Wood

Album: Half-Light (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Rostam Batmanglij described this song on his website as, "the feeling of being in bed with someone, and dreaming something wild beside them."

    The track dates back to 2011 and was re-released on a 7-inch in early 2016 alongside "EOS," after Batmanglij announced his departure from Vampire Weekend.
  • Batmanglij started the song on an airplane. He explained, "It was a beat I made on my laptop with cut up tabla and digital sitar and me trying to push myself to write the hardest, fastest, most classical violin parts I could."

    He added, "I spent years trying to figure out what to sing on top of it, even recording real string players without a vocal part written - before realizing that everything would have to clear out before my voice could enter the picture."

    It was Vampire Weekend producer Ariel Rechtshaid that helped Batmanglij finally finish the song. He recalled: "Me and Ariel ended up spending about ten days hanging out but not that much time actually making music in the studio, not at the same time anyway. Ariel was dealing with illness in his family. But one of the things we were able to accomplish was recording the lead vocal on 'Wood', it was on a sunny morning with the front door of the studio wide open. Hopefully you get some of that feeling when you listen to it."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Andrew Farriss of INXS

Andrew Farriss of INXSSongwriter Interviews

Andrew Farriss on writing with Michael Hutchence, the stories behind "Mystify" and other INXS hits, and his country-flavored debut solo album.

Danny Kortchmar

Danny KortchmarSongwriter Interviews

Danny played guitar on Sweet Baby James, Tapestry, and Running On Empty. He also co-wrote many hit songs, including "Dirty Laundry," "Sunset Grill" and "Tender Is The Night."

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Dean Pitchford

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many Songs

Who's Johnny, And Why Does He Show Up In So Many SongsSong Writing

For songwriters, Johnny represents the American man. He has been angry, cool, magic, a rebel and, of course, marching home.

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders

Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy and Black Star RidersSongwriter Interviews

Writing with Phil Lynott, Scott saw their ill-fated frontman move to a darker place in his life and lyrics.