Song · The Decemberists
“The Rake's Song” by The Decemberists
From the album The Hazards of Love (2009)
“The Rake's Song” by The Decemberists appears on 7 radio countdowns from 6 stations between 2009 and 2026. It was first released in 2009 on the album The Hazards of Love. Its best result is #7 on the WRNR Top 104 Songs of 2009. In the combined RockLists rankings it is the #334 alternative song of 2009.
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Video from YouTube (Rough Trade Records). Pressing play loads YouTube's player. Watch on YouTube
"The Rake's Song" hands the microphone to the villain of The Hazards of Love, the Decemberists' fifth album, a 2009 rock opera released through Capitol and Rough Trade. The record spins one story from start to finish: Margaret falls for William, a shape-shifter from the boreal forest, while his jealous mother, the Forest Queen, and the wicked Rake stir up trouble. Colin Meloy wrote the song and voices the Rake himself.
It charges like a stampede, with three people credited on drums, Jenny Conlee, Chris Funk and John Moen, Funk and Moen also on percussion and extra vocals, Nate Query on electric bass and Meloy on acoustic guitar. Shara Nova, the album's Forest Queen, turns up as a guest. Tucker Martine recorded and mixed it and produced it with the band.
Written with AI assistance from RockLists chart data, MusicBrainz.
RockLists rankings
Alternative & Modern Rock
Indie & Adult Alternative
All Rock Formats
Year-end countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 30 | KSLG Eureka (Humboldt County), CA | KSLG Top 94 of 2009 | 94 |
| 2009 | 7 | WRNR 103.1 Annapolis, MD | WRNR Top 104 Songs of 2009 | 104 |
| 2009 | 61 | WTMD Baltimore, MD | WTMD Top 89 Songs of 2009 | 89 |
| 2009 | 22 | WXPN Philadelphia, PA | WXPN Year in Review: Top 100 Songs of 2009 | 100 |
| 2009 | 8 | The Current Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN | The Current Top 89 Songs of 2009 | 89 |
All-time and decade countdowns
| Year | # | Station | Countdown | of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 125 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs of the 21st Century | 1055 |
| 2026 | 601 | The Colorado Sound | The Colorado Sound Top 1055 Songs You Discovered on The Colorado Sound | 1055 |
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