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.
The View
Emily Haines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Green hillside, hands inside hands
I lay before you like unclaimed land
You drove your bulldozer over,
Wrote your name in the sand
I am new, watch the smoke move through
You've got this world, and the wine in your hand
So you drink it down, then you look at me
Offer me some watered-down potion
Eau de toilette of devotion
Tell me you've been saving it for me
Tell me you've been saving it for me
Who deserves a pretty tangled dream
Green hillside, hands inside hands
I lay before you like unclaimed land
Clear economic potential
You hung yourself in the sky frozen blue
My smile, a tattoo, you're happy, happy with what you've created
Tell me to choose like some big suit tycoon
Go on drink it down, look at me
Offer me some watered-down potion
Eau de toilette of devotion
Tell me you've been saving it for me
Tell me you've been saving it for me
You used to shine, I can't find where you drink it down
Yeah, look at me, offer me a watered-down potion
Eau de toilette of devotion
Drink it down, look at me
And offer me some watered-down potion
Eau de toilette of devotion
Tell me you've been saving it for me
Tell me you've been saving it for me
The lyrics of The View by Emily Haines navigate and explore the themes of unrequited love, emotional distance, power dynamics, and the destructive nature of relationships. The song seems to be a conversation between two people, with the singer expressing their feelings of being unclaimed land to the other person. The lines "Who deserves a pretty tangled dream/Green hillside, hands inside hands" evoke an idyllic image that signifies the singer's desire for a beautiful, fulfilling relationship.
However, the singer seems to be aware of the power dynamics at play in their dynamic, with lines like "You've got this world, and the wine in your hand/So you drink it down, then you look at me." These lyrics imply that the other person is taking advantage of their power and the singer's vulnerability, using them as an emotional crutch whenever it suits them.
The lines "Offer me some watered-down potion/Eau de toilette of devotion/Tell me you've been saving it for me" continue to build on this idea of manipulation, with the other person constantly feeding the singer empty promises and gestures that are lacking in true emotional depth. Overall, The View is a poignant portrayal of a toxic relationship where one person uses the other for emotional validation.
Line by Line Meaning
Who deserves a pretty tangled dream
Who is worthy of having a complex and beautiful aspiration?
Green hillside, hands inside hands
Imagery of a romantic landscape with people holding hands.
I lay before you like unclaimed land
The singer is being described as someone who is untouched and waiting for someone else to take ownership of them.
You drove your bulldozer over, wrote your name in the sand
Someone else came along and claimed the artist as their own.
I am new, watch the smoke move through
The artist is young and perhaps naive, and is watching things change around them.
You've got this world, and the wine in your hand
The person the song is directed towards has control and is enjoying worldly pleasures.
So you drink it down, then you look at me
The person drinks their wine and then shifts their attention to the singer.
Offer me some watered-down potion, Eau de toilette of devotion
They offer the artist a weak substitute for love and affection.
Tell me you've been saving it for me
The artist is asking for validation and reassurance that someone loves them and has been waiting for them.
Clear economic potential
The artist is being described in cold, financial terms rather than terms of love or affection.
You hung yourself in the sky frozen blue, my smile, a tattoo, you're happy, happy with what you've created
The singer's happiness and contentment is affecting the person in a way that they are 'hanging themselves' out of pride and fulfillment.
Tell me to choose like some big suit tycoon
The artist is being asked to make a decision like a corporate executive rather than like a lover.
You used to shine, I can't find where you drink it down
The person used to be outgoing and vibrant but now they seem to be more reserved and quiet.
Yeah, look at me, offer me a watered-down potion
The person continues to offer the singer something that is not genuine or satisfying.
Drink it down, look at me and offer me some watered-down potion
The song repeats the idea of offering a weak, diluted version of love and affection.
Tell me you've been saving it for me
The artist is still asking for assurance that they are loved and wanted.
Contributed by Xavier R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Scott Carey
I've heard that Emily doesn't like this album :( a shame considering that it's my favorite album
Rorymcnabb39
Is it "watered down potion" , or "version" or what I'm not sure, I really like it either way
pans
The titles of Eau De Toilette and The View seem to be switched, but purposely by Emily Haines. I've looked up discographies that confirm this as well as other YouTube videos. You'd have to ask her, though.