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.
Uniform
Duotang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a warm, caring smile
She was drawn to his world
And he swallowed her whole
He devoured her soul
But she glanced the wrong way
It's another bad day
And I'll never keep inside
I'm wrapped in a uniform
I've got the world by its horns
I'll never leave it alone
He's just broken
As she's wiping her eyes
And he swears this will subside
But she's drawn to his world
I still love you the same
I still love you the same
But she glanced the wrong way
It's another bad day
And I'll never keep inside
All eyes hurt before
I'm wrapped in a uniform
I've got the world by its horns
I'll never leave it alone
He's just broken
He's just broken
And I'll rip her open wide
She is all I have and more
Never bothered before
I've got so much to hide
I've got so much to hide
And I'll never keep inside
All eyes hurt before
I'm wrapped in a uniform
I've got the world by its horns
I'll never leave it alone
I'm just broken
I'm just broken
The song Uniform by Duotang speaks about a woman who is attracted to a man with a warm, caring smile, and ends up being completely taken over by his world. The man devours her soul and she is unable to take her eyes off him, even though he is broken. The singer of the song observes their relationship from afar, aware that the woman is having a bad day, but feels helpless to intervene. The singer is also struggling with his own internal demons and feels enclosed in a uniform, unable to break free.
The lyrics reflect the toxic nature of relationships where one partner is emotionally dependent on the other to the point where they lose their personal identity. The line "All eyes hurt before, I'm wrapped in a uniform" symbolizes the feeling of being trapped and unable to express oneself, while "I've got the world by its horns" suggests a determination to overcome these limitations.
The song ends on a bleak note with the line "And I'll never keep inside, I'm just broken" implying that while the singer acknowledges the need to express himself, he is still unable to break out of his uniform and make a change.
Line by Line Meaning
With... inside
The girl was attracted to the boy's personality and character.
And a warm, caring smile
The boy had an inviting and loving demeanor that attracted the girl.
She was drawn to his world
The girl was fascinated by the boy's life and wanted to be a part of it.
And he swallowed her whole
The boy consumed the girl's identity and individuality, taking complete control of her.
He devoured her soul
The boy took away all of the girl's freedom and left her feeling empty and lost.
But she glanced the wrong way
The girl made a mistake and the boy reacted in a negative way.
It's another bad day
The boy frequently has negative days and takes it out on the girl.
And I'll never keep inside
The girl will never hide her true feelings and emotions.
All eyes hurt before
The girl has experienced emotional pain from others before.
I'm wrapped in a uniform
The girl feels trapped and confined in her current situation.
I've got the world by its horns
The girl is determined and has control over her own life.
I'll never leave it alone
The girl will never give up on herself and her future.
He's just broken
The boy is emotionally damaged and needs help to heal.
As she's wiping her eyes
The girl is crying and upset about her situation.
And he swears this will subside
The boy promises that things will get better and he will change.
I still love you the same
The girl still has feelings for the boy despite everything that has happened.
But she glanced the wrong way
The girl made another mistake and the boy reacted poorly.
It's another bad day
The boy continues to have negative days and take it out on the girl.
And I'll never keep inside
The girl will always express her true feelings and emotions.
All eyes hurt before
The girl has been hurt emotionally by others in the past.
I'm wrapped in a uniform
The girl feels trapped and confined in her current situation.
I've got the world by its horns
The girl is in control of her own life despite her current circumstances.
I'll never leave it alone
The girl will never give up on herself and her dreams.
He's just broken
The boy is emotionally damaged and needs help to heal.
He's just broken
The boy is still struggling with emotional issues.
And I'll rip her open wide
The boy will completely hurt and damage the girl emotionally.
She is all I have and more
The boy is dependent on the girl for emotional support and control.
Never bothered before
The boy has never cared about the girl's emotions in the past.
I've got so much to hide
The boy has emotional secrets and issues that he's keeping hidden.
I've got so much to hide
The boy is hiding his true emotions and feelings.
And I'll never keep inside
The girl will always express her true emotions and feelings.
All eyes hurt before
The girl has been emotionally hurt by others before.
I'm wrapped in a uniform
The girl feels trapped and confined in her current situation.
I've got the world by its horns
The girl is in control of her own life despite her current circumstances.
I'll never leave it alone
The girl will never give up on herself and her future.
I'm just broken
The girl is emotionally damaged from the boy's treatment.
I'm just broken
The girl is struggling with her own emotional issues and pain.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: RUSSELL LISSACK, GORDON MOAKES, KELE OKEREKE, MATT TONG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind