Emily is the daughter of Canadian poet Paul Haines and sister of Canadian television journalist Avery Haines. She was born in New Delhi, India, and raised in Canada. After settling in Peterborough, Ontario at the age of 3, she grew up in a milieu rich with experimental art and musical expression. Paul would often make cassettes of rare and eclectic music for his daughter to listen to and her early influences included Carla Bley, Robert Wyatt, and later PJ Harvey. By her teens she followed her parents' footsteps by attending the Etobicoke School of the Arts (ESA). There she met Amy Millan and Kevin Drew, with whom she would later collaborate in songs for Broken Social Scene and Stars.
Haines and Millan briefly formed their first band around 1990 while at ESA, and with songs later written and recorded while at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in 1992-1993, at Toronto in 1995, and at Concordia University in Montreal in 1995-1996, Haines distributed in 1996 an early effort, entitled "Cut in Half and Also Double", with a limited number of copies.
Haines has also ventured out into a small solo career, playing a limited number of shows with Amy Millan as the opener. Haines' act consisted of just herself (blindfolded), and a piano.
Her solo album called Knives Don't Have Your Back was released September 12, 2006 in Canada and on the 26th in the U.S.
She has contributed vocals or backing vocals to songs by Broken Social Scene, Jason Collett, Stars, Delerium, k-os, KC Accidental, MSTRKRFT, The Stills, Tiësto, The Crystal Method, Todor Kobakov.
Eden
Emily Haines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can you see even me, when I'm pushed
Call it a fall and lay all the blame on me
From where I'm standing, it's a long way down
Up here, at the top of a building,
Top of a mountain, top of a crowd
Watching all the people moving down there in their clothes
That everybody doesn't already know
I feel alright; I'm not coming down
Until I remember, and I will remember
Where I'm standing, it's high enough,
I'm looking out over miles and miles of highway signs
Do you know how to get out when you run out
When you run out of reasons nights ago
Oh I will remember,
If I still remember the Garden of Eden,
You could see even me, when I'm pushed
Called it a fall and lay all the blame on me
Emily Haines's song "Eden" presents a poetic exploration of the human condition and the search for meaning in life. The song's lyrics evoke a sense of isolation and detachment from the world, as the singer looks down on the bustling crowds below from a height of a building, a mountain, or in a crowd. The lines "It's like they're hiding, but there's nothing left / That everybody doesn't already know" suggests a sense of ennui and disillusionment with the world, as if the singer has seen everything there is to see and found it wanting. However, despite the predictable nature of the world, the singer still finds comfort in the moments of clarity they experience, hinting at a belief in something bigger beyond themselves.
The repeated line "If I still remember the Garden of Eden" serves as a metaphor for a lost innocence, a time when the singer was more connected to the world and themselves. This could be interpreted as a longing for a simpler existence, free from the constraints and complexities of modern life. The line "Called it a fall and lay all the blame on me" is a nod to the story of Adam and Eve in the Bible, implying that the singer is willing to take responsibility for their own perceived 'fall from grace', suggesting that they want to find redemption and a way back to a state of purity.
Overall, "Eden" is a poignant and introspective song that explores themes of human nature, disillusionment with the world, and the search for meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Welcome to the Garden of Eden
Greeting to the world of perfection and paradise
Can you see even me, when I'm pushed
Am I visible to you when things get tough
Call it a fall and lay all the blame on me
Accusing me of everything that goes wrong
From where I'm standing, it's a long way down
The place where I stand is a high point and any mistake could lead to a great loss
Up here, at the top of a building,Top of a mountain, top of a crowd
Standing on a high point surrounded by huge structures and people
Watching all the people moving down there in their clothes
Observing people from a height
It's like they're hiding, but there's nothing left
People covering themselves up and trying to conceal something but in vain
That everybody doesn't already know
All secrets have already been revealed
I feel alright; I'm not coming down
I'm feeling good up here and I don't want to come down
Until I remember, and I will remember
But at some point, I will have to remember the truth
Where I'm standing, it's high enough,I'm looking out over miles and miles of highway signs
The height is sufficient for me to have a view of the road signs that go on for miles and miles
Do you know how to get out when you run out
Do you have an exit strategy when you're out of options
When you run out of reasons nights ago
When you've exhausted all your options for quite some time
Oh, I will remember,If I still remember the Garden of Eden,You could see even me, when I'm pushed
I'm going to remember the place I stood before if I still have the memory, where even when things become hard, you could still see and acknowledge me
Called it a fall and lay all the blame on me
Even though I may take on the blame for a mistake, it isn't entirely mine, and I'm not at fault
Contributed by Lauren J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rorymcnabb39
Emily Haines is a musical, lyrical genius with unlimited talent. How did she figure everything out so young?
ecotextileStudio
I just learnt about Emily Haines, now I can't stop listening to her beautiful music...
Natalie Turner
Yeah she’s amazing. Her new solo album is incredible
Rorymcnabb39
Emily's voice is paradise.
gee buttersnaps
where can this be bought?
L.B
yeaaaa
Aurelius R
Wrong. Look it up.
Abstraktpoetry
It's learned, not learnt