Lyrics from The Legionnaire's Lament

The Decemberists first formed in 2000 when Montana-native Colin Meloy moved to Portland and met fellow founding members Nate Query and Jenny Conlee. The group released their debut EP 5 Songs in 2001 then released their debut full-length Castaways and Cutouts on Portland based Hush Records. The album helped them find quick success among independent music circles for the band's quirky obsession with history and maritime themes, highly accessible song writing and theatrical, engaging live shows. Led by singer and chief songwriter Colin Meloy, the band's profile rose further with the release of 2003's Her Majesty the Decemberists and 2005's Picaresque on legendary Pacific Northwest label Kill Rock Stars. By the mid 2000s they were one of America's biggest indie success stories, and jumped to major label Capitol for their subsequent releases, 2006's Crane Wife, 2009's Hazard of Love and 2011's The King is Dead.