Horseshoe Crabs
| "Horseshoe Crabs" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Hop Along | |
| from the album Painted Shut | |
| Genre | Indie rock, country, sentimental ballad[1] |
| Lyricist | Frances Quinlan |
"Horseshoe Crabs" is a song by American indie rock band Hop Along. It appears as the third track on their third album Painted Shut.[2][3][4] Pitchfork cited the track as the best on the album.[1] Pennsylvania-based magazine Philadelphia recommended the track as a suitable introduction for listeners unfamiliar with the band.[5]
The song is noted for its dark and "haunting" feel. WXPN stated that the song's melody "perfectly accompanies the lyrics of loss illustrated through the lens of childhood memories about summertime adventures."[6] Pitchfork described the song as stylistically a "country-ish ballad".[1]
Background and lyrics
The song's lyrics were inspired by the life and tragic experiences of American folk musician Jackson C. Frank.[7][8][9] This particular musician lost several classmates during an explosion at an elementary school he attended, which left him with burns on his body. Later in life, he lost vision in one of his eyes after being inadvertently shot while resting on a park bench. The musician was also schizophrenic and spent part of his life homeless and in psychiatric hospitals. He ultimately abandoned music after moving back in with his parents. Lyricist Frances Quinlan recalled learning about the musician's life: "I just heard one of his songs on a Pandora station, and it was a really moving piece called 'Tumble in the Wind'. I looked into his story, and it was one of the saddest things I read in a while."[10]
References
- 1 2 3 Powell, Mike. "Hop Along: Painted Shut". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ "Album Review: Hop Along - "Painted Shut"". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ Sheffield, Rob (2015-05-05). "Hop Along 'Painted Shut' Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ Fox, Jesse David (2015-05-08). "Is This the Best Voice in Rock Music Today?". Vulture. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ Alderfer, Kelly (2016-05-29). "6 Philly Bands and Musicians to Listen to Right Now". Philadelphia Magazine. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ "Unlocked: The Key's review of Painted Shut by Hop Along". WXPN | Vinyl At Heart. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ Scarpelli, Leah (2015-05-05). "Hop Along's 'Painted Shut' Invokes Two Mysterious Musicians". NPR. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ McPherson, Steve (2015-06-03). "» Q&A: Hop Along's Frances Quinlan on the Band's New Album and the Art of Storytelling in Indie Rock". grantland.com. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ Katzif, Michael. "Hop Along: 'It's Fun To Freak Out' | WNYC Studios | Podcasts". WNYC Studios. Retrieved 2026-07-24.
- ↑ Seling, Megan (2016-05-12). "Hop Along's Frances Quinlan talks about her band's emotionally heavy new LP". Nashville Scene. Retrieved 2026-07-24.