Newman began his musical career in the 1990s as a member of the Vancouver grunge/pop group Superconductor. After a brief stay, he joined the Vancouver-based pop group Zumpano. The band released two albums with Newman in the mid-1990s, Look What the Rookie Did and Goin' Through Changes, both of which received favorable reviews. Though Zumpano never officially announced their breakup, they have not recorded any new material since the 90s.
Newman is a founding member of the successful Vancouver-based pop supergroup The New Pornographers. The band has released five full length albums since 2000, all of which received favorable reviews. In 2007, Blender ranked the group's debut album, Mass Romantic, the 24th best indie album of all time. Newman is the band's main songwriter and vocalist, and is generally regarded as the band's leader.
His debut solo album, The Slow Wonder, was released in Summer 2004, and his sophomore album, Get Guilty, was released in early 2009. He released his third album, Shut Down the Streets, in 2012.
Miracle Drug
A.C. Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the other, a great lost novel that,
I understand, was returned with a stamp
That said "Thank you for your interest, young man."
While preparing his soul for a perilous slide into crime,
He had decided that he would err on this side of divine,
Being told this was wise,
So why all the history now?
He was tied to a job selling miracle drugs from his home,
At his door every morning, a trophy arrived with the dawn,
With the following inscribed:
"We've followed you with interest for some time."
So why all the history now?
He was tied to the bed with a miracle drug in one hand.
The opening lines of A.C. Newman's song "Miracle Drug" tell the story of a man who finds himself in a precarious situation: tied to a bed with a miracle drug in one hand and a great lost novel in the other. The novel, it seems, has been returned to him with a stamp that suggests it was not wanted, despite his interest in it. The man has also been preparing for a "perilous slide into crime," but has decided to err on the side of divinity. He has been told that this is wise, but that there will be payback in due time.
The song's lyrics can be interpreted in a variety of ways, but one possible read is that they reflect the human experience of seeking meaning in difficult times. The man who is tied to the bed may represent a person who is struggling with addiction or other difficult circumstances, and who is reaching out for help in the form of a "miracle drug." The lost novel could represent a search for meaning or purpose in life, which the man has been pursuing but has not found. Despite his struggles, however, he remains committed to doing what is right, even if it means taking a difficult path.
Line by Line Meaning
He was tied to the bed with a miracle drug in one hand,
He was confined to bed, medicated with a drug he believed to be miraculous, with no freedom, trapped in his own thoughts and feelings.
In the other, a great lost novel that,
He had something important in his hand, lost in a world of his own, that he cherished as a valuable possession.
I understand, was returned with a stamp
Someone else had control over his possession and returned it to him marked with a thank you that felt like an insult.
That said "Thank you for your interest, young man."
Someone younger than him had expressed interest in his possession, suggesting that he was outdated and unimportant.
While preparing his soul for a perilous slide into crime,
He was contemplating a dangerous route, possibly illegal, to escape from his current state of confinement and desperation.
He had decided that he would err on this side of divine,
He chose to justify his actions as righteous and noble, believing that what he was planning to commit was worth the risk.
Being told this was wise,
His actions were encouraged by others who deemed it to be a smart move, further fueling his desire to escape his current state of bondage.
That'd be payback with interest in due time
He held hope that his actions would be rewarded with benefits and positive outcomes, despite the danger and risk that came with it.
So why all the history now?
He questions why he is recounting all of this now, perhaps feeling regret or hesitation about the choices he has made and the path he has decided to take.
He was tied to a job selling miracle drugs from his home,
His confinement was not just physical but also related to his work. He was selling drugs from his home, stuck in a specific position with no opportunity for growth and change.
At his door every morning, a trophy arrived with the dawn,
Despite being limited to his home and job, he received some sort of recognition every morning that made him feel special and valued.
With the following inscribed:
Whatever this recognition was, it came with a message that he held onto as a source of inspiration and encouragement.
"We've followed you with interest for some time."
The message made him feel seen and acknowledged, as though his work and existence mattered to someone else in the world.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARL ALLAN NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Archit
I hear voices. I see things none of you can. Music stopped suppressing it. no more life support. My friend Is dating my Ex, and I'm kind of in a bad place with 5 out of 7 of my friends. Above all else, how much longer do you reckon I can hold this frame of mind together with rags and tape? I'm barely clinging to life, mentally anyways. I'm pretty sure I have D.I.D. I wont let her kill them all. Never
Michael Barnes
Cannot stop bopping to this song.
Maia Jintcharadze
+Michael Barnes Don't stop ;)
Barry Cook
i'm just here for the chloroquine
stvbrsn
Why all the history now?