Born in 1970 and raised in Kitchener, Ontario , he began his professional career playing with the Rhinos before beginning a solo career. In the late 1990s, he moved to Ottawa, where he developed a loyal following with a weekly show at the Manx Pub on Elgin St. In his live shows, he often uses looped live samples of his guitar and other instruments to create a richly layered solo performance. While at the Manx he often entertained with cover versions of songs by some of his favourite artists, including David Bowie, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, and the Rheostatics. At the same time, he began to amass an extensive repertoire of original tunes, and briefly joined local power-pop band Starling.
As a songwriter, he has released six albums, including an album devoted to covers David Bowie songs. His albums have often been recorded in a home-studio with him performing most, if not all, instruments. He is a talented guitarist who is universally lauded for his lyrics, having been compared to Elvis Costello and received accolades from renowned Canadian author Timothy Findley.
In 2004, Danny was nominated for Best New Artist at the Juno Awards following the release of his album "Tales from the Invisible Man" the previous year. The award went to Michael Bublé.
Two Hearts
Danny Michel Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and any day now the comeback.
I'm tangled up on the floor in the headphones cord.
Way back when DJ means DJ,
and roller disco on Sundays.
The hiss and crackle n' skip,
the woofers flutter and clip.
When 2 hearts, they never hurt no one.
When 2 hearts, they added up to one.
That heart could never come undone, it never weighed a ton.
Hey DJ play that track, somebody take me back.
I got no beepers, no pagers.
Just Farrah Fawcett-Lee-Majors.
The sunset drive-in at dark,
we cruise in gently and park.
I'm making out on the shag rug,
with Mary Anne and some soft drugs.
Places I'd never seen except in magazines.
45's and skirts, Bowie on my shirt.
Set your phasers on stun, leave all the kids out in the sun,
Atari& Pong, they never did us wrong.
Someone take me back.
The lyrics to Danny Michel's song "Two Hearts" capture a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era. The singer romanticizes the technology, music, and cultural norms of their childhood, and longs to return to a time when everything seemed simpler and more innocent. The opening lines reference the 8-track, a now-obsolete music format that was popular in the 1970s. The singer suggests that a comeback is imminent, which may be an ironic commentary on the cyclical nature of trends and fads. The image of getting tangled up in headphones serves as a metaphor for the singer's longing to become lost in the past.
The following lines depict a time when DJ meant "DJ" and there was roller disco on Sundays. Here, the singer celebrates the way things used to be, when music was played on physical media and people gathered together to dance and socialize. The hiss and crackle of vinyl records and the technical imperfections of sound systems are portrayed as endearing quirks that added character and charm to the music. The repeated refrain of "Let's go back" reinforces the idea that the singer is yearning to revisit their childhood or adolescence.
The chorus of the song declares that "2 hearts" never hurt anyone and that they add up to one. This could be interpreted as a reference to the ideal of finding a soulmate or a partner who completes you. The absence of hurt and weight in this idealized vision of love suggests that the singer is looking back on a time before they experienced heartbreak or disillusionment in their relationships. The references to Farrah Fawcett, drive-in theaters, and making out on shag rugs evoke a sense of carefree romance and youthful experimentation. The song ends with a yearning plea for someone to take the singer back to this simpler time.
Line by Line Meaning
I grew up on the 8-track,
I was raised during a time when cassette tapes were the norm.
and any day now the comeback.
I predict that 8-tracks will eventually make a resurgence in popularity.
I'm tangled up on the floor in the headphones cord.
I'm caught in the memories of my youth, symbolized here by getting mixed up in the cords of my headphones.
Way back when DJ means DJ,
In the past, the term 'DJ' was only used to describe someone who played music on the radio, not someone who spun records at clubs.
and roller disco on Sundays.
Roller-skating and disco were popular weekend activities during my youth.
The hiss and crackle n' skip,
The nostalgic sounds of vinyl records, complete with scratches and pops.
the woofers flutter and clip.
The bass was so loud that it caused the singer cones to vibrate and distort the sound.
When 2 hearts, they never hurt no one.
When two people were in love, it didn't cause any harm to anyone else.
When 2 hearts, they added up to one.
When two people were in love, they felt like one entity, instead of two separate individuals.
That heart could never come undone, it never weighed a ton.
The love between two people was so strong that it never felt burdensome or too heavy to bear.
Hey DJ play that track, somebody take me back.
The singer is asking the DJ to play a song that will take them back in time to a happier, more carefree era.
I got no beepers, no pagers.
During this time period, people didn't have cell phones or other digital devices that allow for constant communication.
Just Farrah Fawcett-Lee-Majors.
The singer is reminiscing about a past Hollywood couple that was popular and admired at the time.
The sunset drive-in at dark,
Drive-in movie theaters were a common place for young people to hang out and socialize in the evenings.
we cruise in gently and park.
The singer and their companions would arrive at the drive-in slowly and carefully, looking for a good place to park their car.
I'm making out on the shag rug,
The artist is recalling a time when they made out with someone on a shag rug, which was a popular home decor item during this era.
with Mary Anne and some soft drugs.
The artist was with a woman named Mary Anne, and they may have also been under the influence of drugs at the time.
Places I'd never seen except in magazines.
The singer is reminiscing about exciting and exotic places that they only knew from reading magazines and watching TV shows.
45's and skirts, Bowie on my shirt.
The singer is appreciating the music and fashion of their past, specifically the short 45 rpm records and the style of clothing at the time, with David Bowie as a particular favorite artist.
Set your phasers on stun, leave all the kids out in the sun,
The artist is advocating for a carefree, adventurous lifestyle that involves partying and enjoying life to the fullest.
Atari& Pong, they never did us wrong.
The artist is fondly remembering the days of playing video games on the Atari console, which was a popular pastime for many people during this era.
Someone take me back.
The artist is expressing a desire to return to the simpler, more carefree days of their youth.
Contributed by Tyler K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.