The Decemberists - Oh No! (Official Audio)

Official audio for "Oh No!" from The Decemberists' upcoming album, 'As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again,' out June 14th
Pre-Order / Pre-Save the album: orcd.co/aiewsiwba
See Upcoming Tour Dates: decemberists.com/tour
Lyrics:
It was on a wedding night
How they danced by the firelight
And the bride was well arrayed
By her fifteen chambermaids
As her father raised a toast
To the health of all the host
We descended from the apse
To bear witness to the whole collapse
And it’s oh no!
We’re jumped up and ready to go
Where do you think that the money comes from
Do you think it just naturally grows?
And it’s oh no!
We lurk at the end of the row
Listening for whistling, a bang from the drum
And it seems that we’ve caught you in tow
Between the devil and the devil you know
In the back of the bazaar
By the tramps and the muscle cars
We have gathered two by two
Just to figure out what to do
Pretty Saro’s a sotted mess
Gone and spoiled her party dress
All her suitors so entranced
Who will join her in the ambulance?
And it’s oh no!
I’m sure that you’d just love to know
But what will you do when the rumpus is done
And it’s time that we all were gone home?
And it’s oh no!
Kick up your heels in a row
A song that is sung where my people come from
And it’s best when it’s not sung alone
Between the devil and the devil you know
And it’s oh no!
Dash him in one final blow
Stick to the rackets, the heavy’s a hack
And he’s singing pianissimo
For the devil and the devil you know
When the casks have all run dry
And we’ve laid our knuckles by
Standing legless on the pews
Shouting curses to our union dues
Out beyond the city walls
In the grotesque mountain halls
There’s a darkness coming on
So it’s best I think we rambled on
And it’s oh no!
On to the next bloody show
You won’t feel so loose with a noose ‘round your neck
When those cold winter winds start to blow
And it’s oh no!
One more before we go
How can we ever get used to this dreck
‘Cause I’m sick and I want to go home
To the devil and the devil we know
To the devil and the devil we know
To the devil and the devil we know
© and ℗ YABB RECORDS, 2024

[@The_Sap_Lord]

Sounds like a story about crooks crashing a party due to the father not paying his dirty dues. Love it.

[@Chernobog34]

My brothers said this when we saw them here in NC, and I have to agree: this has very Squirrel Nut Zippers vibes and I'm all here for it.

[@hannaaxelsson3687]

Yes! It reminded me of "Hell" by them!

[@jackstraw262]

“Vibes” lol Idk I think the Decemberists lawyer might be hollering “oh no” about this one

[@OctopusOwl]

@@jackstraw262they’re both the same style and I’m here for it.

[@MatthewAaronn]

Look up The Love Me or Die by CW Stoneking

[@rateeightx]

I'm not familiar with Squirrel Nut Zippers, but I personally am getting Talking Heads vibes from this one.

[@Jackbotnik]

Definitely gives me an older Decemberists vibe! Really like it!

[@ShadowTheHedgehog2023]

EGGMAN!?

[@RogaineForEwoks]

Totally agree.

[@Musicarbs]

whoah latin beat

[@RogaineForEwoks]

@@Musicarbs makes me want to dance! And I hate dancing.

[@Musicarbs]

@@RogaineForEwoks We need to "make you better"

[@johnc.richardson2713]

Tears of joy that at least one of my favorite all-time bands is still putting out great music. 🍻

[@Greenbud272]

I heard this song once. Woke up the next day dreaming about it. Reminds me of the first time I heard the Decembist. Austin City Limits on PBS they've been my favorite band ever since. Love you guys!

[@trappleton]

Most bands, you just want them to play the hits. Great bands, you can't wait to hear the new stuff.

[@robjones823]

I could not disagree more with this comment. Their new shit sucks ass

[@jeyfromnowhere]

@@robjones823 Imagine feeling the need to comment this under someone who had the unmitigated gall to enjoy something.

[@peterberg8417]

If you're a real fan of music, you always want to hear a band play new stuff. Nothing is worse than Nostalgia in Music. It's stale, it's boring, it's regressive. It's sadly typical of people in 2024 but we can fight that if you keep pushing boundaries and trying new things. That's art

[@adeofbass]

A little tip of the Fedora to Tom Waits' 'Jockey Full Of Bourbon' right here. No bad thing 😅

[@heatherfield]

I'm instantly obsessed! Can't wait for the whole album to come out!

[@sashasmokes721]

Lets fucking gooo more decemberists ❤❤

[@DylanNes]

Instant classic

[@heilandgunner]

Wish you guys were doing more than one UK venue. You need to add a Scotland gig. It'd be a sell out for sure.

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

I saw them play this in D.C. last week and I've been obsessed with it ever since. When they did it live, it had Jenny doing an accordion solo instead of the horn solo that this has. I liked watching her play that (she is still looking great), but the horn solo is great too.

[@vividimagery000]

YOU WERE THERE ASWELL?? IT WAS GREAT

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

@@vividimagery000 yup. Me and my dad. We were standing close to the front row. He was happy that they played his favorite song (Shankill Butchers). We tried to get my sister to come but she was busy: I remain hopeful that my dad will refrain from telling her that they played The Queen's Rebuke. My sister is a big fan of Shara and would be sad to hear that she missed that (it may not have been Shara this time but I thought that woman, the one that they have now, nailed it). I was happy that we got to hear some new songs before most of the world did. We are one of the few shows where they did William Fitzwilliam. We are also one of the few shows where they didn't do All I Want is You, which makes me happy because I'm, not a huge fan of that one and every song they played was at least twice as good as that one. I was also pleasantly surprised to hear The Sporting Life and get some backstory on that one: what a relatable song that is. It was also funny to see him screw up 16 Military Wives: I actually like that because it makes him seem human. not afraid to make mistakes and admit to it. I've been to many concerts and seen many bands live. The Decemberists always have the best show. I previous saw them on The King is Dead tour at Meriweather, on the 2015 tour in Atlanta (my dad was living there at the time because he had a 1-year job, so we visited him and we saw them there. Normally we don't go to shows there, we go to shows in D.C. because that's where we all usually live), the 2018 show at The Anthem, and the show last week also at The Anthem. I also saw him solo at the Lincoln Theater 10 years ago. I also saw Nickel Creek, the regular band of Sara Watkins, who filled in for Jenny who was recovering from breast cancer the first time I saw them. The Nickel Creek show was awesome and gave me flashbacks to the first time I saw the Decemberists (Sara is incredible). And the Decemberists shows are always great. Seeing how great Jenny looks now and knowing that she did not die 10 years ago is also great... of course it also makes me wish that my mother had the same amount of luck with cancer, but I can be sad about that and also happy that we still have Jenny. I was looking at her most of the time when they did this song. Me and my dad were talking about how great she is. It's always one of the best shows out there.

[@sluckabaugh]

@@vividimagery000 why only 90 min show tho? :( a sweet 90 mins it was tho.

[@joemitchell8739]

I was supposed to be at the DC show but I got sick and had to miss it 😔

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

@@joemitchell8739 that's a shame. Feel better

[@erichimes3062]

“… I have water, I have rum. Wait for Dawn and dawn shall come…”

[@legend__33]

Extended version😀

[@royalqueenmidnight4847]

I love this!!! The Decemberists are my favorite band by far.

[@Gibsanity]

This song friggin rules I'm so hyped for this album

[@Pcrimson1]

Just saw them in New Haven. It's ashame real music and artists like this are not more appreciated!

[@Tyreinn]

either you can afford to go to your favorite artists show, or your favorite artist can afford to eat. you cannot have both

[@SHTMusik]

Yea!!! Classic Decemberists magic.

[@TheDbaru]

Heard this live last week. Great jam.

[@alexlorento8328]

Interesting sound. I like it.

[@allswift]

Really enjoy the horns in this one, especially at the Durham show.

[@cicadathegod8277]

Amazing.spectacular.

[@dbBrothersdb]

Yes.. love this ")

[@anastasiaboettcher8056]

Yay new music!!

[@bortsimpson4536]

I'm stoked for Rumpus at Rev Hall.

[@rtreynor]

Channelling Squirrel Nut Zippers' song "Hell"

[@GatileoGatilei]

Vamonos!!! 🎶

[@smadhavaerial]

Very very nice ❤

[@SpaceBoyTime]

Okay I feel like this is a song about a Mafia wedding. Two rival gangs marry their children, and then at the reception one of the two families shoots for the other. Killing each other, and the Bride. "The devil" is the other gang, and the "Devil you know" is someone within the family that betrayed them all and joined their rivals.

[@centralillinoisrailpix453]

"Better the devil you know, than the devil you don't"

[@gabriellymachado4763]

Loved it!

[@xrzeropoint7989]

The JAMberists!

[@DerekWrites]

That's more like it!

[@danplimmer3798]

This song is reminiscent of Narcos Corridos by Public Radio, not as danceable, though. Public Radio is on Spotify.

[@jamiemasters7401]

The Deskamberists

[@jeffhogg1f]

Oingo Boingo vibes

[@jonathanthomas7228]

I'm a metalhead. I typically don't think anything great has been recorded since the late 00s. Raleigh was my first show. Gf took me. Very, very impressed with your live performance. You should've finished with Revenge. Had it been a metal show, I would've rioted.

[@jackstraw262]

Nobody wants to hear revenge again, they were never playing it at every show for like 15 years straight. We all know the last song will be Joan in the garden, tbh it’s the most metal (in a prog way) song ever.

[@jonathanthomas7228]

@@jackstraw262 REVENGE!!!!

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

You mean the song with the kids' singing? I don't see how that would work since they had no kids onstage.

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

@@jackstraw262 I wouldn't mind them getting a chorus of kids to do that song again. That said, I wasn't expecting it at all. Then again, I wasn't expecting The Queen's Rebuke either. I got more than I expected and I was more than happy, as I always am after a Decemberists show.

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

@@jackstraw262 not all of us. Quite a few people at the D.C. show did not know the song. When I told them about it, they were surprised the show ended with a new song.

[@alyssahansen1400]

Sounds good.

[@syntheticsilkwood2206]

Wait can someone tell me what that bassline sounds similar to? Can't put my finger on it

[@WesPearsall]

You've probably heard it in a lot of places, this song is built on some fairly standard musical ideas (not a criticism!) For example, compare it to the Squirrel Nut Zippers' "Hell," which was itself riffing on much older pieces of music...

[@Scarfman4108]

The rhythm reminds me a lot of Tom Waits' "Jockey Full of Bourbon": kzbin.info/www/bejne/n6G0mJWBerBnqZI

[@davidbaise5137]

Not the Mothers of Invention “Oh No!”. This song sounds like the song “Hell” by the Squirrel Nut Zippers.

[@whiteyfisk7625]

Anyone else getting slight Tom Waits 'Jockey Full Of Bourbon' vibes? Anyways, album shaping up to be far better than their last couple of efforts, to my tastes at least.

[@rateeightx]

I wasn't familiar with that song before, But listening now, I can definitely hear it. Everyone's saying it sounds like "Hell" by the Squirrel Nut Zippers, but honestly "Jockey Full of Bourbon" is more similar to my ears.

[@InAHollowTree]

A red wedding you can dance to. 😁😄

[@IIAOPSW]

This isn't how I remember the Kool Aid man

[@michaelpfogerty]

Gypsy jazz 🎉

[@seandegidon4672]

"For as in the days before the Flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the Ark. They did not know it until the Flood came and swept them all away, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:38-39)

[@TravisCartee-se6hn]

Big mistake