54•40 is an alternative rock band which formed in Tsawwassen, British Colum… Read Full Bio ↴54•40 is an alternative rock band which formed in Tsawwassen, British Columbia, Canada in 1981. For most of their career, the band consisted of Neil Osborne (vocals), Phil Comparelli (guitar, trumpet, vocals), Brad Merritt (bass) and Matt Johnson (drums). Comparelli left the band in 2005 and was replaced by former Matthew Good Band guitarist Dave Genn. The band's best known songs include "Baby Ran", "Ocean Pearl" and "I Go Blind", the latter of which was covered by Hootie & the Blowfish. The band takes their name from the slogan "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight," coined to express the expansionist agenda of James K. Polk's presidency, intent upon controling a contested U.S.-Canada border area.

The group formed in 1981 as a trio consisting of Brad Merritt (bass), Ian Franey(drums), and Neil Osborne (vocals). In 1983, Phil Comparelli was added on guitar and vocals, and Franey was replaced by Darryl Neudorf. Matt Johnson replaced Neudorf on drums by 1986. The band announced in March of 2005 that Comparelli had officially passed on guitar duties to Dave Genn, formerly of Matthew Good Band.

The band's self-titled second album, released in 1986, began to attract attention from radio and record buyers across Canada, with the single "Baby Ran" gaining significant radio airplay. The band's third album, Show Me, became their commercial breakthrough in Canada, with the hits "One Gun" and "One Day in Your Life".

Although the band was popular on college radio in the United States, they never had a commercial breakthrough -- 1992's Dear Dear was their first album not to have a U.S. release. Ironically, though, it was their best-selling album in Canada, leading to a new U.S. contract for the follow up, Smilin' Buddha Cabaret, which had a significant hit in "Ocean Pearl".

The band's song I Go Blind was covered in the mid-1990s by American band Hootie & the Blowfish.

The band's most recent album is 2008's Northern Soul released September 30th,2008 and they wrapped up their tour of Canada at the end of November 2008.

Set the Fire
54-40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm running from a fear
there's a huntsman here
Running both my eyes
I'm seeing lies

I never want to play,
never want to touch
Never want to be afraid of

never being high on the hill

There being none here rare
So being oh so beautiful

Half way half inside the woods
Half my head is wood
gone for good gone bad

I'm grinning, grinning down a grade
Grinning ring ring ringing
my winning roots aside

See I know why I do it now
I do it now
Now
I'm on my feet looking back

Forward looking back
Back track

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song 'Set the Fire' by 54-40 seems to showcase the fear and anxiety of the singer, with the lines "I'm running from a fear, there's a huntsman here, running both my eyes, I'm seeing lies." The huntsman could possibly represent something menacing that is lurking in the shadows, which is causing the singer to run and hide. The second stanza mentions "never wanting to play, never wanting to touch, never wanting to be afraid of never being high on the hill," showcasing that the singer is avoiding any confrontation or risk, as it represents a chance to be high on the hill, and the singer doesn't want to be deprived of it.

As the song progresses, the lyrics take a turn toward the introspective, as the singer mentions "halfway half inside the woods, half my head is wood, gone for good gone bad." This line possibly means that the singer feels they are in two minds - one part of them is brave and wants to take chances, while the other wants them to stay hidden, and this conflict is consuming them. The line "I'm grinning, grinning down a grade, grinning ring ring ringing my winning roots aside" possibly means that despite the internal turmoil, the singer is still trying to move forward and succeed, though they feel weighed down by their past experiences. The final lines, "see I know why I do it now, I do it now, now I'm on my feet looking back, forward looking back, back track" possibly means that the singer is finally understanding why they act the way they do, and is ready to confront their fears and move forward, but they still can't help but be wary of their past.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm running from a fear
I'm trying to escape a feeling of dread

there's a huntsman here
Someone or something is chasing me down

Running both my eyes
I'm scanning my surroundings

I'm seeing lies
But I'm having a hard time knowing what is true

I never want to play,
I don't want to participate

never want to touch
I don't want to be involved in anything

Never want to be afraid of
I don't want to feel scared about

never being high on the hill
The feeling of being powerful and in control is missing

There being none here rare
It's hard to find anything unique in this place

So being oh so beautiful
Even though it's not extraordinary, it is still attractive

Half way half inside the woods
I'm in a situation where I'm partly exposed and partly concealed