I've always felt that the most important parts of a song are the opening lines, the closing lines and anything that get repeated throughout (e.g. the chorus, which usually contains the song's title). The speaker here starts by recollecting a mutually spiteful exchange about art. Then in the closing verse he regrets the removal of the colours of "your paintings." As if one's memories are still there but have lost the vividness and/or enjoyment they once had. Here too, in the final verse, lies Downie's lyrical legacy: the effective, yet subtle, use of Canadian historical references. The "last spike." Though it was actually hammered in at Craigellachie, the reference is clearly to the arduous and scandalous construction of the CPR that ultimately terminated in Vancouver (the "edge" or "end" of the world). And despite all expectations, when the relationship "terminated," there was nothing more to say and nothing more to do. Arriving at the Pacific and finalizing a divorce both feel like one has "arrived" at the end of the world; "but it's not the end of the world, of course."
I've always felt that the most important parts of a song are the opening lines, the closing lines and anything that get repeated throughout (e.g. the chorus, which usually contains the song's title). The speaker here starts by recollecting a mutually spiteful exchange about art. Then in the closing verse he regrets the removal of the colours of "your paintings." As if one's memories are still there but have lost the vividness and/or enjoyment they once had. Here too, in the final verse, lies Downie's lyrical legacy: the effective, yet subtle, use of Canadian historical references. The "last spike." Though it was actually hammered in at Craigellachie, the reference is clearly to the arduous and scandalous construction of the CPR that ultimately terminated in Vancouver (the "edge" or "end" of the world). And despite all expectations, when the relationship "terminated," there was nothing more to say and nothing more to do. Arriving at the Pacific and finalizing a divorce both feel like one has "arrived" at the end of the world; "but it's not the end of the world, of course."