Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers was first formed as a trio (guitar, cello, … Read Full Bio ↴Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers was first formed as a trio (guitar, cello, and violin) during the cold Halifax winter of 2006. Since then, The Casual Smokers have undergone a million changes in members and instrumentation, with a list of over 20 alumni.

They seem to have reached some sort of stability for the moment as a sextet. Their instruments include guitar, banjo, melodica, flute, saxophones, violin, cello, bass, organ, percussion. Their song Conduit was chosen by CBC Radio 3 for Track of the Day on February 10, 2010, and the podcast reported that they're in the planning stages for a studio album to follow up Summer 2009's live EP.

Under Control
Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a churning, there's a churning, there's a churning around
I can't fall asleep and the drugs won't stay down
There's a burning, there's a burning, there's a burning I found
It's deep in the pit where the blood pumps around

All the children are laughing outside
The works never sleeps and there's nowhere to hide
It's under control far as anyone's seen

But there ain't enough shit to climb out the latrine

There's a witness, there's a witness, there's a witness out there
We've got to pretend that the money's still here
There's a knocking, there's a knocking, there's a knock at the door
We'll tell them that uncle don't live here no more

All the angels are crying downstairs
The brandy's run out, but their god never cares
He'll slap them and tell them the evening's been ruined
And his robes reek of failure and cheap French perfume

There's a tinkering, there's a tinkering, there's a tinkerer in town
She'll fix everything till the money's been found
There's a watchman, there's a watchman, and he's guarding the door
With a drink in his hand and a gun on the floor

And the monsters broke in through the sewers again
And they spend every night making ever more friends
They've conquered the bowels of Paris and now
They have every intention of taking the town

There's a bottle, there's a bottle in my bed
It helps me to reach for the switch in my head
There's a madness, there's a madness at bay
But a cold wind will blow down the levee some day

A train whistle blows, the conductor's been hanged
In a white little house, a red telephone rang

And it's under control far as anyone's seen
But there ain't enough shit to climb out the latrine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ben Caplan & The Casual Smokers's song "Under Control" describe a world that is spiraling out of control, with chaos and confusion at every turn. The first lines of the song convey a sense of restlessness, with the singer unable to fall asleep and drugs failing to calm them down. The use of the metaphor of churning adds to this sense of unease, as though everything in the world is in a state of constant upheaval. The burning that is deep in the pit where the blood pumps around suggests a sense of internal turmoil that cannot be quelled.

The song goes on to describe a world where the children are laughing outside, but inside, there is no escape from the never-ending work and the difficulties that come with it. The idea that everything is under control is revealed to be false, as there is not even enough "shit" to climb out of the latrine. The use of this vulgar metaphor hints at the desperation of the situation, as though even the smallest escape is impossible. The monsters who have conquered the bowels of Paris add to this sense of danger and chaos, with the world on the brink of destruction.

The final verse tells of a world where the singer seeks solace in alcohol, and though there is a madness at bay, a "cold wind will blow down the levee some day." The final lines suggest that despite the appearance of everything being under control, there is a sense of impending doom, with the train whistle and the ringing of the red telephone adding to the feeling of inevitability.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a churning, there's a churning, there's a churning around
Something unsettling is happening

I can't fall asleep and the drugs won't stay down
I'm too disturbed to sleep and even drugs can't help

There's a burning, there's a burning, there's a burning I found
I feel intense discomfort

It's deep in the pit where the blood pumps around
It's coming from within me

All the children are laughing outside
Others seem happy and carefree

The works never sleeps and there's nowhere to hide
The problems are constant and unavoidable

It's under control far as anyone's seen
Others might think everything's okay

But there ain't enough shit to climb out the latrine
But the situation is really bad and there's no way out

There's a witness, there's a witness, there's a witness out there
Someone knows what's really going on

We've got to pretend that the money's still here
We need to keep up appearances that everything's fine

There's a knocking, there's a knocking, there's a knock at the door
Someone is trying to get in

We'll tell them that uncle don't live here no more
We'll try to make them go away

All the angels are crying downstairs
Even heavenly things are upset

The brandy's run out, but their god never cares
Even the coping mechanisms are gone

He'll slap them and tell them the evening's been ruined
It feels like the universe is against you

And his robes reek of failure and cheap French perfume
Even the divine seems inadequate and disappointing

There's a tinkering, there's a tinkering, there's a tinkerer in town
Someone is trying to fix things

She'll fix everything till the money's been found
There's a hope that things can be made right

There's a watchman, there's a watchman, and he's guarding the door
Someone is trying to keep people out or in

With a drink in his hand and a gun on the floor
But even the protector is not really vigilant

And the monsters broke in through the sewers again
The threatening forces are always returning

And they spend every night making ever more friends
They're growing stronger and more numerous

They've conquered the bowels of Paris and now
They've taken over something as grand as Paris

They have every intention of taking the town
They're not stopping there

There's a bottle, there's a bottle in my bed
I'm relying on alcohol to cope

It helps me to reach for the switch in my head
But the relief is only temporary

There's a madness, there's a madness at bay
There's a sense of impending insanity

But a cold wind will blow down the levee some day
The impending disaster will eventually come

A train whistle blows, the conductor's been hanged
A sense of chaos and injustice

In a white little house, a red telephone rang
Even small things seem ominous

And it's under control far as anyone's seen
But once again, the situation is actually really bad

But there ain't enough shit to climb out the latrine
And there's no way out

Contributed by Makayla E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

michael miller

8y↑13

I thought to meself, "Self, this looks like a fun cat." Little did I expect Tom Waits to pop out of his mouth when it opened.
Fabulous sound!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let's go find more of Ben Caplan and the Casual Smokers!!!!!!!!!!