The Crane Wives - Unraveling (Lyric Video)

To celebrate the release of Foxlore AND Coyote Stories on vinyl, we'll be posting a series of lyric videos highlighting songs from both records!

Full Lyrics:

I once loved a tailor who took eager care of me
Sewed together my loose ends with stitches neat and clean
But now my love is gone
And I am left unraveling
Unraveling

I once loved a gardener with his dirt-smudged face and hands
Trimmed my weeds and gave me room to grow my flowers again
But now my love is gone
And I am left here withering
Withering

I once loved a carpenter who carved a smile for me
Sanded my rough edges, crafted new and lovely things
But now my love is gone
And I can’t help the fracturing

I never knew that I needed you

I once loved a man who kissed me once before he left
Tied me up in knots and said he’d soon return again
But now my love is gone
And I am left unraveling
Unraveling
Unraveling
Unraveling

[madisonp]

I'm shuffling through Crane Wives again after a year of not listening. I just felt y'all should know... my budgie was y'all's absolute #1 fan. Back in high school I'd shuffle some Crane Wives while studying and he'd just get so excited and start happily chirping and singing along. He'd happily listen to y'all for hours on end. He absolutely loved listening to the live performances, and his favorite song was "The Garden." He unfortunately passed away in April 2023 and it's been hard to listen since. It's bittersweet. I just wanted y'all to know how much my lil Coco loved y'all <3

[perfectpomegranate]

I could never complain about an excuse to listen this fantastic song. Not that without it I wouldn't have listened to it 5 times today anyway.

[brokenmercy]

I’ve never had a band-related hyperfixation up until now, and WOW am I glad it’s on this! Each song is so unique but they piece together so well, and I especially love the melodies and harmonization, all of it is absolutely amazing!! Each song can hold a story in itself, but taking a look at the albums in their entireties can open up to a bigger narrative which I adore! Not to mention every song is so full of emotion I can’t help but feel along with the music!! I’m so glad I’ve started listening to these when I did!!

[Generalmacka]

My music taste has changed alot over the past few years. I've gained songs, left songs, found bands, forgot bands. But the crane wives is the one band i keep coming back to when nothing else works.

[pointofstasis]

Seriously, The Crane Wives don’t have a single bad song. Not one.

[joulskafilms]

This song hits so hard for me

there was a boy i knew in my sophomore year. he was a drama kid and i initially met him while being on tech for the musical he was in. as time passed near the end of the production, i realized that i had a crush on him.
he was a real sweetheart, and he was so fun to be around and he had so many friends that loved him.
during show week, he was struggling with his lines and got frustrated. later i found him behind the auditorium, crying out of frustration. i wanted to comfort him but he preferred to be left alone.
later he signed my playbill, telling me i was really caring, and that i should audition for the next play or musical: i had been joining rehearsals just cuz i could lmao.

later, i got casted in the drama club play, and he was casted to be my stage partner.
i was so HORRIFIED to talk to him that i barely got to know him. i can never know if he felt the same way, bc he never approached me either.
i forgot to include we also had a stage kiss, my first stage kiss. we were actually each others first stage kiss.
at first, we talked about it and made it so it was pantomimed and he would just put his face really close to mine and he would hold my face so that it looked like we kissed.
it was really nerve wracking, the whole production, but i’d be lying if i didn’t say it was exciting and sweet to be around him.

on opening night, after he delivered his long monologue about how much he loved me (the character i was playing) he took my face and i felt him lightly kiss me on the lips before pulling away.
needless to say i was shocked. i wanna say he kissed me, but it didn’t feel like he meant to, like he just missed or something.
either way, after the play ended, the cast congratulated each other, and across the way, i glanced at him to find him looking at me. we never talked about it.

i only saw him a few more times after that, i forgot to mention he was also a senior. i know it’s kinda weird but still.

i’ll never know how he truly felt about me, and i’ll never know if he ever saw me more as just a friend, or an acquaintance.
but he won’t be coming back for a long time, and i just wish i knew.
i barely knew him but i loved him more than anything.

[secondbreakfastart]

I found this song only recently, had heard it a couple times but hadn't soaked it in so I played the lyric video and started singing along best I could because thats how I actively listen, how I pay attention to the lyric meaning and their relations to the instruments ect. But since I had not yet fully heard the song I had never known the words in the part that goes "I once loved a man who kissed me once before he left, tied me up in knots and told me he'd soon return again. But now my love is gone." and man I started CRYING and all of a sudden the song really hit my heart.

I fell in love with a guy who, long story short, visited from out of state to see his best friends-also my best friends. We all spent almost all day of everyday of two weeks together, out doing things but also doing mundane everyday stuff. We decided to pursue a relationship together and at the time he had plans to move here. At the end of the 2 weeks, everyone was in tears saying goodbye to him at the airport and we hugged and he kissed my cheek and then he was gone. We called everynight messaged through the day got to know each other even more and opened up to each other. But it was becoming increasingly hard for him, and plans changed in him moving here due to school and music, it would have been a few years before one of us could move to the other so he decided to end things. We are still friends but it hurt so bad. I had loved him more than I thought I could love someone, we worked so well complimented each other perfectly, our best friends encouraged it our families approved... and when it ended my heart felt physically heavy and it was so hard to get through. I am still getting through it 5 or 6 weeks later but it's getting easier.

So thankful this song exsists and that ican sing it to help relieve some feelings. So thankful The Crane Wives exsist, they have some of the most beautiful vocals I have ever heard and the lyrics poetically paint pictures and stories in your mind and convey so many emotions.

[Wanderer_of_Sol]

Every time this lyric video pops up in my playlist I just smile because I know it's here, at least in part, because I asked for it in the comments of another video. I'm glad other people in the comments seem to have found one of my favorites because of that quick thought to mention that I'd like to see it.

[Mystfordays]

As a lesbian, I have been sleeping on this song for too long, especially for with me, my first 4 crushes can easily tie into this song.
Tailorman/1st crush: They helped me recognize my sexuality, and made me feel safe, still do. They helped me recognize real from fake friends too. But when I told them, they said they had a partner, and I respected that. We’re still friends, and my crush on them is gone, but I wonder if I never had them, would I have known?
Gardener/Crush 2: After the first rejection, I wanted to wait some time, but then later that year, I fell for a girl who played soccer. She became my friend, and we would sometimes talk about nerd stuff together. But when I told her, she said she wasn’t straight, and I respect that. She eventually moved, and I was left in the same hell hole, withering.
Carpenter/crush 3: She had just moved from a foreign country, and I was scared to know her, afraid to make a fool of myself. But when we had P.E together, I helped her, and her friend out with the school system. I loved her the most, I almost kissed her on the last day of school that year. But I didn’t, and she moved over break. I still wonder if I did, what’d happen?
‘Sailor’/crush 4: This is my shortest one, but a significant one. One day, she kissed me on the cheek before leaving the group we go to every so often. We’re still friends btw. But when I asked if she meant it, she said that she didn’t know why she did it, especially since she had a partner, and she didn’t mean it, more as a friend kiss. I cried for a week after that. I couldn’t let go for a while, but when I did, we rekindled our friendship.

Thank you for making such an amazing song I can vent to when I feel sad. This song is comforting to me ❤️ ( sorry for the paragraph 😅)

[twig]

This is THE anthem for the D&D podcast JRWI and their Riptide campaign. I'm making a Tumblr analysis as I'm writing this comment about why this song works so well regarding the three player characters and the most important person they lost to get them where they are by the time the podcast takes place.

[gemelasr.c]

Tan bella melodía, la armonía y sincronización de los instrumentos, la melodiosa voz, amigos gracias por esta gran música es maravillosa, gracias por la dedicación arduo trabajo para traernos, compartirnos este precioso regalo, les agradezco desde mi corazoncito lindo, je ^^

[XIIconstNvChr]

first couple of listens i thought the singer was singing about different people they loved over their life, but later i started to think it's about a singular person

[Jacob-yglz]

I love the guitar in the background, it sounds like a top just about to lose balance.

[racooninafrogsuit]

Can’t stop listening to this song in particular, definitely one of my favorites. Not that my list is short lol 💀

[junoismad]

I just love every song from you guys. they have a similar sound but entirely different feelings to them and I live for it

[nicolersands]

Please post an instrumental for this song. This may literally be my favorite song EVER and I want to do a cover of it/use it as an audition song SO BAD!

[awkward_robyn]

I love this song and this album so much! 😩 I think it’s my favorite of the albums (If I had to pick) But just out of curiosity, will you be doing lyric videos for songs from Safe Ship Harbored too? I love several songs on that one. (October, Caleb Trask, Counting Sheep, and The Crooked, the Cradle are probably my favorites)

[xkyarox]

I've had this song stuck in my head all morning and I have to say: I LOVE How much of The Decemberists' vibes this song contains! I could totally hear Colin doing a cover of this one day

[rude.basily]

THIS SONG JUST HAS ME FEELING SOME KINDA WAY AND IDK WHAT IT IS BUT IT IS MAGIC

[ghostcraft]

This has to be my top ten favorite songs!

Also love the bits about what type of instrument is playing!