Friday Lyricals

Fridays will be song lyrics breakdowns.
Now, today, I'm getting started a little late. So next Friday might have a little more indepth.

This week's song is: Sun in an Empty Room - The Weakerthans. And it is from the Reunion Tour Album.

Now that the furniture's returning to its goodwill home
With dishes and last week's paper
Rumors and elections,
Crosswords, our unending wars
The black on our fingers smeared the ink on every door pulled shut
Now that the last month's rent is scheming with the damage deposit

Best line of this chorus is the last one. I always imagine the rent check "scheming" with the deposit like two crooks in a darkened bar.
Runner up is the first one. I have 99% goodwill furniture.

Take this moment to decide (sun in an empty room)
If were meant it, if we tried (sun in an empty room)
Or felt around for far too much (sun in an empty room)
For things that accidentally touch (sun in an empty room)

I think this is the prettiest part. The (part in parenthesis) is killer.
Also good is the "for things we accidentally touch. I can feel what he's saying there, but it isn't as clear as the next chorus.

Hands that we nearly hold with pennies for the GST
The shoulders we lean our shoulders into on the subway, mutter an apology
The shins that we kick beneath the table, that reflexive cry
The faces we meet one awkward beat too long and terrified

So good. I can sing this all day long.

Know the things we need to say (sun in an empty room)
And said already anyways (sun in an empty room)
By parallelograms of light (sun in an empty room)
On walls that we repainted white (sun in an empty room)

This makes me think of the car lights sliding across my childhood bedroom.

Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room
Sun in an empty room

SUUNNNNNN IN AN EMPTY ROOOOOOOOMM!!!!!

Take eight minutes and divide (sun in an empty room)
By ninety million lonely miles (sun in an empty room)
Watch his shadow cross the floor (sun in an empty room)
We don't live here anymore (sun in an empty room)

This is the best part of the song. I remember well the first time I really listened to the words and realized that the sun is that far away, and it takes the light to get here.

This is one of my favorite Weakerthans songs. Which is saying a lot. Especially if you consider that this is off of their newest and 4th album. I can't speak highly enough of this band and the friends that I have that share the EXACT same sentiment.
You can check out the 'weakerthans' tag for more goodness.

weakerthans

the weakerthans show was amazing. best show ever. better than that yellowcard show where they played 3 encores and broke the speakers.

they played all our favorite songs. they emoted with us*. the two sets leading up to the weakerthans were both good. i didn't know their songs but i knew that would change when the main act came on.

as you can see --> i totally got a set list. i'm going to make a cd of the songs they played. when they played "civil, sun, and then night"- i freaking lost my shit. i was like a 11 year old girl getting to touch hannah montana's hair.

we left nac at 5 and i made a land-speed record time to the show. we got there at pretty much 8. plenty of time to get up front and have a few drinks. we even got to say hi to my dad and sam's dad in passing. that was cool. and look! they did both cat songs!!

check out an interview with john (who was so badass and cool. after the show i went to the back and watched them pack and sign autographs. he was humble and cool to be around)


the drive home was less record setting. we went to eat at cafe brazil and then headed back to nac. not getting in until around 5. in c-dog's words this morning "you can't keep this up! you're going to crash sometime..."

i'm 50/50 on whether or not i should goto the show in austin. i'm not sure i can make another night, longer even than last night. but the feeling at the show was so intense.
fuck that. i never crash.

that being said however, zzzZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzz


*us being me and Dru mostly. we knew every word to every song and we were more into it than anyone else has ever been or ever will be.

reunion tour

The best CD of the year is Reunion Tour by the Weakerthans.

The Weakerthans are a band out of Canada with indie and punk influences. They use mellow instruments and deep lyrics to tell short stories that are almost often from the 1st person. I always see myself walking through the stories, however sad.
Every song reaches 35,000 ft., but two pierce the thin membrane of ozone and transcend into the cosmos. Civil twilight and Sun in an empty room. Catchy and deep. My favorite combo. In Sun in an Empty Room, I can see so clearly the empty apartment I used to live in and how it looked empty and bright. I think of all the things I meant back then. And how different I am now. How, if I could I would do things differently. And also, I like screaming "SUN IN AN EMPTY ROOOOOOOMMMMM" as soon as I get in the car.
In Civil Twilight, I hear more of the old Weakerthans than any other song. I love the line:

"And they bite their mitts off to show me transfers, deposit change
and I can't stop finding your face in their faces, all rearranged
and angry like you never were;"

Their last three installments are so prized to me that I was afraid of getting "punched in the dick".* He's so right too. Our favorite music is often followed by either a sell out album or something good, but not equal. I'm so relieved to be thrilled with these songs. I was similarly impressed with the newest Rilo Kiley album, but the Weakerthans have always held a higher spot on my heart's playlist than the ever smokin' hot Jenny Lewis.

If you ever have the chance to listen** to the Weakerthans, do it.

I'm going to go listen to the album now. I'll be thinking of you and how much I wish I didn't love angsty catchy music.


*Dude, after the Say Anything cd punched me in the dick, this fucking rules. So fucking good man, so good. -max
**really listen I mean
***http://www.bandoftheday.com/TheWeakerthans/interview.html