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.
Prophets
A.C. Newman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Myself with the rabble that stood on a mound
Hip shot thinking but not out loud
There are too many prophets here
On the upper side of the sound of the dark
I took it in silence I took it to heart
I carried it quietly over the wall
I was behind it
One by one by one by one
One by one by one by one
Stand by zero
Stacked on zero
One by one by one by one
One by one by one by one
I was a silent partner for once
And I was split into two sections
Here is my heart and here is my song
There are too many prophets here
I am divided
One by one by one by one
One by one by one by one
Stand on zero
Stacked on zero
I was the silent partner I know
The part of the forest where you shouldn't go
Now out of the woods and out in the day
I see there's too many prophets here
One by one by one by one
Stand on zero
One by one by one by one
Stacked on zero
One by one by one by one
Stand on zero
One by one by one by one
Stacked on zero
One by one by one by one
The lyrics of "Prophets" by A.C. Newman explore the idea of being a silent partner among people who are making bold proclamations, specifically those proclaiming to be prophets. The singer describes finding themselves in the company of the "rabble" who are standing on a mound, with "hip shot thinking but not out loud." They feel that there are too many prophets present and that it's overwhelming. The singer is also divided within themselves, between their heart and their song, and feels split into two sections.
As the song continues, the lyrics describe the singer taking in their surroundings and carrying it quietly over the wall. The repeated verse "one by one by one by one" seems to suggest a sense of repetition or cycle, with people stacking up on zero or standing on zero. The final verse describes the singer being the silent partner that they know they are, having emerged from a forest where one shouldn't go, and realizing that there are too many prophets in the world.
Overall, the lyrics of "Prophets" appear to be a commentary on the overwhelming nature of people making bold proclamations, especially in a world where there seems to be an abundance of "prophets" or people claiming to have special insight or knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
I was a silent partner I found
I was an inactive bystander who stumbled upon
Myself with the rabble that stood on a mound
I found myself amongst a disorganized crowd
Hip shot thinking but not out loud
I had quick and impulsive thoughts internally
There are too many prophets here
There are too many self-proclaimed experts in this area
On the upper side of the sound of the dark
On the brighter side of a seemingly gloomy situation
I took it in silence I took it to heart
I internalized the situation deeply without speaking out
I carried it quietly over the wall
I took my thoughts to a new setting where they could be heard
There were too many prophets there
There are too many self-proclaimed experts in this new setting as well
I was behind it
I was the driving force behind taking action in the new setting
One by one by one by one
Individually and sequentially
Stand by zero
Without any solid foundation
Stacked on zero
Adding together nothing still equals nothing
I was a silent partner for once
I was a passive observer for one time
And I was split into two sections
I was divided in half
Here is my heart and here is my song
This is my emotional state and expression
There are too many prophets here
There are still too many self-proclaimed experts in this situation
I am divided
I am conflicted internally
I was the silent partner I know
I was the passive observer consciously
The part of the forest where you shouldn't go
The dangerous area where it is advised not to venture
Now out of the woods and out in the day
Now in a safer situation and more visible situation
I see there's too many prophets here
I realize that there are still too many self-proclaimed experts in this new situation
Stand on zero
Standing on a foundation of nothing
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CARL ALLAN NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ISAAKKUSH
I was a silent partner I found
Myself with the rabble that stood on a mound
Hip shot thinking but not out loud
There are too many prophets here
On the upper side of the sound of the dark
I took it in silence I took it to heart
I carried it quietly over the wall
There were too many prophets there
I was behind it
One by one by one by one
One by one by one by one
Stand by zero
Stacked on zero
One by one by one by one
One by one by one by one
I was a silent partner for once
And I was split into two sections
Here is my heart and here is my song
There are too many prophets here
I am divided
One by one by one by one
One by one by one by one
Stand on zero
Stacked on zero
I was the silent partner I know
The part of the forest where you shouldn't go
Now out of the woods and out in the day
I see there's too many prophets here
One by one by one by one
Stand on zero
One by one by one by one
Stacked on zero
One by one by one by one
Stand on zero
One by one by one by one
Stacked on zero
One by one by one by one
@wrecklessgti6214
"That was the year I got left at the alter. The year I got fired. The year I got beat up by a goat; a girl goat at that. And damn it if it wasn't the best year of my life."
-Ted Mosby.
@gasjebasje99
God that sounds awesome out of context
@ceciliapenatsakim7834
Damian Calderon This ending, matched perfectly with this song, gave me goosebumps. ❤️ I’ll never forget how much happiness HIMYM has given me while watching.
@ladavanbar6742
Somehow my 2020 feels the same, so I can relate to Mr.Ted Mosby, but I am sure there is something down the road waiting in 2021, I just need to grab the right umbrella
@SomeeOne123
"That was the year I got left at the alter. The year i got beat up by a crazy bartender*. The year I got fired. The year I got beat up by a goat; a girl goat at that. And damn it if it wasn't the best year of my life."
@SkippyTheBard
Yes
Thats why himym is the best.
@RandomLegend
How I met your mother has introduced me to awesome music
@ramishanubah6518
the ending of season 4 gave me hope. it was amazing. and this song is something else. everything together is a masterpiece.
@TheDignam
When they jumped the roof... Excellent.
@bekejakab
One of the best, if not the absolute best moment of the whole show