Battery Kinzie

Album: Helplessness Blues (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • This track premiered on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 show on March 22, 2011. The song title refers to Battery Kinzie, a concrete Endicott Period Battery located on Fort Worden, Washington. The Battery was completed in 1910 and transferred to the Coastal Artillery for use on January 10, 1912 at a total cost of $207,832.50. It was named after Civil War veteran BG David Hunter Kinzie, who died in 1904. The guns were dismounted in 1944 toward the end of World War II.
  • You may be wondering why the Fleet Foxes titled this tune after an artillery structure. The explanation is that frontman Robin Pecknold retreated to the disused coastal defense post where the Battery is situated in summer 2009 to write songs for the album and this is one of the tunes that he penned during his sojourn.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Actors With Hit Songs

Actors With Hit SongsMusic Quiz

Many actors have attempted music, but only a few have managed a hit. Do you know which of these thespians charted?

Keith Reid of Procol Harum

Keith Reid of Procol HarumSongwriter Interviews

As Procol Harum's lyricist, Keith wrote the words to "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." We delve into that song and find out how you can form a band when you don't sing or play an instrument.

Song Titles That Inspired Movies

Song Titles That Inspired MoviesSong Writing

Famous songs that lent their titles - and in some cases storylines - to movies.

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' Albums

We Will Rock You (To Sleep): Pop Stars Who Recorded Kids' AlbumsSong Writing

With the rise of Kindie rock, more musicians are embracing their inner child with tunes for tots - here, we look at pop stars who recorded kids' albums.

JJ Burnel of The Stranglers

JJ Burnel of The StranglersSongwriter Interviews

JJ talks about The Stranglers' signature sound - keyboard and bass - which isn't your typical strain of punk rock.

The End Of The Rock Era

The End Of The Rock EraSong Writing

There are no more rock stars - the last one died in 1994.