Hanging Tree

Album: Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings (2008)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Written by frontman Adam Duritz and guitarist Dan Vickrey, this is the second track from the band's fifth studio album.
  • According to Duritz, the lyrics have a dual meaning: they both chronicle the angst that he felt after losing his grandmother, and they also describe the way that we all drift away from others on an everyday basis to the point where it no longer seems noticeable.
  • Just like several other songs on the same album, like "Sundays" and "Insignificant," the lyrics contain imagery pertaining to the Greek myth of Icarus: "I got a pair of wings for my birthday and I’ll fall down through the sun this evening," is just an example.
  • The discordant sound heard at the very end of the song was made by tossing a harmonica into some piano wires.
  • Duritz once said that he would have much rather have had either this or "When I Dream of Michelangelo" be the lead single off of the album, as they better represent the album thematically, as opposed to "You Can't Count On Me." >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Alec Thorp - Yorktown Heights, NY, for above 4

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman Jack

Have Mercy! It's Wolfman JackSong Writing

The story of the legendary lupine DJ through the songs he inspired.

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top Proverb

How "A Rolling Stone Gathers No Moss" Became Rock's Top ProverbSong Writing

How a country weeper and a blues number made "rolling stone" the most popular phrase in rock.

AC/DC

AC/DCFact or Fiction

Does Angus really drink himself silly? Did their name come from a sewing machine? See if you can spot the real stories about AC/DC.

Rick Astley

Rick AstleySongwriter Interviews

Rick Astley on "Never Gonna Give You Up," "Cry For Help," and his remarkable resurgence that gave him another #1 UK album.