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Wading in Waist-High Water: The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes
Featured in The New Yorker and Rolling Stone As Recommended in the Buzzfeed Holiday Gift Guide “There is something quite moving about seeing these fifty-five songs collected and assembled this way. Themes of family, friendship, love, destiny, loss, nature, and honest living bridge all of the albums and form the core set of concerns of this body of work. At the same time, you can see the evolution of the minds and hearts at work behind the lyrics.” ―Brandon Taylor Since the release of their breakout debut album in 2008, Fleet Foxes and their front man, singer-songwriter Robin Pecknold, have enjoyed international critical and commercial acclaim. Their music has helped reshape the American indie-folk sound through songs that are acoustically and melodically driven, steeped in gospel-like harmonies, and propelled by Pecknold’s resonant, earthy, and timeless lyrics.
Wading in Waist-High The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes contains Pecknold’s complete lyrics from fifty-five songs, capturing the poetic and inventive storytelling that is a hallmark of the band’s music. These richly layered lyrics explore the complexity, darkness, and beauty of physical and emotional landscapes, both pastoral and modern. Accompanying the lyrics, Pecknold includes notes on his creative processes, inspirations, and motivations.
With an introduction by celebrated novelist Brandon Taylor, and an afterword by Pecknold, Wading in Waist-High Water is a moving and intimate look at the art of songwriting, the joy of music-making, and what it means to produce meaningful and memorable sound.
Wading in Waist-High The Lyrics of Fleet Foxes contains Pecknold’s complete lyrics from fifty-five songs, capturing the poetic and inventive storytelling that is a hallmark of the band’s music. These richly layered lyrics explore the complexity, darkness, and beauty of physical and emotional landscapes, both pastoral and modern. Accompanying the lyrics, Pecknold includes notes on his creative processes, inspirations, and motivations.
With an introduction by celebrated novelist Brandon Taylor, and an afterword by Pecknold, Wading in Waist-High Water is a moving and intimate look at the art of songwriting, the joy of music-making, and what it means to produce meaningful and memorable sound.
- GenresPoetryMusicNonfiction
272 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
November 24, 2022
Fucking fantastic. Loved getting to read footnotes about some of my favorite songs to give them more depth than I even realized was there. Robin Pecknold is gonna go down as one of the greats.
November 20, 2022
I've been an avid listener of the Fleet Foxes since discovering their music video to White Winter Hymnal (animated by Robin's brother Sean) one early morning when VH1 and MTV still had some relevance in such matters. Thoughtful, introspective lyrics and amazing harmonies, they always provided a very soothing, personal, and joyful experience, especially in their first two albums. Getting to see the lyrics, with brief but detialed footnotes and creative prompts by the lead singer/lyricist Robin Pecknold, provide a lot of context into the mindset and changes that occured between the first pair of albums and the latest pair. An Introduction. by rising author Brandon Taylor contextualizes it well; the songs of Fleet Foxes self titled debut album and Helplessness Blues feel like self contained short stories, while Crack-up and Shore have the qualities of a novel or a memoir. The notes provided by Pecknold himself back this notion further, relaying how the earlier albums were driven by more youthful confidence and optimism, and vulnerability that he wanted to share, only to feel like he had exposed too much and would experience exploitation and self doubt due to their rapid success. The later albums reflect this, becoming more experimental, with range and tone, but while the lyrics become more personal and referential to his own experiences, they also become more obscure for that same fact too. And, of course, dealing with the nexus that most creatives suffered through during the pandemic and the presidency that occupied it. Having this book helps provide more context for the inspiration and references he makes throughout his work, and may provide a small roadmap to other literature that fellow Fleet Foxes fans can discover themselves.
November 18, 2022
the quintessential anthem of the pacific northwest
December 31, 2022
And this is how I came to love Fleet Foxes with even more admiration, affection and awe!
This lyrics collection is annotated by Robin Pecknold and his notes are funny, honest, sarcastic and poignant. He offers insights into his writing process, evolution as a songwriter and human being, triumphs and mistakes, the band’s beginnings and their path to the stars.
Reading the book accompanied by listening to the band’s discography is the only way to experience it properly. I am happy to have spent my December 31 afternoon with such an astonishing musical closure.
This lyrics collection is annotated by Robin Pecknold and his notes are funny, honest, sarcastic and poignant. He offers insights into his writing process, evolution as a songwriter and human being, triumphs and mistakes, the band’s beginnings and their path to the stars.
Reading the book accompanied by listening to the band’s discography is the only way to experience it properly. I am happy to have spent my December 31 afternoon with such an astonishing musical closure.
December 13, 2022
Could I please give this 6 stars?
It’s hard to describe how important Fleet Foxes’ music is to me. Robin, you are a lyrical genius. Thank you for this gift. Highly recommend reading first as a poem, then again as you listen to each song. Magic!
It’s hard to describe how important Fleet Foxes’ music is to me. Robin, you are a lyrical genius. Thank you for this gift. Highly recommend reading first as a poem, then again as you listen to each song. Magic!
November 19, 2022
an absolute treasure for fleet foxes fans and my most enjoyable reading experience in I-don’t-know-how-long. it illuminated so many of my favorite songs with both humor and gravity. I turned the last page feeling unbelievably, cringingly grateful to the universe for acquainting me with this band :)
June 28, 2023
For someone who has only recently discovered the music of Fleet Foxes, this was an absolute delight to read, and virtually impossible to do without listening along to the songs as you do so. Even the footnotes are as poetic as the lyrics, but I was left craving more of them. Regardless though of wether you understand them fully or not, within lie words that can't help but put a smile on your face.
March 1, 2023
i love robin pecknold so much it's embarrassing.
May 18, 2023
mr robin pecknold.... hand in marriage? please?
June 4, 2023
sunlight over me no matter what i do ;____; i think robin DID solve for the meaning of life actually (orchards)
December 13, 2023
Read veraciously over two sittings!! I was initially disappointed to see the annotations were rather sparse and relegated to footnotes. But I really loved getting to read the lyrics while humming the melodies in my head. The footnotes then served as a peek into where Robin was at mentally/physically/professionally/musically when writing the songs, and that gave a deepening sense of lore rather than over-explaining the meaning behind every metaphor. Though the curious archivist in me loves the exercise turning over ever word and line, I found this form of lyrical coloring and appreciation just as rewarding. Not to mention it’s also a very pretty book, the cover, art, and composition of the lyrics and footnotes on the pages makes for an aesthetically pleasing piece to leave out in the house to spark conversation.
September 2, 2023
How could I not love it? I read this by listening to the song and reading the lyrics at the same time — then when the song finished I’d read Robin’s footnotes. It was very pleasing to this fan to learn the intricacies of all Fleet Foxes songs. And I certainly hope, say 10 years down the road, I’ll be reading another one of these.
Read
December 7, 2023Feels weird to give this a rating but this was definitely worth the splurge purchase from the Sub Pop store in SEA earlier this year. I devour anything Brandon Taylor writes, including this short essay introduction about the power of music in general and Fleet Foxes’ specifically
June 27, 2024
As a Fleet Foxes fan, couldn’t ask for more. Privileged to have these insights into the songwriting process.
December 10, 2022
What that guy said in the review below - yes. Fucking fantastic. This book was put together brilliantly. I initially thought I’d piece through it in no particular order as I have with other musician’s lyric books, but after reading the introduction I realized this was different. Organized chronologically by album release, each album acts as it’s own chapter while the collection tells a story.
Robin Pecknold added footnotes for each song, which gives this sense that you’re in on a secret with him. The notes made me laugh, marvel, and wonder. As he mentioned in the Afterward, “To me, a song is ‘good’ if it is asking interesting questions.” He later added, “It’s much more fulfilling to me to seek new questions than to rely on old answers.”
There are so many beautiful questions posed in these albums, and this book, whether lyrically or instrumentally. It felt personal - learning more about Robin’s inspiration behind these songs. While also, there still is much space left for interpretation. This, I think, is what makes beautiful art.
Thank you for this dear book, Robin!
Robin Pecknold added footnotes for each song, which gives this sense that you’re in on a secret with him. The notes made me laugh, marvel, and wonder. As he mentioned in the Afterward, “To me, a song is ‘good’ if it is asking interesting questions.” He later added, “It’s much more fulfilling to me to seek new questions than to rely on old answers.”
There are so many beautiful questions posed in these albums, and this book, whether lyrically or instrumentally. It felt personal - learning more about Robin’s inspiration behind these songs. While also, there still is much space left for interpretation. This, I think, is what makes beautiful art.
Thank you for this dear book, Robin!
November 27, 2022
I recommend reading the lyrics and footnotes with the respective songs playing at the same time. Lovely experience to notice certain lines for the first time even though you might have listened to them dozens of times. The combination of lyrics + music + background/context is the best way to read this book. Additionally, you can then stretch the enjoyment of it into however long a careful listen will take you. The footnotes—the star of the show here—are an incredible delight, especially the bit emphasising that White Winter Hymnal is NOT about decapitation (haha). I wish there were more footnotes (even though I do realise the author included only as much as there was to say). I’m always particularly hungry for context. I’m looking forward to investigating the referenced musicians and writers, always a treat to check out the things that contributed to other things (that I like) being now the way they are. I’ve had a very pleasant weekend thanks to this read plus I re-listened to the entire Fleet Foxes discography. As a treat.
May 7, 2024
I can't rate a book of song lyrics but obviously I wouldn't even be reading a bound set of song lyrics unless I adored the band. And so—if you love Fleet Foxes as I do, here you go. Some extra loveliness.
December 26, 2022
What if a book that’s not supposed to be that deep ends up being really deep?
A very reflective book- the short footnotes tell stories about Robin Pecknold’s life, and the lessons he has taken away so far.
I learned that it is okay to not have everything figured out, as Robin’s struggle throughout the first few albums was the fear of borrowing from other artists and the fact that many of the songs he’d written didn’t have lyrical meaning.
I actually like the fact that many of these songs aren’t as deep as listeners may think— for example, I mostly listen to songs for the music and not the lyrics. Fleet Foxes is a band that I have been listening to regularly for over a year, yet most of the songs in this book I didn’t really know any of the lyrics to even though I know the instrumentation and music so well. I was able to relate my unknowingness of the lyrics to the fact that Robin didn’t really know what he was writing about either. Instead he is more of a sonical artist, as I am a soncial listener. Is sonical a word?
I love the question format of the footnotes- Robin was really vulnerable about not knowing all of the answers and not always feeling like he knew what he was doing which I could really relate to. Near the end of the book in the footnote for “Going-to-the-Sun-Road,” I was surprised to see that Robin has never actually visited this place, but instead it’s a dream road trip that he’s saving for a perfect time. And I too have never visited Glacier National Park but I still love the imagery of the song and hope for a perfect day like the one described in the song. I think Robin Pecknold and I are alike in many ways.
If I were to get a part two, I would love to see more in-depth songwriting analysis of the lyrics and how he came up with them. Fleet Foxes’ lyrics are very unique. I would’ve also loved to see a page for “In The Morning” (which I actually discovered a few weeks ago because I accidentally skipped over it in the discography. I guess that’s another way the book and I align.)
I felt a really deep connection to this book and I’m glad I read it in one sitting because I was able to experience many thoughts and reflections on life. Going forward, I’m going to try to live with no regrets (in the sense of forgiving myself for regrets and not making life too deep.) Robin Pecknold should give himself more credit for his songwriting talent—although I can fully imagine myself in his perspective, of having regrets but being able to forgive yourself in time, and looking back at life as if it tells a story.
A very reflective book- the short footnotes tell stories about Robin Pecknold’s life, and the lessons he has taken away so far.
I learned that it is okay to not have everything figured out, as Robin’s struggle throughout the first few albums was the fear of borrowing from other artists and the fact that many of the songs he’d written didn’t have lyrical meaning.
I actually like the fact that many of these songs aren’t as deep as listeners may think— for example, I mostly listen to songs for the music and not the lyrics. Fleet Foxes is a band that I have been listening to regularly for over a year, yet most of the songs in this book I didn’t really know any of the lyrics to even though I know the instrumentation and music so well. I was able to relate my unknowingness of the lyrics to the fact that Robin didn’t really know what he was writing about either. Instead he is more of a sonical artist, as I am a soncial listener. Is sonical a word?
I love the question format of the footnotes- Robin was really vulnerable about not knowing all of the answers and not always feeling like he knew what he was doing which I could really relate to. Near the end of the book in the footnote for “Going-to-the-Sun-Road,” I was surprised to see that Robin has never actually visited this place, but instead it’s a dream road trip that he’s saving for a perfect time. And I too have never visited Glacier National Park but I still love the imagery of the song and hope for a perfect day like the one described in the song. I think Robin Pecknold and I are alike in many ways.
If I were to get a part two, I would love to see more in-depth songwriting analysis of the lyrics and how he came up with them. Fleet Foxes’ lyrics are very unique. I would’ve also loved to see a page for “In The Morning” (which I actually discovered a few weeks ago because I accidentally skipped over it in the discography. I guess that’s another way the book and I align.)
I felt a really deep connection to this book and I’m glad I read it in one sitting because I was able to experience many thoughts and reflections on life. Going forward, I’m going to try to live with no regrets (in the sense of forgiving myself for regrets and not making life too deep.) Robin Pecknold should give himself more credit for his songwriting talent—although I can fully imagine myself in his perspective, of having regrets but being able to forgive yourself in time, and looking back at life as if it tells a story.
March 27, 2024
'Wading in Wasit-High Water' is the spectacular collection of lyrics across Fleet Foxes' entire category.
This band's work is one of the most important creative influences in my life, both musically and lyrically. Never before have I found art that guides me in the same way, art that pierces through my soul and tears me apart and exposes elements of my own curiosity and sorrow and passion so accurately.
Every piece from the EP 'Sun Giant', the earlier folk albums 'Fleet Foxes' and 'Helplessness Blues' to the more recent experimental records 'Crack-Up' and 'Shore' masterfully details the facets of emotional expression and are brilliant testaments to honest human experience. Every song, even those that are merely instrumental, follow a narrative of some sort and are interwoven with magic.
To speak of their sonical wonderland is a seperate conversation to their lyrical landscape and this book uproots the language without its musical companion. This creates an entirely different experience and Pecknold's songs rather read as poems. Both the introduction and afterword express this sentiment better than I could - the intimacy and expertise with which the band writes.
Reading the lyrics on their own fabricates a richer relationship with the band's musical universe and the only thing I wished this book had were more footnotes! Some songs were robust in their analytical commentary and others had only few remarks. I would love to know more behind the process, intentions and hidden meanings.
Nonetheless, I would undeniably recommend this read to aspiring artists of any kind, especially musicians and certainly to Fleet Foxes fans as it truely is an absolutely magnificent oeuvre.
This band's work is one of the most important creative influences in my life, both musically and lyrically. Never before have I found art that guides me in the same way, art that pierces through my soul and tears me apart and exposes elements of my own curiosity and sorrow and passion so accurately.
Every piece from the EP 'Sun Giant', the earlier folk albums 'Fleet Foxes' and 'Helplessness Blues' to the more recent experimental records 'Crack-Up' and 'Shore' masterfully details the facets of emotional expression and are brilliant testaments to honest human experience. Every song, even those that are merely instrumental, follow a narrative of some sort and are interwoven with magic.
To speak of their sonical wonderland is a seperate conversation to their lyrical landscape and this book uproots the language without its musical companion. This creates an entirely different experience and Pecknold's songs rather read as poems. Both the introduction and afterword express this sentiment better than I could - the intimacy and expertise with which the band writes.
Reading the lyrics on their own fabricates a richer relationship with the band's musical universe and the only thing I wished this book had were more footnotes! Some songs were robust in their analytical commentary and others had only few remarks. I would love to know more behind the process, intentions and hidden meanings.
Nonetheless, I would undeniably recommend this read to aspiring artists of any kind, especially musicians and certainly to Fleet Foxes fans as it truely is an absolutely magnificent oeuvre.
July 4, 2023
Last year I saw Fleet Foxes on tour, touring their latest album ‘Shore’, and on the ride home I thought “I wish someone would release a book with all their lyrics written down because they are so beautiful and intricate”, just to find out that they actually did this!
Of course for any Fleet Foxes fan, this is incredible, but for those interested in art and poetry and the meaning of life there’s lots of great stuff in here too. Robin Pecknold takes a look back at all the songs he’s written over the years and reflects not just on the lyrics, but on who he was when he wrote them.
Of course for any Fleet Foxes fan, this is incredible, but for those interested in art and poetry and the meaning of life there’s lots of great stuff in here too. Robin Pecknold takes a look back at all the songs he’s written over the years and reflects not just on the lyrics, but on who he was when he wrote them.
November 24, 2022
As an avid listener to Fleet Foxes for many years this book was bound to happen at some point, and I’m very happy it did. With incredible wisdom and humor to match this book is a necessity for any Fleet Foxes listener who is wondering just what was going on while some of their favorite songs were being written and/or what the thoughts were behind their most treasured lyrics. These guys have written some of my most favorite songs and I will continue to be a fan forever!!
December 7, 2023
I love Fleet Foxes with every fiber of my being so I gently enjoyed this. I only gave it four stars because I expected more. I thought it would be more like the genius website where robin would be explaining what the lyrics mean. Instead it was just footnotes with just some explanation behind the creation of the song. Some songs only had 1 short footnote and that was disappointing. It left me wanting more.
November 26, 2022
‘If a bottle of water in a freezer is clean enough, the water will remain liquid; to initiate the freezing process, ice crystals need a speck of dust or other impurity to attach to. Similarly, in finding lyrics, there’s usually one word or phrase that floats in, sticks, and catalyzes a chain reaction.’
December 28, 2022
4.5 stars
If you're a Fleet Foxes fan, this is a must-read. The introduction by Brandon Taylor is fantastic, and the annotated lyrics were by turns hilarious and insightful. I won't spoil anything. My only complaint is that I would have enjoyed a few more notes per song, but I appreciated these select nuggets nonetheless.
If you're a Fleet Foxes fan, this is a must-read. The introduction by Brandon Taylor is fantastic, and the annotated lyrics were by turns hilarious and insightful. I won't spoil anything. My only complaint is that I would have enjoyed a few more notes per song, but I appreciated these select nuggets nonetheless.
March 18, 2023
Helplessness Blues was the soundtrack to my life as an underemployed millennial in Seattle in the early 2010s, and if you're anything like me, this book is a must-read. Sometimes Pecknold only produces a single sentence about a tune in his discography but they're almost always poignant and insightful and occasionally hilarious.
April 26, 2024
A bit of a niche book. I was surprised that many of the lyrics I had put so much meaning into were the result of finding words that fit a first pass of gibberish vocalization. Pecknold makes very sure that we know that he is not a writer, but might not good writing be kind of similar? You set up a constriction and then let the story carry on by itself
May 22, 2024
A delectable treasure trove of insight into some of my favorite songs in the world. The music of Fleet Foxes has been a huge part of my life since early high school, over a decade ago, and continues to be a crucial body of work that has enhanced my adult life more than words can say. Thank you for your music, Robin.
January 3, 2023
As Taylor writes in his introduction, "the songs of Fleet Foxes have the look and feel of mid-century American poems."
To read these annotated lyrics—sans music—reveals Pecknold as honest, humble, and hilarious; he's a master songwriter who continues to hone his craft.
To read these annotated lyrics—sans music—reveals Pecknold as honest, humble, and hilarious; he's a master songwriter who continues to hone his craft.
January 3, 2023
Though I might be biased because I am quite familiar with Fleet Foxes songs and lyrics, I think anyone would like this book. Besides the well-written introduction and the witty informative annotations for the songs, the consolidated lyrics hold their own as beautiful prose to read.
September 10, 2023
As a die-hard Fleet Foxes fan (!!0.005%!! of listeners on Spotify for several years in a row, DON’T PLAY WITH ME) as well as collector of poetry, this was a natural addition to my library… but the footnotes and commentary are genuinely insightful and unexpectedly funny!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews