Wild Fields

Album: Crooked Wing (2025)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • "Wild Fields" is the sixth track on Crooked Wing, the 2025 return after a six-year gap of These New Puritans, comprising brothers Jack and George Barnett. The song title comes from an old historical name for the region now known as Ukraine.

    Jack Barnett told Uncut magazine it's not actually a song about the war torn country, "but you can't help but respond to what's around you." He cites William Blake as a role model for this kind of thing: able to talk about the political rumblings of his own day while simultaneously tackling concepts like eternity and paradise, as if the two were items on the same shopping list.
  • The track ends with the words "come down from crystal heavens above," which Jack Barnett revealed is a direct quotation from William Byrd's lament for his fellow 16th-century composer Thomas Tallis.

    When he Googled the reference to verify its accuracy, Barnett was bombarded with advertisements about crystal meth withdrawal.
  • Jack Barnett produced the song with Graham Sutton, who had previously worked on the band's acclaimed albums Hidden (2010) and Field of Reeds (2013). The track is steeped in the album's favored palette: organs, bells and pitched percussion.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Ralph Casale  - Session Pro

Ralph Casale - Session ProSongwriter Interviews

A top New York studio musician, Ralph played guitar on many '60s hits, including "Lightnin' Strikes," "A Lover's Concerto" and "I Am A Rock."

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete Blonde

Johnette Napolitano of Concrete BlondeSongwriter Interviews

The singer/bassist for Concrete Blonde talks about how her songs come from clairvoyance, and takes us through the making of their hit "Joey."

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Michael W. Smith

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Leslie West of Mountain

Leslie West of MountainSongwriter Interviews

From the cowbell on "Mississippi Queen" to recording with The Who when they got the wrong Felix, stories from one of rock's master craftsmen.

Graham Nash

Graham NashSongwriter Interviews

Graham Nash tells the stories behind some of his famous songs and photos, and is asked about "yacht rock" for the first time.