told Spin magazine. "I'd tromp along the cliffs between wild cows as condors circled overhead. Some days were stunning and gorgeous; on others the clouds were so thick you couldn't see 10 feet."
  • Feist's morning walks inspired one of the verses for this geometric love song: "All I want is a horizon line / Get some clarity, following the signs / Get some clear ocean signs."
    "It was the only lyric that I wrote there," she explained to Spin magazine. "I added it because I really was getting serious clarity walking across the cliffs every morning."
  • Feist brought in Beck's keyboardist and musical director, Brian LeBarton to help with the song's arrangement.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About Transgenderism

Trans Soul Rebels: Songs About TransgenderismSong Writing

A history of songs dealing with transgender issues, featuring Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Morrissey and Green Day.

Melanie

MelanieSongwriter Interviews

The singer-songwriter Melanie talks about her spiritual awakening at Woodstock, "Brand New Key," and why songwriting is an art, not a craft.

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TV

90210 to Buffy to Glee: How Songs Transformed TVSong Writing

Shows like Dawson's Creek, Grey's Anatomy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer changed the way songs were heard on TV, and produced some hits in the process.

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple Pilots

Robert DeLeo of Stone Temple PilotsSongwriter Interviews

Stone Temple Pilots bass player Robert DeLeo names the songs that have most connected with fans and tells the stories behind tracks from their Tiny Music album.

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"

Matthew Wilder - "Break My Stride"They're Playing My Song

Wilder's hit "Break My Stride" had an unlikely inspiration: a famous record mogul who rejected it.

David Sancious

David SanciousSongwriter Interviews

Keyboard great David Sancious talks about his work with Sting, Seal, Springsteen, Clapton and Aretha, and explains what quantum physics has to do with making music.