The band's core members were Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. This duo recorded and released the band's ambient debut album Feel Good Lost, in 2001, with contributions from Ohad Benchetrit (also known as Years), Evan Cranley, Leslie Feist, Justin Peroff, Bill Priddle, and Charles Spearin. All of these musicians would emerge as key members of Broken Social Scene in future endeavors.
After the release of Feel Good Lost (an almost entirely instrumental album), Drew and Canning decided to transition the band into a more energetic sound reflective of the Toronto indie music scene of the early 2000's. As a result, they brought in a number of local artistic and musicial friends -- the Apostle of Hustle Andrew Whiteman, Jason Collett, Metric's Emily Haines, and Leslie Feist -- to flesh out their live show with lyrics and vocals. Over time, the band also came to include contributions from James Shaw, John Crossingham, Lisa Lobsinger, Julie Penner, Sam Goldberg, and Stars' Amy Millan.
Many of the later guest musicians joined with Drew, Canning, Peroff and Spearin to record the band's second album You Forgot It In People in 2002 on the label Arts & Crafts. This album, an eclectic, restlessly creative collection of experimental yet accessible pop songs, became the band's critical and commercial breakthrough -- it was greeted with widely positive reviews, and landed on many music critics' year-end Best-Of lists. For the success of the release, Broken Social Scene was awarded the Alternative Album of the Year Juno Award in 2003.
The album also included musical contributions by Bill Priddle, Jessica Moss, Brodie West, Susannah Brady and Ohad Benchetrit, but these were credited as supporting musicians rather than band members. On the supporting tour, the band consisted of Drew, Canning, Peroff, Whiteman and Jason Collett, along with whoever else was available to attend any individual show. Amy Millan and Gentleman Reg also joined for some shows.
In 2004, the B-sides and remix collection Bee Hives was released.
Broken Social Scene released their third full-length, self-titled album on October 4, 2005, with new contributors including k-os, Jason Tait and Murray Lightburn. The inside booklet accompanying album also noted several new faces as part of Broken Social Scene. A limited edition EP To Be You And Me was also printed along with the album. For the first time David Newfeld, who had produced Broken Social Scene's albums, was listed as a band member.
The group appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on January 31, 2006 performing 7/4 (Shoreline). During the several-year recording hiatus that followed, many members focused on their respective solo musical efforts; Drew and Canning both released albums under the name Broken Social Scene. The entire band appeared in the 2009 film The Time Traveler's Wife, performing an acoustic/folk-like cover of Joy Division's "Love Will Tear Us Apart." In Spring 2009, the band reported that it was in the process of recording a new album under the production guidance of John McEntire (of The Sea and Cake and Tortoise). The album, titled Forgiveness Rock Record, was released on May 4, 2010.
It was announced on August 15, 2011 that the band would go on an indefinite hiatus following an October 1, 2011 show featuring Isaac Brock and a fall tour in support of TV on the Radio. On November 8, 2011, a tweet in advance of a concert in Rio de Janeiro stated that it would be the band's final live performance.
The band returned in 2017 with a tour of Europe, Canada, and California. Their new single "Half-Way Home", was part of their latest album due to be released later in 2017. This was their first time writing a full-length album in 7 years.
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7/4
Broken Social Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's high speed
It's a cruel world
And it's time
And you want to get away
Oh where to go to
When you want to get it out
If you want to get it all
You can own what you choose
And you want to live a lie
And love what you lose
It's a shoreline
It's high speed
Its a cruel world
And it's time
And you're walking away
And you try to get through
But you've got another life
From the lies they told you
And you try to do it right,
And they all will see you
If you try to steal the beat ohh
The beat will steal you
It's coming
It's coming in hard
The lyrics of Broken Social Scene's song 7/4 touch on themes of escape, loss, and the struggle to find one's own identity. At the outset, the song sets a tone of urgency with its repeated refrain of "It's a shoreline, it's high speed, it's a cruel world, and it's time". This line suggests a sense of danger and a need to move quickly in order to avoid being dragged under by the world's pressures.
The singer of the song is seeking a way out of this cruel world, but isn't sure where to turn. They acknowledge the difficulty of finding a place to "get it out" - to express their frustrations and fears. They also acknowledge that there will be losses along the way, but claim that one can "own what you choose" and still "love what you lose". The implication here is that one can take control of their life and still find joy and meaning, even in the face of hardship.
The second half of the song focuses on the act of walking away from the past and trying to start anew. The singer wants to do things differently this time, to "try to do it right". They are aware that this might not be easy - others will be watching and evaluating them, perhaps waiting for them to fail. The song ends on a note of foreboding, with the line "It's coming, it's coming in hard". This suggests that even if the singer is able to escape for a moment, danger is always lurking on the horizon.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a shoreline
This song is depicting a metaphorical shoreline representing a boundary between two worlds, like the border between the conscious and subconscious mind.
It's high speed
The pace at which life moves can be daunting and overwhelming, leading one to feel like they are going nowhere fast.
It's a cruel world
The world can be a harsh, unforgiving place that can crush one's spirit and leave them feeling hopeless and alone.
And it's time
Time is a finite resource that constantly ticks away, reminding us that our time on this earth is limited and precious.
And you want to get away
Sometimes, the stress and frustration of everyday life can become overwhelming, leading one to long for an escape from reality.
Oh where to go to
When looking for an escape, it can be daunting to determine where to go to find refuge and solace.
When you want to get it out
At times, we all need to release our emotions, whether through art or conversation, in order to properly process our feelings and move on from them.
Oh how to get through
Navigating life's challenges can be difficult, especially when we are unsure of how to move forward and find a path to success and happiness.
If you want to get it all
In order to truly understand ourselves and the world around us, we must be willing to experience and embrace all that life has to offer, good and bad.
You can own what you choose
We have the power to take control of our lives and make choices that lead us down the path we desire instead of letting life control us.
And you want to live a lie
Sometimes, people want to live a life that is not true to themselves, hiding behind a facade in order to fit in or avoid confrontation.
And love what you lose
When we care deeply for someone or something, losing it can cause immense pain and heartbreak, yet we continue to love and cherish it nonetheless.
And you're walking away
Leaving behind the familiar and comfortable can be scary, but sometimes it is necessary in order to grow and move forward in life.
And you try to get through
The journey forward can be difficult and full of obstacles, but we must persevere and try our best to overcome them.
But you've got another life
Sometimes, when we feel stuck or trapped, we forget that there are other paths and options available to us if we are willing to take a chance.
From the lies they told you
It can be easy to fall victim to the deceitful words and actions of others, but we must try to see through them in order to find our truth.
And you try to do it right
In life, we strive to do our best and make good choices that align with our values and beliefs.
And they all will see you
Our actions and choices have consequences, and we must be willing to be held accountable for them by those around us.
If you try to steal the beat ohh
If we are not careful, we can become ensnared in the rhythm and pace of life that is not our own, leading us astray from our true intentions and goals.
The beat will steal you
Ultimately, if we are not true to ourselves and choose to blindly follow the expectations and desires of others, we risk losing ourselves to the rhythm of life and becoming someone we do not recognize.
It's coming
Change is inevitable, and it is always right around the corner, waiting to be faced head-on.
It's coming in hard
Sometimes, change can be difficult and painful, but we must brace ourselves and meet it head-on in order to grow and succeed in life.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: ANDREW WHITEMAN, BRENDAN CANNING, CHARLES IVAN JAY SPEARIN, DAVID STEFAN NEWFELD, EVAN WHITNEY CRANLEY, JASON ROBERT COLLETT, JUSTIN PEROFF, KEVIN DREW, LESLIE FEIST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@popnotmyface
nevermind the kooks. THIS IS how indie should be done. sounds like BSC have made another classic to the collection :)
@TheOskr01100
I completely forgot about this band that I used to hear a lot. Today I saw an article about them and this song brings me a lot of memories
@ronniemation
i cant believe im only finding about this band now
@oziboyification
It is never late to listen to these brilliant people
@HolidayInGuantanamo
I loved this from the moment I first heard it on radio. Makes me think of long summer road trips along the.. er, shoreline.
@biffbuttsavage
Some of us were in high school when this was uploaded to YouTube. Holy crap!
@TruckeeNuts
Youtube was created the same year this album released. '05.
@ozro
I love BSS, easily one of the best indie bands out there.
@x7stringinJSCx
This has to be one of the Longest videos on YouTube and it only has 2.5M views as of right now in 2016.. kind of sad. its been on here for 10 years now. so epic. love this song even a decade later.
@matthewkedwards
I give it 7 out of 4!