David Usher was born in Oxford to an ethnic Thai Buddhist, artist Samphan Usher and a Jewish Montrealer, Dan Usher, who is an economist at Queen's University.[1] He has relocated to Malaysia, New York, California and Thailand since early childhood before his family settled in Kingston, Ontario. He attended high school at Kingston Collegiate and Vocational Institute.
Attending university at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, Usher joined Moist in 1993 and their 1994 debut release, Silver, went quadruple platinum in Canada. As the lead singer of the band, he shot to stardom with his soulful voice and vaguely exotic good looks.
After Moist's multi-platinum follow-up, Creature, was released in 1996, David took some time during the band's hiatus to record his debut solo album, Little Songs, released in 1998. That same year he married photographer and actress Sabrina Reeves, with whom he is still living. Together they have a daughter, Coco, who was born on January 12, 2003.
After recording the album Mercedes 5 and Dime with Moist, he revived his solo career again, releasing the highly successful Morning Orbit in the summer 2001. It contains the hit single "Black Black Heart". In 2003, he released another solo album entitled Hallucinations, which matched the amount of major label albums he had recorded with Moist.
In 2005, he surpassed that number with the release of If God Had Curves. The album had a resemblance to his first solo effort Little Songs, as it is dominantly an acoustic album. This album also featured a collaboration with Tegan Quin, on the track "Hey Kids".
2007 David and family have moved back to Montreal, Canada and David's embarking on a tour in September/October and November 2007.
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Surfacing
David Usher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The waters deep here you can feel your own Strength fading,
You're beginning to let go,
The bubbles rise as we go down,
Underwater, overwhelmed,
Can't fight the current here It's starting to take hold
But high above me I can see the surface now,The picture perfect life is fading out of view,
And high above me I can feel the world,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
I just need you,
I just need you
Then you grow colder like a dream,
I can't believe the practical things,
They're always out of reach,
And I know you're not really here,
These visions fly so quickly on the edge,
They're starting to take hold
But high above me I can see the surface now,
The picture perfect life is fading out of view,
And high above me I can feel the world,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
Won't you help me with this loneliness?
'Cause I don't know what's wrong or right,
Underneath the truth,
Won't you help me with this bitterness,'Cause I can't seem to walk outside
Car crash East side of town,
The waters deep here I can feel your own Strength fading,
You're beginning to let go,
The bubbles rise as we go down,
Underwater, overwhelmed,
Can't fight the current here It's starting to take hold
But high above me I can see the surface now,
The picture perfect life is fading out of view,
And high above me I can feel the world,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
But I don't need it,
I just need you,
I just need you,
I just need you,
I just need you.
The lyrics of "Surfacing" by David Usher tell the story of a car crash that leads to the loss of strength and drowning of the singer. Despite being overwhelmed, the singer sees the surface above them and realizes that the picture-perfect life they have been chasing is fading out of view. The world feels insignificant and what they need is the person they love. However, the relationship is deteriorating, and the singer starts to feel disconnected and lost, struggling with bitterness and loneliness. The song ends with the repeated need of the singer for their loved one.
The song is a metaphor for the struggles that life throws at us, and how in difficult moments, we tend to realize what is more important to us. The character is drowning, and instead of fighting against the current, they see the surface and realize that they do not need to be among the crowd, mesmerized by the illusion of the "picture perfect life." It is a wakeup call for the character to value what is genuinely essential in their life.
Line by Line Meaning
Car crash East side of town,
The beginning of a tragic event that occurs in a specific region
The waters deep here you can feel your own Strength fading,
The feeling of helplessness and loss of power
You're beginning to let go,
The act of surrendering and giving in to despair
The bubbles rise as we go down,
The resurfacing of suppressed emotions and memories
Underwater, overwhelmed,
The state of being overpowered and engulfed with immense sorrow
Can't fight the current here It's starting to take hold
The realization that it's impossible to resist negative circumstances and they have now taken control
But high above me I can see the surface now,
The optimism and hope of a better future
The picture perfect life is fading out of view,
The realization that an ideal life is not realistic
And high above me I can feel the world,
The awareness of surroundings and environment
But I don't need it,
The rejection of external factors that may not be essential
I just need you,
The recognition and acceptance of a crucial emotional support
Then you grow colder like a dream,
The bitter reality of a loved one withdrawing support and affection
I can't believe the practical things,
The disbelief and inability to address practical issues without support
They're always out of reach,
The realization that resolving practical issues may not be feasible alone
And I know you're not really here,
The acknowledgement of emotional absence
These visions fly so quickly on the edge,
The fleeting nature of momentary solutions
They're starting to take hold
The recognition of a temporary measure that may not address the underlying issue
Won't you help me with this loneliness?
The plea for emotional support and companionship
'Cause I don't know what's wrong or right,
The confusion and inability to navigate through circumstances alone
Underneath the truth,
The hidden layers of reality that may be concealed
Won't you help me with this bitterness,
The request for assistance in overcoming negative emotions
'Cause I can't seem to walk outside
The state of emotional paralysis and inability to face reality
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAVID USHER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mmsf9796
16 years passed and this makes me goosebumps OMG
@andie-castillo
17 years later and i’m here after re-watching cheaper by the dozen <3
@vick07esco
Lol that's how I found this song as well
@doomas9
Still good song
@andie-castillo
@@doomas9 agreed
@mollylea2643
I can’t place it. Can someone please tell me what scene the song is in?
@andie-castillo
it was a super short scene (probably 10 seconds long), but it was the one charlie was in his room doing homework, and then he picks up a picture of his girlfriend.
@RiZzO_420x
Why don't I remember this? Has to be their best music.
@jermainechowthi
I love how there are "secret versions" of David Usher/Moist tracks. This vid is the ONLY place to hear this version of Surfacing with the heavy guitars. The album version is more chill; this heavy version for the video hits me all the right ways.
If there is anywhere to buy this version in lossless quality, I'd THROW my wallet at it SO hard. XD
@roxhana2
since 97 sometimes i listen to his songs when i m upset, and i always get better after that..long live david usher.