Donovan Woods - “Back For The Funeral”
Toronto, Canada-based singer-songwriter Donovan Woods arrives on our blog with “Back For The Funeral,” a dark, folksy tune co-written with Lori McKenna and Matt Nathanson.
“Back For The Funeral” opens to the gloriously intimate sounds of finger-plucked acoustic guitar, perfectly cast over the top of the rhythmic pulse, supplied by a subdued kick drum. Listeners do not have to wait long before Woods’ voice emerges, utilizing a soft delivery to issue a story about reconnecting with old friends amidst a harrowing tale of loss.
The arrangement remains quite sparse for the song’s duration, relying very heavily upon poignant lyrics that are bound to resonate deeply within your soul, likely rattling some old, forgotten emotions. The lyrics are profound and are more than worth the price of admission, particularly in lines like: “Somebody’s gotta die for us to call each other back.”
“Back For The Funeral” traverses the dark subject matter of returning to your hometown after a schoolmate’s suicide. Woods adds: “There's so much writing done about being back in your hometown and what it does to you… But there’s the idea that you only go there with bad news—which can be true—and what it does to your feelings about your hometown.”
This song will likely reveal some scars that have previously marked your spirit, and it is for this very reason that we have not been able to stop listening to it. Please join us in giving “Back For The Funeral” its fair share of spins as we anticipate the next release from Donovan Woods.