Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect (2002) – The Decemberists

Colin Meloy’s thin voice lacks mainstream appeal, but his songwriting skills—exemplified in “Here I Dreamt”—should be apparent to even the most casual of listeners. To reconcile a bevy of failed relationships, Meloy casts himself in anachronistic vignettes that impose inherent limitations upon romance: a soldier in Nazi-occupied Germany who answers first and foremost to his military duty; an architect commissioned to design a palace in 15th-century Venice whose services will no longer be needed upon completion; a Renaissance-era royal puppeteer in Spain who moonlights as a lothario. Meloy is resigned to star-crossed love, acknowledging the tenuous nature of his current relationship, foreshadowing its demise. His nomadic nature ensures that a clean break is always tacit, and perhaps always imminent. Tarry not, Colin. A stint as an ancient Roman artisan awaits.

Listen to "Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect" and purchase from iTunes Music Store.