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.
King Of Beliefs
Duotang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm the king of beliefs
And I'm dodging extremes
We should be watching the stars
And thinking of ...
And the mountains of dreams
We were bound to conceive
Now you're ...
And I've got to move on
But I'll be watching the stars
And thinking of ...
And the upset dreams
Yeah, they're not what they seem
We just fall in...
Fall in between
Fall in between
Fall in between
So give me the chance to express how I feel
I'm the king of beliefs
And the artist of ...
But I'll remember the stars
Yeah, the ones that were ours
And the mountains of dreams
Yeah, they're not what they seem
We just fall in
Fall in between
Fall in between
Fall in between
The lyrics of "King of Beliefs" by Duotang are an expression of the singer's desire to be heard and understood. The singer asks for the chance to express how they feel, emphasizing their belief in themselves as the "king of beliefs." They reject extremes and instead advocate for watching the stars and thinking of the mountains of dreams they were bound to conceive. The lyrics suggest a desire for a more contemplative and meaningful approach to living, one that is not dictated by extremes but rather by a deep inner knowing.
However, the singer acknowledges that sometimes relationships don't work out, and they find themselves "falling in between" the extremes. They can't explain how they grew apart from their former partner, but they must move on. This realization is bittersweet because the memories of watching the stars and dreaming together cannot be erased. The singer vows to remember these moments and cherishes the belief in themselves as an artist of their beliefs.
The song's themes resonate with the idea of individualism and the importance of listening to one's inner voice. The singer represents the importance of self-belief and finding a balance between the extremes. The song reminds us that no matter what obstacles we face, we must trust ourselves and hold onto our dreams.
Line by Line Meaning
Give me the chance to express how I feel
I need an opportunity to convey my emotions
I'm the king of beliefs
I have great conviction and confidence in my beliefs
And I'm dodging extremes
I'm avoiding the aspects of beliefs that are too extreme or absolute
We should be watching the stars
We should be looking up at and appreciating the beauty of the night sky
And thinking of ...
We should be contemplating the mystery and wonder of the universe
And the mountains of dreams
The great and lofty goals we hope to achieve
We were bound to conceive
We were destined to come up with these aspirations
I can't explain how we grew apart
I'm unable to justify why our relationship fell apart
Now you're ...
You've moved on and I'm left behind
And I've got to move on
I need to accept reality and move on from this situation
But I'll be watching the stars
I will continue to look up at the stars and find comfort in their beauty
And thinking of ...
I will continue to ponder the mysteries of the universe
And the upset dreams
The goals that we once shared but now seem unattainable
Yeah, they're not what they seem
These once great aspirations now seem hollow and superficial
We just fall in...
We get caught in the middle of opposing forces or issues
Fall in between
We are neither here nor there, we are unsure about what to do next
So give me the chance to express how I feel
I still need to express my emotions and be heard
I'm the king of beliefs
My conviction in my beliefs has not wavered, I still have confidence in them
And the artist of ...
I am also a creator and have the ability to shape my own reality
But I'll remember the stars
I will never forget the beauty and inspiration I found in the stars
Yeah, the ones that were ours
The stars that we watched together and connected over
And the mountains of dreams
I will continue to strive towards my goals and aspirations
Yeah, they're not what they seem
Despite setbacks and challenges, I still believe my dreams are worth pursuing
We just fall in
We still struggle and sometimes get stuck in the middle of opposing forces
Fall in between
We're still unsure about our direction, but we won't give up trying to find our way
Fall in between
We will continue to persevere, despite our uncertainty and doubts
Contributed by Taylor Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.