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.

You Don't Get Away
54-40 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Live eat and sleep and breathe
Mate and birth and home
Build and cut a fire
Strength hunt and kill with skill
Power hunger think
Tools and hands to make
God myth and mind and soul
Love and hurt and cry

Path and place and feel

Don't get away that easy
Don't get away that easy
Don't get away that easy
Alone

Pain greed and lust and glut
Race and time and coin
War and blood and land

Don't get away that easy
Don't get away that easy
Don't get away that easy
Alone

Here now I know to look
Faith and touch and heal
Give and grow to move
Out reach and take and hold
Life and earth and bond
All will come to be

Don't get away that easy

Don't get away that easy
Don't get away that easy

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "You Don't Get Away" by 54-40 reflect on the fundamental aspects of human existence and the struggle to survive in a world governed by power, greed, and suffering. The song touches on themes such as life, death, love, and the importance of finding a sense of belonging in the world. The opening lines "Live eat and sleep and breathe, Mate and birth and home" depict the basic needs of human survival, while the next lines "Build and cut a fire, Strength hunt and kill with skill, Power hunger think, Tools and hands to make" showcase the human ability to not only survive but to also create, build, and strive for more. The verses go on to talk about pain, greed, war, and blood, alluding to the darker side of humanity.

The repetition of "Don't get away that easy, Alone" in the chorus speaks to the fact that no one can escape their human condition, their struggles or their mortality alone. However, the final verse plants a seed of hope with the lines "Here now I know to look, Faith and touch and heal, Give and grow to move, Out reach and take and hold, Life and earth and bond, All will come to be". The verse suggests that by looking inward- reflecting on our purpose, connecting with nature, having faith and creating bonds with others, we can find a way to endure and enrich our lives.

Line by Line Meaning

Live eat and sleep and breathe
The basic necessities of life

Mate and birth and home
Creating a family and a permanent place of residence

Build and cut a fire
Using tools to create warmth and cook food

Strength hunt and kill with skill
The ability to survive by hunting and self-defense

Power hunger think
The drive to gain power through strategy and intellect

Tools and hands to make
The ability to transform resources into useful items

God myth and mind and soul
The human search for understanding and connection to the divine

Love and hurt and cry
The emotional experiences of the human condition

Path and place and feel
Personal experiences and connections to the environment

Don't get away that easy
These experiences and connections cannot be easily ignored or forgotten

Alone
Without these experiences and connections, one is left isolated and lacking fulfillment