Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter originally from Sydney,… Read Full Bio ↴Courtney Barnett is an Australian singer/songwriter originally from Sydney, New South Wales; later moving to Hobart, Tasmania[/placeform] where she began performing music in 2006 before relocating to Melbourne in 2010.

Barnett puts a lot of effort into sounding effortless. Her songs are wild and wooly and wordy, her lyrics plainspoken and delivered like she’s making them up on the spot.

Barnett was originally a part of several bands, including Immigrant Union and The Olivettes before focusing on her solo work. In 2012, Barnett started her own record label, Milk! Records, and recorded her debut EP I've Got A Friend Called Emily Ferris in a friend's lounge room and released it later that year. Late 2012 also saw the release of a new single, "History Eraser," which was backed with Jen Cloher's "Mount Beauty" for a split seven-inch release.

In 2013, Barnett released her second EP, How to Carve a Carrot Into a Rose. Along with "History Eraser," the EP spawned a second single, "Avant Gardener." Her second EP received international acclaim, taking her and the band, Dave Mudie (drums), Bones Sloane (bass) and Dan Luscombe (guitar) all around the world.

Barnett would later combine those two EP releases into one for The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas, which was released internationally on 20 May 2013 via House Anxiety/Marathon Artists. It was named the album of the week by Stereogum.

Barnett's debut LP, Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, was released in 2015 to widespread acclaim. At the 2015 ARIA Music Awards, she won four awards from eight nominations. She was nominated for Best New Artist at the 58th Annual Grammy Awards and International Female Solo Artist at the 2016 Brit Awards.

In 2017, she released Lotta Sea Lice, a collaborative album with Kurt Vile.

Barnett's second album, Tell Me How You Really Feel, was released in 2018.

Canned Tomatoes
Courtney Barnett Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I walk slowly to the store
You don't live here anymore
You used to live 'round the corner
(Cigarettes and alcohol)

Last week, I turned twenty-four
You don't call me anymore
We used to speak every morning

(I was sleeping on the floor)

I still get the mail for you
I leave it at the door
Every letter seems a warning
Pay your rego by the fourth
Monday morning laundry
Or coffee on the garden wall

You're good 'cause you're never boring
You should probably call me more

Overall Meaning

In Courtney Barnett's song "Canned Tomatoes", the singer expresses their feelings of nostalgia and sadness towards a past relationship. The song begins with the singer walking to the store and realizing that their former partner no longer lives in the area. The next stanza reveals that the singer has just turned twenty-four and that their ex-partner no longer speaks to them. The line "I was sleeping on the floor" suggests a possible reason for the relationship ending. The singer still receives mail for their ex and leaves it at the door, indicating that they still hold onto small hopes of a rekindling of the relationship. The chorus, "Monday morning laundry, or coffee on the garden wall. You're good 'cause you're never boring. You should probably call me more" conveys the wistful longing for the simple moments that were shared in the past and an invitation for the ex-partner to reconnect.

Throughout the song, Barnett's use of imagery is poignant and carefully crafted. The juxtaposition of mundane tasks such as laundry and coffee on the garden wall with the deep emotions expressed create a sense of melancholy and longing. The line "Every letter seems a warning, pay your rego by the fourth" suggests an alternate interpretation of the song as a reflection on transition and the past. "Rego" is short for registration, which could be seen as a metaphor for the impending changes that come with aging and moving on.

Line by Line Meaning

I walk slowly to the store
I take my time as I make my way to the store

You don't live here anymore
You no longer reside in this area

You used to live 'round the corner
You once resided in a home located near this location

(Cigarettes and alcohol)
Implies the purchase of cigarettes and alcohol during this previous time period

Last week, I turned twenty-four
I recently celebrated my twenty-fourth birthday

You don't call me anymore
You no longer attempt to communicate with me through phone calls

We used to speak every morning
We previously engaged in conversation on a daily basis

(I was sleeping on the floor)
Implies that the artist was going through a rough patch, perhaps financially or emotionally

I still get the mail for you
The artist still receives your mail for you

I leave it at the door
I place the mail outside the door of the residence

Every letter seems a warning
The singer interprets every piece of mail as foreboding or cautionary

Pay your rego by the fourth
An example of the menacing tone of the mail, suggesting a deadline for payment of your vehicle registration by a certain date

Monday morning laundry
Simple reference to a mundane weekly task

Or coffee on the garden wall
Contrasting image to the previous line, a pleasant-sounding activity in a serene setting

You're good 'cause you're never boring
The singer has positive feelings toward you, finding you interesting and engaging

You should probably call me more
The artist expresses a desire for more communication and connection with you

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Courtney Barnett

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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TRACKS