Dear Avery

Album: The King Is Dead (2011)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • The heartbreaking ballad features just Colin Meloy's voice accompanied by acoustic guitar. The singer explained to Spin magazine that this track is about the Iraq War and how parents are affected when their children are shipped off to battle. "I imagine it being a letter sent from a mother to a solider," he said. "I was reading a lot about soldiers and the war and their parents back home — having a kid myself, it just made me really mindful of that relationship."

Comments: 1

  • Eric from Richmond, KyI like to imagine this song is about a little boy writing to his missing or deceased dog.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Alice Cooper

Alice CooperFact or Fiction

How well do you know this shock-rock harbinger who's been publicly executed hundreds of times?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?

Which Restaurants Are Most Mentioned In Song Lyrics?Song Writing

Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs.

Adam Duritz of Counting Crows

Adam Duritz of Counting CrowsSongwriter Interviews

"Mr. Jones" took on new meaning when the song about a misguided view of fame made Adam famous.

Don Felder

Don FelderSongwriter Interviews

Don breaks down "Hotel California" and other songs he wrote as a member of the Eagles. Now we know where the "warm smell of colitas" came from.

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"

Billy Steinberg - "Like A Virgin"They're Playing My Song

The first of Billy's five #1 hits was the song that propelled Madonna to stardom. You'd think that would get you a backstage pass, wouldn't you?

Evolution Of The Prince Symbol

Evolution Of The Prince SymbolSong Writing

The evolution of the symbol that was Prince's name from 1993-2000.