I have trouble believing that this song is about a relationship. It seems to me that it's more about the moments where life seems absolutely turned upside down in a negative way, when we realize that we aren't who we want to be or even think we are, and then we begin to examine ourselves to find out what we did or are doing wrong. Each verse seems to be an example or a metaphor of this: not being able to defeat desire in a song, the play that went completely wrong, etc. Most striking to me is the little bit of optimism showing through at the end: "All our accidents went purposeful and fell, stripped of providence or any way to tell that our intentions were intangible and sweet. Sick with simple math and shy discoveries, piled up against our impending defeat."
I agree, it is not a breakup/relationship song. It is a life/death song. On the weakerthans site, prior to the lyrics is the following quote: "you don't get to be a saint the dead man says, you get to warm your hands for a moment, you get to catch your breath and say one thing" --Patrick Friesen, who is a Canadian poet. With this quote in mind, I think this song is about how short life is, fleeting, in the grand scheme of things, we only have time to catch our breath and say one thing, so we better make...
I agree, it is not a breakup/relationship song. It is a life/death song. On the weakerthans site, prior to the lyrics is the following quote: "you don't get to be a saint the dead man says, you get to warm your hands for a moment, you get to catch your breath and say one thing" --Patrick Friesen, who is a Canadian poet. With this quote in mind, I think this song is about how short life is, fleeting, in the grand scheme of things, we only have time to catch our breath and say one thing, so we better make it good. Also I don't think it is a coincidence that the album has this song toward the end right before prescience of dawn and past-due.
I have trouble believing that this song is about a relationship. It seems to me that it's more about the moments where life seems absolutely turned upside down in a negative way, when we realize that we aren't who we want to be or even think we are, and then we begin to examine ourselves to find out what we did or are doing wrong. Each verse seems to be an example or a metaphor of this: not being able to defeat desire in a song, the play that went completely wrong, etc. Most striking to me is the little bit of optimism showing through at the end: "All our accidents went purposeful and fell, stripped of providence or any way to tell that our intentions were intangible and sweet. Sick with simple math and shy discoveries, piled up against our impending defeat."
I agree, it is not a breakup/relationship song. It is a life/death song. On the weakerthans site, prior to the lyrics is the following quote: "you don't get to be a saint the dead man says, you get to warm your hands for a moment, you get to catch your breath and say one thing" --Patrick Friesen, who is a Canadian poet. With this quote in mind, I think this song is about how short life is, fleeting, in the grand scheme of things, we only have time to catch our breath and say one thing, so we better make...
I agree, it is not a breakup/relationship song. It is a life/death song. On the weakerthans site, prior to the lyrics is the following quote: "you don't get to be a saint the dead man says, you get to warm your hands for a moment, you get to catch your breath and say one thing" --Patrick Friesen, who is a Canadian poet. With this quote in mind, I think this song is about how short life is, fleeting, in the grand scheme of things, we only have time to catch our breath and say one thing, so we better make it good. Also I don't think it is a coincidence that the album has this song toward the end right before prescience of dawn and past-due.