With guitar in hand, Craig can turn any setting into an intimate affair, infusing his music and lyrics with an uncompromising humanism rarely seen in today's production-heavy climate.
Craig makes it a point to keep the relationship with his fans personal, inviting and accepting any opportunity to make his audience as much a part of the performance as he is. Don't be surprised if one day you find yourself enjoying one of Craig's renowned shows in the comfort of your own living room.
In 2012, Cardiff was nominated for a Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo, and for a Canadian Folk Music Award as Contemporary Singer of the Year.
For more information, tour dates, and music, please visit the official Craig Cardiff site.
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Craig Cardiff's Bandcamp page
The Very Last Night of the End of the World
Craig Cardiff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big news burst over frequencies
Saying 'Peril! C'est Tout! C'est le fin'
Talking heads assessed best outcomes
In the end, all agreed things would end bad
Verse 2
She said 'I'm sick of your cleverness'
Spat, fence-sitter! But I'd lost the thread
She said 'I'm leaving you tonight, I mean it,
I'm leaving with Quebec. '
Verse 3
I'm leaving california
Detroit, halifax
I'm leaving all of you
So you can't leave me back
Chorus
(On what we later learned was)
The Very Last Night of The End of The World
If this is all you get, how will it be spent?
Ashamed? Or Alone? Angry? Drunk?
Shouting blame, or mabe
(Or better spent)
Fearless, Joyous, Kissing,
Laughing, Dancing,
Holding onto hope as long as hope can be held onto.
Verse 4
It's your last little lie, your last cigarette
Your last sip of alcohol, a love song's pirouette
The You the song gets sung to
With imploring convincing hands
Singing 'Blue skies would be bluer if you'd just give this love a chance'
Verse 5
After leaving Quebec
She abandoned Berlin
Got out of Chicago when the air got thin
Verse 6
Fleeing Paris
Burning Sicily
The Lakes drank up Toronto
The Vampires drank Calgary.
Repeat chorus x2
In the song "The Very Last Night of The End of The World" by Craig Cardiff, the first verse describes a news announcement that a disaster is going to happen and it will be the end of the world. The talking heads disseminate the news but they all agree that it will end badly. The second verse describes a conversation between two people, where one person is cleverly trying to argue their point, causing frustration in the other person. The frustrated person then declares that they are leaving, not just the person they are talking to but with Quebec. The third verse continues the idea of leaving as the singer declares that they are leaving everyone and everything, so that they can't be left back.
The chorus then questions how we would spend our time on the last night of the end of the world. Would we spend our time feeling ashamed, angry, or alone and drunk? Would we be shouting blame or would we rather spend it fearlessly, joyously, kissing, laughing, dancing, and holding on to hope as long as we can? The fourth verse describes the last things that we would do, the last lies we would tell, our last indulgence with alcohol, and the last song we would sing. The last line of this verse implores the listener to take a chance on love, reminding them that even the blue skies will look bluer with love. The fifth verse continues the idea of leaving, as the person in the song leaves more and more places. The final verse mentions the complete destruction, with lakes drinking up Toronto, and vampires drinking Calgary.
Overall, the song explores the idea of leaving everything behind, the possible frustrations between people, and how we might spend our last moments on earth. The chorus poses questions that encourage us to reflect on our own lives and what we value the most.
Line by Line Meaning
Big news burst over frequencies
Major news announcements spread through various channels
Saying 'Peril! C'est Tout! C'est le fin'
Announcing that danger looms and it's the end
Talking heads assessed best outcomes
The experts predicted the most favorable results
In the end, all agreed things would end bad
Despite assessments, it was agreed that the outcome wouldn't be favorable.
She said 'I'm sick of your cleverness'
She expressed her resentment of his cunningness
Spat, fence-sitter! But I'd lost the thread
She insulted him and he was no longer following her train of thought
She said 'I'm leaving you tonight, I mean it,
She declared her decision to leave him that same night
I'm leaving with Quebec.'
She's leaving with Quebec, possibly referring to the separatist movement
I'm leaving california
Leaving the state of California
Detroit, halifax
Leaving these cities as well
I'm leaving all of you
Not just leaving a place, but abandoning everyone
So you can't leave me back
Making the first move so no one can leave her first
It's your last little lie, your last cigarette
Doing things for the last time before it's all over
Your last sip of alcohol, a love song's pirouette
Last drink and a final dramatic act of romance
The You the song gets sung to
The person who is the subject of the love song
With imploring convincing hands
Using persuasive gestures to make someone understand
Singing 'Blue skies would be bluer if you'd just give this love a chance'
Trying to convince someone that things would be better if they just gave love a chance
After leaving Quebec
Moving on from Quebec
She abandoned Berlin
Also leaving Berlin behind
Got out of Chicago when the air got thin
Left Chicago when things got too hard to handle
Fleeing Paris
Escaping from Paris
Burning Sicily
Sicily is destroyed or damaged in some way
The Lakes drank up Toronto
Referring to the phenomenon of Lake Ontario flooding Toronto, causing a city-wide blackout
The Vampires drank Calgary.
A metaphor for something terrible or dark happening in Calgary, as if it's being consumed by vampires
If this is all you get, how will it be spent?
Asking how someone plans to spend their last moments or days
Ashamed? Or Alone? Angry? Drunk?
Naming some possible emotions one might feel in the face of the end of the world
Shouting blame, or maybe
Reacting with anger and blaming others or possibly something else
(Or better spent)
Others might have a better idea about how to spend these moments
Fearless, Joyous, Kissing,
Instead of negative emotions, one might feel brave, happy, or loving
Laughing, Dancing,
Finding joy in these final moments
Holding onto hope as long as hope can be held onto.
Even in dire situations, trying to hold onto a glimmer of hope as long as possible
Contributed by Adam V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Jenna Carmichael
So Happy I found This Song
Craig Cardiff - Music
thanks Jenna - hope you are well - thanks for your ears / support! - cc
Alejandro Guasch Tur
in heaven