Look for me another day.
I feel that I could change,
I feel that I could change.
There's a sudden joy that's like
a fish, a moving light;
I thought I saw it
rowing on the lakes of Canada

Oh laughing man, what have you won?
Don't tell me what cannot be done.
My little mouth, my winter lungs,
don't tell me what can't be done.

Walking in the circle of a flashlight
someone starts to sing, to join in.
Talk of loneliness in quiet voices.
I am shy but you can reach me.
Rowing on the lakes of Canada,
rowing on the lakes of Canada.

Oh laughing man, what have you won?
Don't tell me what cannot be done.
My little mouth, my winter lungs,
don't tell me what can't be done.

Look for me another time
Give me another day
I feel that I could change
look for me another time,
give me another day
i feel that i can change"
and you'll have in yourself a sky
give it another day
i feel that i could change"

Rowing on the lakes of Canada


Lyrics submitted by phobos258, edited by Kasikasi

The Lakes of Canada song meanings
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10 Comments

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  • +1
    General Comment

    absolutely beautiful song. man what a voice she has. her sound takes me to a very speical place in my head.

    what kind of rowing do you think shes talking about? shes from Canada and they do have some kick ass crew teams, think maybe shes a real rower?

    phobos258on October 06, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    one of my favorite songs of all time. many of their songs are about recognizing personal weaknesses and spiritual depravity, but at the same time knowing that there is a possibility for change (ie through god's help). my favorite lines are:

    "Talk of loneliness in quiet voices. I am shy but you can reach me."

    i find these words have a personal significance for me. their songs are often sad, but always hopeful.

    and they aren't from canada - i think they're from pennsylvania. i get the impression that the rowing is on a family vacation to canada (not competitive).

    mbisskyon January 27, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    The lakes of Canada are utterly gorgeous - Google "Lake Louise" if you've never seen one. Standing before them, I remember feeling such a feeling of open space and freedom, that there really was beauty in the world, that I could hardly believe such beauty existed.

    It makes sense, because I see this song as being about feeling trapped. The woman in the song has been abused or mistreated or just ignored - stuck in a pattern for so long that life barely seems to have meaning. But she's seen the lakes of Canada, and she's felt those fleeting moments of joy that make all the pain worthwhile. And so underpinning the music is this sense of gritty, dogged determination; there is good out there. She won't give up. She won't be told that there's anything she can't overcome.

    braille16on December 03, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Just to note, I've been rowing on Lake Louise in Canada and this song perfectly describes the experience.

    sixfoottallrabbiton January 02, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    i first heard of this song through the Sufjan Stevens cover ( although i did not know then). I thought it was amazing, 'cause everything that man does is amazing. And it is good.

    I found out today that it was cover, so i looked it up and to my surprise SOOOOO GOOOOOD!

    Karens voice is godly. I'm glad i actually looked the up, 'cause they are quickly rising to my favorite artists (i only found them this morning too! :o).

    grrsawnon August 31, 2008   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    I have no citation for this but I heard somewhere that this song was written her difficulties in conceiving.

    pppqqqon March 04, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Karen is just a beautiful poet x

    Noamchomskyon February 24, 2022   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is absolutely amazing. my favorite, ever.

    and it's really killing me that i have no idea what she's singing after

    "look for me another time, give me another day i feel that i can change"

    (those lyrics aren't printed here. gotta get that fixed.)

    she sings that part again, except that first line is something very different from "look for me another time".

    it's really killing me--does anyone know?

    annieoveron September 16, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i think the line after

    "look for me another time, give me another day i feel that i can change"

    could be "and you'll have in yourself a sky give it another day i feel that i could change"

    ...i ran this bit of the song through some audio software to slow down the speed but keep the original pitch, and this is what it sounds like.

    such a wonderful, powerful song.. sufjan stevens' cover (on a rooftop, playing a banjo, on youtube) is also beautiful.

    resisttelevisionon April 03, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sufjan Stevens referred to this as the perfect song on All Songs Considered.

    npr.org/programs/asc/archives/perfectsong04/artistpicks.html

    schleichfaceon February 10, 2012   Link

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