Colorado trio Whippoorwill took their name from a bird they heard in Texas.
Texas is a recurring theme in music referencing Whip-poor-wills, though the bird has a marginal presence in the state. It migrates through in early spring, occasionally calling as it does. (This is a post for another day.)
In Whippoorwill’s case, they heard the bird at a porch-picking party at SXSW 2013 in Austin. The timing – the second week of March – seems better for a Common Poorwill than the Eastern Whip-poor-will, according to eBird data.
But the band hasn’t only taken the bird’s name. They also reference it, in their lovely song, “Martindale.”
The song touches on fairly standard themes associated with the bird — love, loss, and loneliness, mainly. And this is particularly true in the lyric in which the bird appears.
“It was a still and silent early morning
Just outside of Martindale
You know that Whip-poor-will she cried all night
She cried to no avail.”
Whip-poor-will’s sing to attract a mate. There’s some evidence, too, that those who’ve lost a mate sing more vigorously. In “Martindale,” the singing makes no difference.
“Because the morning came anyway
Seemed the same but it all had changed
You know my daddy used to say,
‘Don’t lose trust, cause you’ll never get it back.’
“Martindale” is written by Whippoorwill’s Alysia Kraft. Visit https://www.helloiamalysiakraft.com/ for more of Kraft’s music.
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