Garneau, a native of Boston, lived with his family in Paris during grade school, and later New Jersey before moving to New York City. Garneau discovered a love of music at a young age while learning to play piano. After high school, Garneau briefly attended Berklee Music School in Boston, but left after completing one term and moved to Brooklyn, NY. There he began writing music and playing live shows at small venues in the East Village and Lower East Side of Manhattan, including CBGB's Gallery and "The Living Room".
Garneau eventually signed with Absolutely Kosher Records, an Emeryville, California-based record label. He was brought to the label by Jamie Stewart and Caralee McElroy of Xiu Xiu. Garneau released his debut album Music for Tourists in October 2006 and on iTunes in January 2007. His second project, an EP titled "C-Sides", was released in December 2007. Garneau's second full-length album, titled "El Radio," was released in July 2009.
Sad News
Chris Garneau Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It was always a dream of mine
I could have used a little help
But red wine's been a good friend of mine
I got sad news
Take off your shoes
Sit down for a while
Oh
I'm wearing me out
I'm wearing my old clothes
I'm writing all new poems
I'm riding in my car
Oh, the children, they're just babies
Little baby-sized socks and shoes
And I think that maybe
I should keep them away from you
I crawl in and then
I creep out outloud
I got a job,
I'm not proud, I'm not proud, no
I'm wearing me out
I'm wearing my old clothes
I'm writing all new poems
I'm riding in my car
Sad, sad, I got sad news
I got
Sad news
I got sad news
But it
(sad, sad, sad, sad)
It's all over now
It
(sad, sad, sad, sad)
It's all done
Red, red rover
I can't remember the game
I'm wearing me out
I'm wearing my old clothes
I'm writing all new poems
I'm riding in my car
The lyrics of Chris Garneau's song, Sad News, are haunting and full of intense emotion. The opening lines, "I should have killed you myself, it was always a dream of mine," immediately capture the listener's attention and set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer suggests that they have thought about killing someone, but ultimately didn't follow through, and instead turned to red wine as a coping mechanism. The chorus, "I got sad news, take off your shoes, sit down for a while," seems to be the singer sharing some bad news with someone, perhaps confronting the person they had considered killing.
The second verse talks about the singer wearing themselves out, writing new poems and riding in their car, perhaps alluding to an attempt to escape their thoughts and emotions. The mention of children and baby-sized socks and shoes adds another layer of complexity to the lyrics, suggesting that the singer may be a parent or caregiver, and potentially concerned about the safety of children around the person they once considered killing. The repeated line "sad, sad, I got sad news" further emphasizes the inevitably heavy nature of the undisclosed news the singer is sharing.
Overall, the lyrics of Sad News are confrontational and introspective, exploring themes of mental health, violence, and coping mechanisms. The song beautifully portrays the weight of our emotions and how we deal with them in our everyday lives.
Line by Line Meaning
I should have killed you myself
I’ve always imagined harming you in some way, but never had the guts to do it myself
It was always a dream of mine
I’ve thought about doing it so much that it almost felt like a goal or ambition of mine
I could have used a little help
Although I wanted to harm you, I knew I couldn't do it alone
But red wine's been a good friend of mine
Alcohol has been a crutch for me in dealing with my emotions and fantasies about hurting you
I got sad news
I have something unpleasant to share
Take off your shoes
Make yourself comfortable
Sit down for a while
Prepare to listen and hear me out
A while, a while
It may take some time to explain everything
I’m wearing me out
I am exhausting myself mentally and emotionally
I’m wearing my old clothes
I am stuck in the past and cannot move forward
I’m writing all new poems
I am trying to find a new outlet for my emotions and thoughts
I’m riding in my car
My car is my refuge and escape from reality
Oh, the children, they’re just babies
I am worried about the safety of the innocent and vulnerable children around you
Little baby-sized socks and shoes
It’s the small, innocent things that make me most concerned
And I think that maybe
I am considering ways to protect these children
I should keep them away from you
I fear that you pose a danger to them
I crawl in and then
I try to hide from my feelings and the world
I creep out outloud
I struggle to confront my fears and face them openly
I got a job, I’m not proud, I’m not proud, no
I am trying to distract myself from my problems, but I am not proud of the way I am handling things
Sad, sad, I got sad news
I have to share more bad news
Red, red rover
A childhood game that has lost its joy for me
I can’t remember the game
My memories of happier times are fading
It’s all over now
It’s time for closure and to move on
It’s all done
This chapter is ending
I got sad news
I am still struggling with the bad news that I have received
But it (sad, sad, sad, sad)
Despite the sadness, I am trying to find a way to move on
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GARNEAU
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind