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.
Winning
Emily Haines Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Outspend, betting if it looks like winning you haven't been
Knives don't have your back
I wait and I count, the knives don't have your back
I wait and I count to the last breath we take
What we made, doesn't make sense
What's a wolf without a pack?
Open your chest
What's bad, we'll fix it
What's wrong, we'll make it alright, alright
It's gone, we'll find it
Takes so long, we've got time
All the time
Some part of you, too small to lose
Some part of you, too small to lose
All of us, All of you
All of us, All of you counting to the last breath we take
What we made, doesn't make sense
What's a wolf without a pack?
Open your chest and take the heart from it
When you talk, can I tape you?
How'd you get what we don't know?
We don't know how to help
Only know how to hound
Nose to the grindstone
Grindstone to the ground
Don't even visit that place,
They'll sharpen their teeth on your smile
I'm glad you didn't
All our songs will be lullabyes in no time
What's bad, What's wrong, make it alright, alright
It's gone, so long
We've got time, all the time
All the time
Aaaaaahhhhhhh
The song "Winning" by Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton seems to be a commentary on success and the measures people take to achieve it. Haines seems to be pointing out the absurdity of how some people pursue success, by never opening a book but always reading magazines, or spending money to bet on winning without actually putting in the work to achieve it. The line "Knives don't have your back" suggests that even though people may have superficial support, when it comes down to it, they are alone in their pursuit.
Haines talks about how what people make may not make sense, and what's a wolf without a pack? It could be interpreted as how individuals without support are at a disadvantage when reaching for their goals. The lines "Open your chest and take the heart from it" and "Some part of you, too small to lose" suggest that people need to have the courage to be vulnerable and to give everything they have to achieve success.
The song ends with the repetition of the lines "What's bad, we'll fix it, What's wrong, we'll make it alright, alright," showing a resolve to overcome obstacles and the understanding that it takes time to achieve success.
Line by Line Meaning
To never open a book, always reading a magazine
To choose the easy option instead of putting in the work
Outspend, betting if it looks like winning you haven't been
Trying to buy your way into success doesn't guarantee it
Knives don't have your back
People you thought were supporting you might betray you
I wait and I count, the knives don't have your back
Keeping watch and being cautious about who to trust
I wait and I count to the last breath we take
Being vigilant until the very end
What we made, doesn't make sense
Realizing that a past decision doesn't align with current understanding
What's a wolf without a pack?
Being alone can make you feel incomplete
Open your chest and take the heart from it
Being vulnerable and revealing your most true emotions
What's bad, we'll fix it
Being proactive and seeking resolution for problems
What's wrong, we'll make it alright, alright
Promising to make things better
It's gone, we'll find it
Making efforts to recover what was lost
Takes so long, we've got time
Patience is key
All of us, All of you counting to the last breath we take
All in this together, until the very end
Some part of you, too small to lose
Holding onto something that feels essential, even if it's small
All of us, All of you
Everyone shares the same journey, even if their paths are different
When you talk, can I tape you?
Wanting to capture and remember an important moment
How'd you get what we don't know?
Wondering how someone else achieved success
We don't know how to help
Feeling powerless to assist
Only know how to hound
Continuing to pursue, regardless of the obstacles
Nose to the grindstone
Working hard and staying focused
Grindstone to the ground
Giving it your all, until there's nothing left to give
Don't even visit that place,
Avoiding a harmful situation
They'll sharpen their teeth on your smile
People can take advantage of your kindness
I'm glad you didn't
Grateful for avoiding danger
All our songs will be lullabyes in no time
Dreaming of a peaceful future
It's gone, so long
Acknowledging that something has left
We've got time, all the time
Having patience and taking things as they come
Aaaaaahhhhhhh
The sound of expression without words
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: KURTIS DESHAUN WILLIAMS, LOUIE ST. LOUIS, MARCUS MYBE, MICHAEL FREDERICK ASANTE, PETER MCNULTY-CONNOLLY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brandon Wade
I don't understand how I've never heard Emily Haines solo music or Broken Social Scene before today...she is an absolute genuis! I've liked Metric (mostly their acoustic stuff) for a long time, but her solo stuff is 100 times better! I first came across Metric covering Elliott Smith, because I'm a huge Elliott fan. I think is on par with Elliott...and I have a portrait of him tattooed on my forearm!
Dani
I love Elliott and Emily too đ
Nicole Flores
The way this song makes me feel, still the same emotions years later
I absolutely love Emily Haines
Meredith Rogowski
The conclusion to one of my all time favorite albums. Starting with Our Hell, a cynical decision to walk alone, the rest of the album meanders through solitude, burnout, sexual suicide, all leading to the admission, "What's a wolf without a pack?" Absolutely brilliant.
Andrew F
The last meeting I had to sit through, was with my boss, and he was delivering an exceptionally well-spoken analogy on "winning". I lost my job today, due to circumstances that are out of my control, essentially I was laid off. The woman I love is 6000 miles away, and I'm trying to keep my wits about me, trying to dream of her every night. I've never missed another human being this much before. I'll attack tomorrow with a "winning" stance, but today, I accept reality. All I gotta say, is this is the best version "winning" I've heard all day.
Andrew F
@Lizzy Dee better today, I have a new job, we got married on New Years right before COVID hit the west, and we just bought a new đ
Lizzy Dee
I hope u are in a better place these years later. My best friend that overdosed in 2015 had made me a whole lot of mixed cds and this song was on there and i have played it to death. It's now on my Amazon music playlist.
Thomas Revere
This was this last thing my ex girlfriend sent me, not of her own choice. It was an insult and it was the moment I knew I had to ghost her. I wouldn't normally do that, but this girl is the devil. That being said, this song is sublime and beautiful and I adore Emily Haines for the music she's given me.
Keely Popejoy
Sometimes completely exiting a situation is the best for you and your mental health... Emily Haines has gotten me through some shit..
Ian Oosthuizen
This is what perfection sounds like