Belly leader Tanya Donnely, who had played with her stepsister Kristin Hersh in Throwing Muses (the short-lived Rhode Island invasion of the '90s) and in The Breeders, was quoted in The Illinois Entertainer as saying this song was about commitment and respect. The metaphor is the tree that would be planted on large farms as a point of reference to getting around (the only tree sometimes). Because nothing would grow under the large tree, the family would be buried under it. Hence: "Take your hat off, boy when you're talking to me and be there when I feed the tree."
Written by Tanya Donnelly during a transitional moment in her career, "Feed The Tree" started off as a contender for a second Breeders album, but when Kim Deal committed to a long Pixies tour, Donnelly didn't want to wait around. She headed back to Rhode Island to form Belly, bringing bassist Fred Abong along with the understanding they'd just make one record. Spoiler: they made a few more.
In an interview with Uncut magazine, Donnelly revealed the song's quirky origin story. She'd been singing along to "Carolyn's Fingers" by the Cocteau Twins, but like many listeners, couldn't quite make out what Elizabeth Fraser was actually saying, so she improvised. Her made-up lyrics became the chorus to "Feed the Tree."
As for the meaning? Donnelly said the song is "about death," and that the title is literal - as in, you can literally be buried beneath a tree. "I think that's what I'm going to do," she said. The imagery is filled with bits of personal history too: riding a bike down stairs, silver teeth, and the "old man" as a symbol of the life cycle - possibly reincarnation. The lyric "take your hat off" is about respect, but the kind that has to be earned.
Guitarist Tom Gorman added another layer: "I think Tanya had this idea that in farms they would plant a tree to use as a reference point for ploughing," he said. "As they couldn't plant crops under the tree they'd put a graveyard there."
Paul McCartney - yes, that Paul McCartney - sent Donnelly a personal note congratulating her on the song. "Isn't that the sweetest?" she told Uncut. "I danced around my kitchen with delight. What a gentleman. I lost my mind."
The video for "Feed the Tree" was directed by Melodie McDaniel and leans hard into the song's earthy, mystical vibe. We see Tanya Donelly, singing with her signature mix of strength and vulnerability, while the rest of Belly perform in a small clearing in the woods. There's no heavy-handed narrative here, but McDaniel weaves in evocative close-ups, such as letters tacked to tree trunks, that give the video a slightly storybook feel. From: https://www.songfacts.com/facts/belly-us/feed-the-tree
