After several years of gigging in Boston and Cambridge, the band signed to a major label and released its debut album In Loving Memory of... in 1997. The single The Oaf was a major Top Ten hit for the band that year.
Due to Thornley's Canadian nationality, the band's biggest commercial success was actually in Canada rather than the United States. The album's subsequent singles, Blown Wide Open and That Song, were not as successful on the American charts as The Oaf had been, but in Canada they were both Top Ten hits.
In October of 2001, Big Wreck played a special show at Toronto's Roy Thompson Hall accompanied by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and the Uzume Taiko Ensemble of drummers, with The Tragically Hip's Paul Langlois and Robby Baker also making appearances.
The band's second album The Pleasure and the Greed (released in 2001) was marred by poor marketing and was not as big a hit as their debut album, especially in the United States. The band subsequently broke up a year later in 2002.
Thornley moved back to Toronto, launching the band Thornley. Doherty has gone on to be in the indie band Death of 8, but the other band members never emerged with new projects.
Ian and Brian rekindled their friendship, which lead to a reunion in 2011.
This reunion, however, would not include founding members Dave Henning and Forrest Williams.
Albatross, the band's third album, would be released on March 6, 2012, and would be Big Wreck's best charting album of all time, debuting at #5 on the Canadian albums charts, and would see its title track hit #1 on the Canadian Rock charts, which it would hold for six weeks straight. It would also spawn the singles Wolves and A Million Days, and would receive the CASBY award for "Favourite New Album" in 2012.
2014 would see the release of their fourth album, Ghosts, on the 10th of June. The album would debut at #5 on the Canadian Rock charts, and would go on to debut at #4 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, making it their highest charting album on that chart to date. Ghosts would come to spawn three singles: the name-sharing Ghosts, Come What May, and Hey Mama.
Big Wreck's fifth studio album, Grace Street, would see its release on February 3, 2017. The album would end up peaking at #5 on the Canadian Albums chart, much like Albatross and Ghosts. However, the lead single One Good Piece of Me would end up outperforming Ghosts (the song), with the track charting high on two separate charts within the first week of airplay. The other two singles that spawned from Grace Street were Digging In and You Don't Even Know.
On June 5, 2019, founding guitarist Brian Doherty would pass away after a battle with cancer. He was 51.
Big Wreck would release their sixth studio album, ...but for the Sun, on August 30, 2019. The band would end up dedicating the album to the late guitarist in memory of him. The album would see Locomotive, Too Far Gone, One More Chance and Alibi be the four singles to spawn, and would also see an in memoriam tour dedicated to Doherty.
...but for the Sun would be the last full-length album recorded with longtime drummer Chuck Keeping, as he would end up leaving the band in 2021 to focus on family life.
In the following years, Big Wreck would hire new drummer Sekou Lumumba (the former drummer for Ian Thornley's side project, Thornley) to replace Chuck Keeping, and would go on to release 3 EPs: 7.1, 7.2, and 7.3.
Pages, Big Wreck's 7th album, was released on November 24, 2023.
Discography:
Studio Albums
In Loving Memory Of... (1997)
The Pleasure And The Greed (2001)
Albatross (2012)
Bag of Tricks (Live, 2013)
Ghosts (2014)
Grace Street (2017)
...but for the Sun (2019)
Pages (2023)
EPs
7.1 (2021)
7.2 (2022)
7.3 (2023)
Members:
Ian Thornley (Vocals, Guitar, 1992 - present)
Chris Caddell (Rhythm Guitar, 2019 - present)
Dave McMillan (Bass Guitar, 2010 - present)
Sekou Lumumba (Drums, 2021 - present)
Past Members:
Brian Doherty (Guitar, 1992 - 2019 (d. June 5, 2019))
Paulo Neta (Guitar, 2010 - 2017)
Dave Henning (Bass Guitar, 1993 - 2002)
Forrest Williams (Drums, 1994 - 2002)
Brad Park (Drums, 2010 - 2012)
Chuck Keeping (Drums, 2012 - 2021)
Time
Big Wreck Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nobody ever takes notice
Grandfather clocks and
The wrist watch will
Never be on your side
I'm sure I've killed more
Than my share of them
If I could go back in time
What would I change of mine?
Is there any such thing
As a waste of time
Time's the one wasting us
Another moment that you
Feel the need to keep
Will surely be swept away
They say that it will
Heal the wounds
And isn't it a wound itself?
If I could go back in time
What would I change of mine?
I wasted way too much of it
Just wishing I could go back in it
It takes time to figure out
Why I'm always running out
Left on your own
You count the moments
Time, it flies
It comes and goes, takes forever
Shooting years, it disappears
If I could go back in time
What would I change of mine?
I wasted way too much of it
Just wishing I'd go back in it
It takes time to figure out
It takes time to figure out
It takes time to figure out
Why I'm always running out
The opening image in the song "Time" by Big Wreck is of a "pretty little memory" fading away, unnoticed. The phrase evokes both the beauty and the fragility of our own personal histories - those moments and experiences that make us who we are. The song then pivots to focus on the passage of time itself, starting with the metaphor of grandfather clocks and wrist watches. In a sense, these time-keeping devices are impartial observers, marking the moments of our lives in the same unrelenting way they always have.
The singer then reveals a sense of guilt or regret, suggesting that he's "killed more / than my share" of these moments. He seems to feel that he has not appreciated the value of time, and that its relentless march has taken away something important. The sense of longing and frustration builds as he asks if there is such a thing as a "waste of time." In doing so, the singer seems to acknowledge that while time is a precious resource, it can also feel oppressive or even meaningless.
The chorus of "Time" is built around a simple, haunting melody that echoes the song's central themes. The singer asks himself what he would change if he could go back in time, lamenting that he has "wasted way too much" and is always "running out." As the song progresses, there is a sense that time is not just a clock ticking away, but a more complex force that shapes our lives and experiences. In the end, the song seems to suggest that while time may be the one "wasting us," we still have the power to make the most of the moments we are given.
Line by Line Meaning
A pretty little memory fades away
Memories are fleeting and easily forgotten.
Nobody ever takes notice
People often overlook the things that are important.
Grandfather clocks and
Traditional timekeeping methods are unreliable.
The wrist watch will
Never be on your side
Time is an ever-present obstacle that cannot be controlled.
I'm sure I've killed more
Time kills every moment that it passes, making it impossible to hang onto the past.
Than my share of them
The singer has experienced more than his fair share of lost moments.
And still the moments take away
Even when conscious of time's fleeting nature, it's hard to hold onto moments of life.
If I could go back in time
Hypothetically reversing time to retrieve lost moments.
What would I change of mine?
What actions would he do differently?
Is there any such thing
Questioning time's importance and meaning.
As a waste of time
Whether it's possible to waste time, as each moment is already so fleeting.
Time's the one wasting us
Time is taking away our lives without regard for our desires.
Another moment that you
Each moment is new and unique.
Feel the need to keep
The desire and difficulty in holding onto important moments forever.
Will surely be swept away
Even the most meaningful of moments eventually fade away.
They say that it will
Optimistically acknowledging that time can sometimes heal wound's effects.
Heal the wounds
The hope that with enough time, the pain of loss can be lessened.
And isn't it a wound itself?
Questioning time's ability to both heal and create wounds at the same time.
I wasted way too much of it
Regretting past failures to use one's time wisely.
Just wishing I could go back in it
The desire to revisit past moments, despite the knowledge that it's impossible.
It takes time to figure out
Learning from one's mistakes and maturing takes time.
Why I'm always running out
The persistent feeling of never having enough time.
Left on your own
When alone, the weight of time's constant passage is even more pronounced.
You count the moments
The need to keep track of each moment, to maximize their value.
Time, it flies
Time passes at an alarming rate, often without people realizing it.
It comes and goes, takes forever
Depending on the situation, time's passage can be slow or fast.
Shooting years, it disappears
Years pass by quickly, and time's effects are impossible to avoid entirely.
Contributed by Ella H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.