Canada
Broken Anchor Lyrics
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Slow uh uh oh pass you by
Sit on your hands, said you saw the plans a changin
And the lands we burned were black for years to come
And the last that you looked was all that I took away
And the way that you were the price I incurred was mine to pay
And if only you knew the path was untrue, the glass it just made mistakes
Go uh uh oh seasons come and gone and over
Stir in your cage to pass the day
And I so unlinked thought I heard the bells a ringin
Ringin ringin ringin, ringin in my ear
And the last that you looked was all that I took away
And the way that you were the price I incurred was mine to pay
And if only you knew the path was untrue, the glass it just made mistakes
You'd fly away to canada, to Canada
The song “Canada” by Broken Anchor is an emotional and introspective piece about regret and longing for change. The lyrics open with a sense of missed opportunity, as the singer laments a turn that was seen but not acted upon. The repetition of “uh uh oh” gives the impression of a missed beat or a hesitant step. The line “the lands we burned were black for years to come” suggests a larger consequence for the inaction, one that will not be easily or quickly remedied.
The chorus showcases the regret that the singer feels over what has been lost. They speak of taking something away - likely a relationship or an aspect of their life - that they did not fully appreciate until it was gone. The repetition of “the last that you looked was all that I took away” emphasizes the suddenness of the loss. The following lines suggest that this loss was preventable, if only the singer had known that “the path was untrue”. There is an undercurrent of self-criticism and blame present in the second verse, as the singer characterizes themselves as “so unlinked” and hears bells that may not really exist.
Line by Line Meaning
Go, uh uh oh, said you saw the turn a comin
You were warned of the coming change, but you ignored it and kept moving forward.
Slow uh uh oh pass you by
The change occurred, and instead of adapting, you let it pass you by.
Sit on your hands, said you saw the plans a changin
You knew the plans were changing, but you refused to take action or make a change.
And the lands we burned were black for years to come
The consequences of our actions have harmed our surroundings and will continue to affect them for years to come.
And the last that you looked was all that I took away
You didn't pay attention to what was happening, and as a result, I was able to take everything away from you.
And the way that you were the price I incurred was mine to pay
Your actions affected me, and I had to pay the price for the mistakes you made.
And if only you knew the path was untrue, the glass it just made mistakes
If you had known that the path you were on was wrong, you could have avoided the mistakes you made along the way.
You'd fly away to canada, to Canada
If you could go back and change things, you would start fresh in a new place, moving on to something better.
Go uh uh oh seasons come and gone and over
Time has passed, and the opportunity for change has come and gone.
Stir in your cage to pass the day
You are restless and unhappy, but you continue to stay in a situation that is trapping you.
And I so unlinked thought I heard the bells a ringin
I was once connected to your situation, but now I hear the warning bells and know it's time to leave.
Contributed by Skyler T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.