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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Stars and Sons
Broken Social Scene Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You asked for nothing
Why don't you share it?
All of the time you live
There's something out there
This one will know how far to live on
This one won't ever know in this town
And in the red room at a distance
You're the same when you're living
I don't know it, it won't be this
This one will know how far to live on
This one will know how far to live on
All of the time you wait, there's someone out there
And no one can find all the red
How would you show it?
You can see through the red
How I know it, it won't be this time
This one will know how far to live on
This one will know how far to live on
The lyrics in Broken Social Scene's "Stars and Sons" seem to be exploring themes of self-discovery and the search for meaning in life. The mention of waiting for someone out there and the idea that there is something beyond the known reality speaks to a desire for purpose or direction. The repeated phrases about knowing how far to live on suggest an uncertainty and a need for guidance. The mention of the red room at a distance adds a sense of mystery and danger to the mix, hinting at the possibility of forces beyond our control.
The line "You're the same when you're living" could be interpreted as commentary on the anxiety that comes with trying to live up to societal expectations. No matter what we do or where we go, we are still ourselves and our problems will follow us. The final line "How I know it, it won't be this time" suggests a sense of resignation or acceptance that the answers we seek may not come easily or quickly, but we remain hopeful nonetheless.
Line by Line Meaning
Then when you let it
When you finally allow yourself to experience things
You asked for nothing
You didn't have any expectations
Why don't you share it?
Why don't you share your experiences with others?
All of the time you live
Throughout your life
There's something out there
There's always something new to experience
This one will know how far to live on
Some people instinctively know their limits
This one won't ever know in this town
Others may never find their place in their current environment
And in the red room at a distance
In the difficult, far-off places of life
How would you know it?
How would you even recognize it?
You're the same when you're living
You remain the same person throughout your life
I don't know it, it won't be this
I don't know what the future holds, but it won't be this current situation
All of the time you wait, there's someone out there
While you're waiting, there's always someone else experiencing things
And no one can find all the red
Nobody can fully understand everything in life
How would you show it?
How would you express your experiences to others?
You can see through the red
You can see through the challenges of life
How I know it, it won't be this time
I know that things will change and it won't always be like this
This one will know how far to live on
Some people just know how much they can handle in life
This one will know how far to live on
Reiteration of previous line
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Brendan Canning, Charles Spearin, David Whiteman, Evan Cranley, John Crossingham, Justin Peroff, Kevin Drew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind