Barzin is a Canadian singer-songwriter named Barzin Hosseini.

Slow a… Read Full Bio ↴Barzin is a Canadian singer-songwriter named Barzin Hosseini.

Slow and melancholic, introspective and confessional: These words in some ways describe the sound of Barzin. A project that began sometime in 1995, Barzin was a solo endeavor at its inception. But somewhere along the way it shed its solitary skin allowing a wide array of characters into it’s sound. From amongst a rotating cast of musicians, who occasionally made appearances on recordings and at performances, three individuals slowly became a fixture of this project. The three characters in question are Mike Findlay, Suzanne Hancock, and Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers). On 2003, Barzin released its self-titled debut album through the Montreal based label, Where Are My Records. The following year an E.P. titled Songs for Hinah, was released through the French based label, Hinah. And in 2006, the second full-length album titled My Life in Rooms was released in Canada through Weewerk Records and in Europe and U.S. through Monotreme Records.

Barzin's second album, entitled My Life In Rooms, walks a minimalist line between chamber pop, alt-country, and indie rock. This collection of songs leans toward the melancholic writing of such bands as Tindersticks and Mojave 3. Barzin fuses instruments such as French horn, vibraphone, pedal steel, and a drum machine to create a unique, quiet music that is expansive and at times cinematic, while never losing its sense of intimacy or honesty. Barzin, Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers) and Suzanne Hancock were the central musicians on the album, while Don Kerr, Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo), Tamara Williamson, Lewis Melville, and Matt Verta-Ray (Heavy Trash) all helped shape its remarkable sound. The lovely string arrangements were scored by Karen Graves (who also arranged Hayden's Skyscraper National Park)

On his new and latest album, "Notes to an Absent Lover" (Monotreme Records) Barzin leaves behind the sonic experimentation that played such a central role in "My life in Rooms." He brings together a new cast of musicians (Nick Zubeck, Marshal Bureau, Darren Wall, Robbie Grunwald) for this album. With the addition of these new musicians, a new range is introduced to the songs as well as to the overall sound of the album.

"Notes to an Absent Lover" brings new textures and colors to the Barzin palette. The album balances the introspection of his earlier work with up-tempo orchestral arrangements that provide a richly melodic heartbeat to these glowing confessionals. Personal but never indulgent, the raw honesty of the lyrics details universal themes of sorrow, regret and anger, evoking all the vulnerability and shifting emotions confronted in the wake of a shattered relationship.

"Notes to an Absent Lover" was recorded by Don Kerr (Ron Sexsmith) and Jeremy Darby (Pink Floyd, Lou Reed), and mixed by Chad Irschick and Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, The New Pornographers).

Queen Jane
Barzin Lyrics

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Inside a house
Was a broken guitar
I waited for a song
But nothing would come

So I drank all I had
I wrote out some prose
But I was wasting my time

'Cause nothing would come

Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Bring me a song

I circle the top
Just like a thief
There was no one to love
I found no one to love

Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Bring me a song

Won't you be my Queen Jane?
Won't you be my Queen Jane?

Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
Bring me a song

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Queen Jane" by Barzin touch upon feelings of writer's block, loneliness, and desperation for inspiration. The opening lines set the scene with a broken guitar in a house, and the singer waiting for a song that never comes. This is a relatable experience for anyone who has felt creatively stuck, waiting for inspiration to strike. The following lines reveal the singer's attempt to break through his block by drinking and writing prose, but even those efforts seem futile. The repetition of "nothing would come" emphasizes the theme of creative stagnancy.

The chorus of the song, which repeats "Won't you come, my Queen Jane? Bring me a song" is the singer's desperate plea for inspiration, as if he is calling out to a muse or a higher power to guide him towards a breakthrough. The use of the name "Queen Jane" adds an air of royalty and distinction to this figure, heightening the sense of reverence the singer has for the source of inspiration he's searching for. The image of "circles at the top" and "finding no one to love" suggest a sense of isolation and yearning that only exacerbate the singer's creative struggle.

Overall, "Queen Jane" is a poignant reflection on the difficult experience of writer's block and the search for inspiration. Regardless of whether or not the real-life Queen Jane exists, her name serves as a symbol for the singer's creative muse, his source of motivation and inspiration.

Line by Line Meaning

Inside a house
Barzin is situated within a house

Was a broken guitar
There is an unusable guitar in the house

I waited for a song
Barzin is waiting for inspiration to strike him

But nothing would come
He is not able to come up with any ideas despite waiting

So I drank all I had
Barzin starts drinking out of frustration of being unable to write

I wrote out some prose
He attempts to write some lyrics or poetry

But I was wasting my time
He feels like it's a hopeless and fruitless endeavor

'Cause nothing would come
He is still struggling to find inspiration

Won't you come, my Queen Jane?
He is calling out to his muse, asking for inspiration and help

Bring me a song
He wants Queen Jane to bring him an idea or inspiration for a song

I circle the top
He is trying to figure out what to do and how to write a song