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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White Flag
David Usher Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to be part of the scenery with all the lonely People there we are
Took a trip out to the galaxy
I'm not looking for salvation just a taste of liberation
I said my friends
Like to sit all day and watch the stars bend
I can see your white flag flying in the distance
If everything is perfect tell me why you're hurting
It won't be long
Took a trip out to the girly show
It was there I talked to jesus he said christ Don't you believe it
Another drink and we talked all night
I asked does it hurt to be you he said boy it hurts like hell
He said my friends
Like to sit all day and watch the stars bend
I can see your white flag flying in the distance
I know that you're lonely there where you are
If everything's so perfect tell me why you're hurting
It won't be long
Three am and the light's so strange
Little rosa's started dancing now with all the lonely people there we are
Leans to me asks for a cigarette
I asked does it hurt to be you
She said boy it hurts like hell
She said my friends like to sit all day and watch the stars bend
The song White Flag by David Usher is a reflection on the struggle with loneliness, repression, addiction and pain. The lyrics describe the experience of taking acid to be part of the scenery with all the lonely people around. The singer then takes a trip out to the galaxy, not searching for salvation but for liberation. The song questions the notion of perfection and asks why one might be hurting even when everything appears perfect. The white flag flying in the distance represents the surrender to one's struggles and the acceptance of the pain. The song is an invitation to acknowledge one's struggles and to seek understanding and connection with others who may be experiencing similar issues.
The second verse consists of the singer talking to Jesus at a girly show. He talks about the pain of being Jesus and how it hurts like hell. This can be interpreted as symbolizing the pain of being perceived as perfect by others and not being able to escape the expectations placed on oneself. The final verse introduces Little Rosa who asks for a cigarette and shares her pain with the singer. The repetition of "my friends like to sit all day and watch the stars bend" suggests that even though the characters are together they are still isolated and not communicating effectively.
Overall, White Flag is a poignant reflection on the struggles of life and the importance of seeking connection and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Took the acid in the afternoon
I took drugs in the afternoon
Just to be part of the scenery with all the lonely People there we are
I did it to blend in with the lonely crowd
Took a trip out to the galaxy
I went on a surreal trip
I'm not looking for salvation just a taste of liberation
I am not seeking to be saved, just want to feel free
I said my friends
I told my friends
Like to sit all day and watch the stars bend
They love to watch the stars as if they are bending
I can see your white flag flying in the distance
I see that you've given up and surrendered
I know that it's lonely there where you are
I understand that you are going through a tough time
If everything is perfect tell me why you're hurting
If everything is going well, why do you feel pain?
It won't be long
Things will get better soon
Took a trip out to the girly show
I went to a strip club
It was there I talked to jesus he said christ Don't you believe it
I hallucinated and talked to Jesus who told me not to believe in myself
Another drink and we talked all night
I drank more and talked to Jesus throughout the night
I asked does it hurt to be you he said boy it hurts like hell
I asked Jesus if it hurts to be who he is and he said it's very painful
He said my friends
Jesus said
Like to sit all day and watch the stars bend
His friends love watching the stars as if they're bending
I can see your white flag flying in the distance
I see that you've given up and surrendered
I know that you're lonely there where you are
I know you're going through a hard time alone
If everything's so perfect tell me why you're hurting
If everything in your life is perfect, why do you feel pain?
It won't be long
Things will get better soon
Three am and the light's so strange
It's 3am and everything looks weird
Little rosa's started dancing now with all the lonely people there we are
Rosa started dancing with the lonely crowd
Leans to me asks for a cigarette
She leans towards me and asks for a cigarette
I asked does it hurt to be you
I asked if she is hurting
She said boy it hurts like hell
She said that she is in immense pain
She said my friends like to sit all day and watch the stars bend
She said her friends also love watching the stars as if they're bending
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DIDO ARMSTRONG, RICK NOWELS, ROLLO ARMSTRONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind