8 Meanings
Add Yours
Follow
Share
Q&A
Emerald Street Lyrics
Pregnant teens on the Barton street bus
Hard-up people living off crust
And there's a beat-up town car - it's starting to ruse
Hard soles are kicking up dust
Half a million people living in the corpse of the brown brick 50's
To the north, all the small town outcasts are now big city bourgeoisie
All the boys in the halfway houses
Wave to the girls of Emerald Street
Our calloused fingers, blood red on the brick - but we hold on
We'll never falter, though they want us to slip - we hold on
The desperate, downtown stealing bikes
Drunks in the village are picking fights
So, police like the streets to read them their rights
No controlling hot summer nights
The sun goes down on the edge of town, at the end of everyday
We sit and watch the stacks, on fire, to the east across the bay
All the boys in the halfway houses
Wave to the girls of Emerald Street
Our calloused fingers, blood red on the brick - but we hold on
We'll never falter, though they want us to slip - we hold on
There's something in the church belfry
On the corner of Victoria and king
And it screams out into the night
It sings this city's plight
All the boys in the halfway houses
Wave to the girls of Emerald Street
Our calloused fingers, blood red on the brick - but we hold on
We'll never falter, though they want us to slip - we hold on
Hard-up people living off crust
And there's a beat-up town car - it's starting to ruse
Hard soles are kicking up dust
Half a million people living in the corpse of the brown brick 50's
To the north, all the small town outcasts are now big city bourgeoisie
Wave to the girls of Emerald Street
We'll never falter, though they want us to slip - we hold on
Drunks in the village are picking fights
No controlling hot summer nights
The sun goes down on the edge of town, at the end of everyday
We sit and watch the stacks, on fire, to the east across the bay
Wave to the girls of Emerald Street
We'll never falter, though they want us to slip - we hold on
On the corner of Victoria and king
And it screams out into the night
It sings this city's plight
Wave to the girls of Emerald Street
We'll never falter, though they want us to slip - we hold on
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
This song is obviously about Hamilton. There are all kinds of references to streets in Hamilton, as well as the Bay and "the village" which probably refers to Hess Village.
This song IS indeed about Hamilton, Ontario. George grew up on Emerald street which is known for having prostitutes walk up and down it, stopping at Barton. Barton street is basically the line that divides working class downtown from cracktown. I, personally, live on the mountain where George lives now and going downtown gets sadder everyday.
The dunks in the village pertains to Hess Village as BlameHoffman said and "the stacks on fire, to the east across the bay" are the smoke stacks of stelco and dofasco that usually have a few open flames burning constantly on top of the highest stacks and you can see it from mountain brow.
The Church in the Belfry on Victoria and King is St Patricks. Before this song even came out, my friend and I were walking down king street and turned onto Victoria when we did hear a scream come from the damn church. We weren't sure if it was bats or someone actually screaming but I now think it's haunted and it's cool to know that George has heard it too and we're not totally crazy.
So yes, this entire song is about Hamilton which isn't as craptastic as people make it out to be.
what about this half-way house business? i haven't been to hamilton except for the occasional concert, so i dont know if there are any half-way houses there. anyone know?
what about this half-way house business? i haven't been to hamilton except for the occasional concert, so i dont know if there are any half-way houses there. anyone know?
right across the street from Copps, where you probably saw your concerts.
right across the street from Copps, where you probably saw your concerts.
Barton isn't really a line that divides anything.
Barton isn't really a line that divides anything.
"Hard-up people living off crust"
I hear it as...
"Homeless people living off crust"
Great song! thanks for the lyrics!
that's what i was gonna say :)
that's what i was gonna say :)
They really hate Hamilton, don't they? Listen to This Could Be Anywhere and Mailbox Arson if you don't believe me.
George lives down near Emerald Street in downtown Hamilton. When they played their Christmas shows here this year George mentioned this, and talked alot about how much he loved the city despite everything that is wrong with it.
George lives down near Emerald Street in downtown Hamilton. When they played their Christmas shows here this year George mentioned this, and talked alot about how much he loved the city despite everything that is wrong with it.
So my guess would be that this is just about the darker side of Hamilton as a city, and not them actually hating it.
So my guess would be that this is just about the darker side of Hamilton as a city, and not them actually hating it.
He doesn't live there anymore. He and his wife moved to the East Mountain, much nicer and safer than downtown.
He doesn't live there anymore. He and his wife moved to the East Mountain, much nicer and safer than downtown.
The entire lower city isn't "downtown", blisscent. There is so much more history in the lower city in neighbourhoods like St. Clair, Durand, Stinson and Kirkendall. The same can rarely be said for the bland suburbia of the mountain, most of which didn't exist until 1950.
The entire lower city isn't "downtown", blisscent. There is so much more history in the lower city in neighbourhoods like St. Clair, Durand, Stinson and Kirkendall. The same can rarely be said for the bland suburbia of the mountain, most of which didn't exist until 1950.
Wambs none of them hate Hamilton. Some of the band was born there, lived/lives there, recorded there (most notably the last City & Colour record)
Wambs none of them hate Hamilton. Some of the band was born there, lived/lives there, recorded there (most notably the last City & Colour record)
Where is Hamilton? That where they grew up? NY or canada?
@arlowf its in ontario canada haha
@arlowf its in ontario canada haha
It's in Ontario
i realized i like this song... =P
i work the next street over on east and cannon street, he's not messing around about he sings in this song. i also went to school around there. the area is the lowest gdp in the whole country.
i work the next street over on east and cannon street, he's not messing around about he sings in this song. i also went to school around there. the area is the lowest gdp in the whole country.
Thats like excatly how I feel, not their best but still a Classic album.. It really does grow on you. I listened to this album everyday maybe even twice, and just everyday I was like this is my new favorite song, no this is. Thats what Alexisonfire does. What was it 6 years ago when Counter Parts and number them came out I was making fun of how bad that song was then I showed my friends and I was like "Hey... I think I like this.." I also saw them in concert here in Southern Ontario they rock my socks off I was right in the front crowd.