One night, armed with a borrowed 8-track and locked inside their warehouse with friend Cam Loeppky, they proceeded to record a demo tape of original songs. Their friends (Sinisa and Darcy) loved it, but no one else cared.
One fall night in 1995, they played a festival in Winnipeg. A certain Mr. Peter Jenner, the infamous manager of Syd Barrett-era Pink Floyd, The Clash, and recently Billy Bragg, was in attendance. "These lads are pretty good," he was heard saying.
Then things started to happen. A local show with the wonderful Smugglers that summer eventually led to our joining the Mint Records family in March of 1996.
Their first album Smash the Ships and Raise the Beams (recorded by Darryl Neudorf in Vancouver) was released in September, 1996, and eventually climbed to #2 on the Canadian College charts. They toured Canada numerous times, and down through the States in early 1997. They even made it to Europe with Huevos Rancheros in early 1998.
A second album The Cons and the Pros (recorded by Brendann McGuire in Toronto) was released in May of 1998, and climbed to #1 on the Canadian College charts. That summer they toured Canada with The Weakerthans and Plumtree. Angus Kirkpatrick joined them on second bass for their next tour in the fall of 1998, during which they played with the Archers of Loaf in Toronto and Montreal. In the spring of 1999, they (including Angus) returned to Europe with The Hi-Fives for a fun-filled, six-week tour.
Blue Vinyl Chair
Duotang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I finally came to realize
I have floated for so long
That I don't know who I am
But the soldiers of my heart
Have surely set me straight again
If they feel I've gone too far
They always pull me back
Because they love to pull me back
Yeah, but now I should control my inner thoughts and intentions
But now I should have found a meaning and a goal
But I love to like me float in and out of intentions
Even though I know they'd love to judge the way I act
Oooh oooh
Because they love to pull me back
Oooh oooh
Because they love to pull me back
Oooh oooh
Soon I'll change
Soon soon I'll change
Soon oooh
On an old blue vinyl chair
I'm facing ...
And the sounds of others float
And likely fill my ears
The soldiers of my heart surely set me straight again
'Cause I feel I've gone too far
And I want our people back
Oooh oooh
And I want our people back
Oooh oooh
And I want our people back
Oooh oooh
The song "Blue Vinyl Chair" by Duotang represents the internal struggle of an individual who is lost and doesn't know who they are. The singer describes how they have been floating for so long that they have lost their identity. However, the soldiers of their heart have pulled them back each time they feel like they have gone too far. The soldiers are the internal forces of good that keep them from losing themselves completely.
The singer acknowledges that they should take control of their thoughts and intentions instead of letting themselves float in and out of their intentions. They know that people would judge them for their actions, but they still love to float. The repetition of "Because they love to pull me back" reinforces the singer's dependency on these internal forces for guidance.
In the last verse, the singer says that they are now facing their problems while sitting on the old blue vinyl chair. They can hear the sounds of others, and the soldiers of their heart are setting them straight again, as they feel like they have gone too far. The singer wants to regain their sense of self and reconnect with the people they have lost.
Overall, the song can be interpreted symbolically, with the blue vinyl chair representing a sanctuary where the individual can face their problems and regain their sense of identity, while the soldiers of the heart represent the conscience that guides them in the right direction.
Line by Line Meaning
On an old blue vinyl chair
Reflecting on myself while sitting on an old, worn-out blue vinyl chair
I finally came to realize
I have finally understood or become aware of something
I have floated for so long
I have been aimlessly drifting for a long time
That I don't know who I am
I have lost my sense of identity and don't know who I really am
But the soldiers of my heart
My internal motivations and desires
Have surely set me straight again
Have guided me back onto the right track
If they feel I've gone too far
If my desires take me too far from my true self
They always pull me back
They will bring me back in line with my inner self
Because they love to pull me back
My motivations and desires care for my well-being
Yeah, but now I should control my inner thoughts and intentions
I realize that I should take control of my thoughts and desires
But now I should have found a meaning and a goal
I should have discovered my purpose and direction in life by now
But I love to like me float in and out of intentions
I enjoy moving in and out of different desires and interests
Even though I know they'd love to judge the way I act
Even though my desires might not always align with my true self and others may disapprove of my actions
Soon I'll change
I plan to make changes in my life soon
Soon soon I'll change
Emphasizing the idea of changing in the near future
On an old blue vinyl chair
Once again, reflecting on myself while sitting on the old blue vinyl chair
I'm facing ...
I'm confronting or dealing with something
And the sounds of others float
The opinions of others reach my ears but don't impact me strongly
And likely fill my ears
And probably occupy a lot of my attention
And I want our people back
And I want to reconnect with the people around me and stop drifting aimlessly
Oooh oooh
Vocalization and/or emphasis of the preceding line
Contributed by Luke C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.