The Decemberists - The Infanta (from Picaresque)

[@Onigirli]

I was introduced to it from Mad Men. Such an out-of-place choice for the show but I loved it immediately anyway

[@multilingualmegan78]

Edriss Scofield I couldn't disagree more! It was perfect for the montage

[@trappnest4490]

Same

[@fryode]

Anachronistic, but not like plopping a flat screen TV in the middle of Don Draper's apartment. Reminds me of The Beatles in a lot of ways.

[@joseaugustodea.rabelo3793]

The same thing happened to me... It was love from the first sight!

[@sharongriffiths4796]

It was certainly a jolt - but intriguing. Matthew Weiner does nothing by accident.

[@bradley2572]

I haven't yet listened to the rest of Picaresque, but I'm not sure why people in these comments are not digging this song. I think it's fucking magnificent.

[@kasun_phoenix]

It is magnificent

[@NaboCane]

Magnificent is right.

[@MrShahid0072]

Haven't seen a single negative comment 🙄

[@OldieBones]

I hope you got around to listening to the rest of Picaresque!

[@dobeyhaden1232]

its a vocabulary lesson too

[@lukaweiss9147]

One of their most powerful songs,perfect to Open a concert

[@andrewkawam2603]

I'm reading the first 'Game of Thrones' book and can't get this song out of my head.

[@julgrafia]

I immediately thought of early Daenerys’ arc the first time I listened to it

[@MaquiladoraIII]

Reminds me a little, little bit of "Knights of Cydonia". And Space's "Begin Again".

[@BlueDragonArt]

I remember when Mom bought this...she'd read about Eli the Barrow Boy, then liked all the songs titles and bought the CD. I was in college at the time (and working at an Historic site), and she said I'd love it and bought a second copy for me. I love this band! Seen them three times in concert! They never fail to impress. Funny on stage, great music! Had to get all their back catalog after falling into love with this album :3 (Though I can't pick between this album, The Tain, Castaways and Cutouts, or The Crane Wife as a fave XD They're all great!)

[@cdubsoptional7849]

I've seen them in concert three times too. First time was on their fearful forest tour after they released The Crane Wife. That's the only time I saw them perform The Island, and it was beyond incredible.

[@BlueDragonArt]

@@cdubsoptional7849 Ah man! That would have been awesome! Glad to hear you got to see them, too! They're really great performers :3

[@swaggerbea4164]

Here she comes in her palanquin On the back of an elephant On a bed made of linen and sequins and silk All astride on her father's line With the king and his concubines And her nurse with her pitchers of liquors and milk And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta Among five score pachyderm Each canopied and passengered Sit the duke and the duchess' luscious young girls Within sight of the baronness Seething spite for this live largesse By her side sits the baron her barrenness barbs her And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta A phalanx on camelback Thirty ranks on a forward tack Followed close, their shiny bright standards a-waving While behind in their coach, in fours Ride the wives of the king of Moors And the veiled young virgin, the prince's betrothed And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta And as she sits upon her place Her innocence laid on her face From all atop the parapets blow a multitude of coronets Melodies rhapsodical and fair And all our hearts afire the sky ablaze with cannon fire We all raise our voices to the air To the air And above all this folderol On a bed made of chaparral She is laid, a coronal placed on her brow And the babe, all in slumber dreams Of a place filled with quiet streams And the lake where her cradle was pulled from the water And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta

[@hawthornleaf5909]

Beauteous. One of my favourites. I detect a hint of Kubla Khan in these lyrics...

[@UKAlanR]

@@hawthornleaf5909 good call...........I was wondering whether the lyricist was eulogising a painting or image from whatever culture this scene belongs in (Spain?)

[@shaileshsingh5664]

Came here from @MadMen great songs collection in Mad men. Kill Rock stars are great...

[@kristinmedica7229]

You know it’s going to be a great day when one praises the infanta first thing in the morning. THANK UOU C. Meloy and Co.

[@TheSpookychick]

What a gem.

[@ChristopherBingham-xx8xl]

This is such an amazing album opener and concert opener. The drums are awesome!

[@saberdogface]

Folderol and chapparal in same verse! Awesome.

[@kaitlynperta7213]

Best decemberists album ever.

[@shellshock5350]

I would have to disagree, but it is a great album! Best in my opinion is the hazards of love

[@pargen1]

Picaresque. For me their best as well!!

[@eek6329]

I loved crane wife

[@Brinta3]

I prefer The Cranewife

[@FabulousKilljoy]

Actually hard disagree. I love it, but not half as much as The Hazards of Love or the Crane Wife.

[@5crowstalking]

My daughter will ride on an elephants neck someday decrying her own phrases. Holding her own reins, a princess befitting her many praises.

[@andyandcallie]

This is the first and only song that has words I've never heard before! lol I need a vocabulary lesson to sing along here...

[@HisAngelsOfDeath-n1r]

He is the voice of the outer world, he will save us all, the witch will birth her, and well all come praise the infinta...

[@pauls7803]

Lyrics are quite astonishing

[@woohooinwonderland]

Totally love this song. Was just recently introduced to the DECEMBERISTS &getting to know them. Just saw the new Mad Max Fury Road movie, & this song fits perfectly. And also love the mispronunciation of Infanta. The way they say it, INfanta, is different from the Spanish word for princess, inFANtah, But it totally works here.

[@taylortimeless]

Thank you Mad Men

[@tokyobaystorechannel1538]

Don Drapper brought me here

[@cottnncandy]

Or the Mad Men women?? xD

[@tokyobaystorechannel1538]

INDEED!!!

[@mtdewramen]

+camilo ramirez Slacker Radio's station brought me here.

[@kasun_phoenix]

Betsy draper brought me here

[@Rory757]

Me too! But mostly 'cause I heard it and reminded me of R.E.M.'s The One I love. I think they draw inspiration from this song's chorus' melody.

[@AidenGrant-o2v]

My mom bought this album on vinyl a few years back…my god this is so fucken great

[@PalisadePeryton]

Never seen Mad Men, but if this really was featured in it, the writers of that show have some amazing taste. And we'll all come praise the Decemberists! 😁

[@Tejedu]

so peaceful

[@raz0n1]

The trial of Infanta Cristina (spanish monarchy) brought me here.

[@Guitarristandgoats]

Jajajaja venía por lo mismo, la han absuelto, todo en orden.

[@raz0n1]

Guitarristandgoats circulen todo en orden.

[@shaileshsingh8413]

awesome song Don draper brought me here but i am in love with this song now

[@markmeasinner]

this song’s vibe reminds me of knights of cydonia by muse, and (ba da ba ba ba) i’m loving it

[@greg5095]

It's the rolling drumbeat

[@AidenGrant-o2v]

Yeah totally gives me that vibe now that you say it

[@thestylishnihilist8039]

Did The Crane Wife just become my second favorite album???

[@JackSpicer-mi2jj]

Bill Stickers: Bob Reboot? Starting to Build on my Bridges… 👺 0:24 🍀 0:31 🫏🫏 0:43 E. 0:45

[@weavs90]

Old memories

[@SHDUStudios]

So damn good.

[@guitarmansam2661]

Raise our voices to the heir, to the aaaaaiiirrrr

[@kenscapes]

season 2 episode 7 [the women of mad men].

[@MultiDonkeyface]

kenscapes yep

[@BrainCarnage]

maidenform

[@ianhowlett4682]

Not sure what he’s really going on about, but a good song anyway.

[@drew7207]

It's actually a cool story. It tells the story of the coronation of the infanta (a celebration of life for the newly born daughter of the Spanish monarch). It sets the scene of cheering crowds, an angry baroness bitter about their own inability to have children, a visiting delegation including marches of elephants, visiting monarchs, etc. The narrator then tells you it's all foolishness. He knows something they don't. The child is actually a commoner, who was laid in a basket and set in the lake to be found.

[@ianhowlett4682]

@@drew7207 Good knowledge!

[@MaquiladoraIII]

Jesus. I always thought this song was song by Space. It really reminds me of "Begin Again".

[@fadeskywards1245]

Reminds me A LOT of Wovenhand!

[@michellejones253]

I have come for a Decemberist fix and some of the songs are blocked.....WTF

[@michellejones253]

I want to hear Shank kill butcher, culling, I have the cd's but I'm trying to hear it here

[@RoosterCogburn2112]

As close to a perfect song as mortal man can get

[@charleschambers7672]

What is the sound at the beginning of the song?

[@AnacreonSchoolbagsJr]

It's an elephant

[@charleschambers7672]

Jacob Goranson I recently heard it's a shofar horn, but I could be wrong

[@WJKPhD]

is this a period song? like Telstar or Brenda Lee?

[@andrewsheilds7528]

yeah, the decemberists do alot of period songs, from all over the timelines of Man.

[@biged359]

Sounds a lot like the Violent Femmes.

[@JackSpicer-mi2jj]

Hugh Axton be liek: 🍔, though… I cou-🃏⁉️ 2:40 2:41 STAND.. for Saku-💡 2:55 2:56 🕐⏰⏰ 3:00 and 3:01

[@johnadams6535]

Great keyboard player. I love the song, but I don’t understand it.

[@Brenooomaniezo]

Don Draper. WHAT. A. MAN.

[@marinagaughtblattz2879]

Five people have horrible taste.

[@AntiMTVMovement]

The beginning sounds like a carbon copy of 500 Miles by the Proclaimers.

[@largepurplemonkey]

AntiMTVMovement It really... 100%... f**king doesn't....at all... in any way, shape or form... in the entire spectrum of everything that is, was or ever shall be sound ANYTHING like the over-rated, heaped pile of tartan themed, camel scrotum flaked anal discharge that is 500 Miles by The Proclaimers.

[@AntiMTVMovement]

The beginning of it does sound like 500 Miles by the Proclaimers. Listen again.

[@nedwatson9026]

AntiMTVMovement Yes... but only the drum intro.

[@ItsSomeDeadGuy]

If by "the beginning", you mean "the first three notes", then sure. After that, it definitely doesn't sound like """"""""a carbon copy"""""""".

[@freebreadfriday]

And a quasi-clone of some distant REM song I can't quite remember!

[@J3n2468]

[@CameronClarkeOG]

fuck this song rules. What the hell happened to this band? They're so incredibly bland now. RIP.

[@nickrobson3158]

This album is superb but I have to admit Infanta really lets the album down so don't judge it on that! The Mariners Revenge song is immense.

[@MonstarMk3]

This is my favorite song on the album

[@Brinta3]

Nick Robson Infanta is one of the best songs of the album! It’s a perfect opener.

[@jaojao1768]

Duckcomicsrevue brought me here

[@mariogamefreak1]

Storm Dain brought me here

[@Owlpunk]

FYI: This is a feminist song.

[@bratsampson]

...so?

[@DarkSamers]

FYI: You should show evidence when making a claim.

[@marinagaughtblattz2879]

Yeah it is! ✊️🌸 #flowerpower

[@banklikefrankwhite1]

Samuel Twomey Good luck with that. Even the president makes ridiculous claims with nothing backing them up. No way we can expect internet ransoms to back up any of their claims. Watch for “but what about.....”

[@solarboy48]

No, it's just historical, like many of the songs the Decembrists create. They literally explained the meaning on stage.

[@DoctorGarkle]

Pretentious pseudointellectual white noise.

[@Crow_Bitch]

who cares it sounds good

[@plantehgpg4812]

Here she comes in her palanquin On the back of an elephant On a bed made of linen and sequins and silk All astride on her father's line With the king and his concubines And her nurse with her pitchers of liquors and milk And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta Among five score pachyderm Each canopied and passengered Sit the duke and the duchess' luscious young girls Within sight of the baronness Seething spite for this live largesse By her side sits the baron her barrenness barbs her And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta A phalanx on camelback Thirty ranks on a forward tack Followed close, their shiny bright standards a-waving While behind in their coach, in fours Ride the wives of the king of Moors And the veiled young virgin, the prince's betrothed And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta And as she sits upon her place Her innocence laid on her face From all atop the parapets blow a multitude of coronets Melodies rhapsodical and fair And all our hearts afire the sky ablaze with cannon fire We all raise our voices to the air To the air And above all this folderol On a bed made of chaparral She is laid, a coronal placed on her brow And the babe, all in slumber dreams Of a place filled with quiet streams And the lake where her cradle was pulled from the water And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta And we'll all come praise the infanta Oh Oh

[@Fenrisfly]

thanks

[@paulohalderic2322]

Thank you!