On 26 September 2006, Haines released the album Knives Don't Have Your Back on Last Gang Records. The album was written and recorded in Los Angeles, Montreal, Toronto, and New York over the previous four years, and features contributors including Sparklehorse's Scott Minor, Broken Social Scene's Justin Peroff, Stars' Evan Cranley, and Metric's Jimmy Shaw.
Though it took Haines four years to complete the album, the singer says she'd been plotting this for years. "When I was a little kid," she said in a statement, "I would creep downstairs to the piano and write rudimentary songs about imaginary places. I'm told the first song I ever wrote was a love song to a cranberry tree. I always used the mute pedal. I hated the idea of anybody hearing me.
"Everywhere I've lived while working with Metric, I've written songs on the piano and played them for no one," she continued. "On the advice of a friend, I decided I'd better start recording them before they were forgotten."
Among those songs are a track that was written while Haines was studying electroacoustics in Montreal while some were recorded in Toronto, Canada in the winter of 2002, shortly after the death of Haines' father.
Official site: http://www.emilyhaines.com
Doctor Blind
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hollow Sea
Poison Beaches
Limousines
Toothless Dentists
Cops That Kill
My baby's got the lonesome lows
Doctor blind just prescribe the blue ones
If the dizzying highs
Don't subside overnight
Doctor blind just prescribe the red ones
aaaaaahhhhhhhhh
hard to hold
Cold to touch
Fall to pieces
Treat the rush in hindsight
With prime time talk
All your pain
Will end here
Let the doctor
Soothe your brain, dear
My baby's got the lonesome lows
Don't quite go away overnight
Doctor blind just prescribe the blue ones
If the dizzying highs
Don't subside overnight
Doctor blind just prescribe the red ones
aaaaaahhhhhhhhh
The lyrics of Emily Haines/Soft Skeleton's "Doctor Blind" touch on the theme of medication and mental illness. The opening lines describe a world full of darkness, emptiness, and danger. The sea is hollow, the beaches are poisonous, and the people in charge, like toothless dentists and cops that kill, are not to be trusted. In this landscape, the singer's baby suffers from the "lonesome lows" of depression, which do not go away easily. When the ups of life become dizzying and overwhelming, Doctor Blind is the solution. This song highlights the issue of over-reliance on medication and the inability to deal with emotional problems in a more constructive way.
The chorus of the song, "My baby's got the lonesome lows, Doctor Blind just prescribe the blue ones. If the dizzying highs don't subside overnight, Doctor Blind just prescribe the red ones" emphasizes the idea of blind trust in the medical system. The singer's need for quick relief is expressed through the repetition of the phrase "My baby's got the lonesome lows," and the urgent demands for prescriptions to cure their pain.
Overall, the song seems to reflect the culture's reliance on medication to solve personal problems, without actively engaging in self-care or seeking the root cause of their pain. The lyrics convey the singer's sense of desperation, emptiness, and hopelessness, making it a powerful statement on the complexities of mental illness.
Line by Line Meaning
The Lack of Light
Describing a dark and gloomy place or situation where there is no hope or happiness.
Hollow Sea
A feeling of emptiness or loneliness, like being lost at sea with no hope of rescue or help.
Poison Beaches
A place of danger and toxicity, like a beach polluted with toxic waste and harmful substances.
Limousines
A symbol of wealth and privilege, representing luxury and extravagance.
Toothless Dentists
A paradoxical image that suggests incompetence or lack of skill, someone who cannot perform their profession effectively.
Cops That Kill
A criticism of authority and power, suggesting corruption and incompetence in law enforcement.
My baby's got the lonesome lows
Don't quite go away overnight
Doctor blind just prescribe the blue ones
The singer's loved one is struggling with mental health issues that require medication to manage. The doctor is blindly prescribing pills to treat the problem without real understanding or consideration of the individual's needs.
If the dizzying highs
Don't subside overnight
Doctor blind just prescribe the red ones
If the patient experiences extreme highs to the point of discomfort, the doctor again blindly prescribes medication without true understanding or care for the individual's well-being.
aaaaaahhhhhhhhh
A non-verbal expression of frustration or pain.
hard to hold
Cold to touch
Fall to pieces
The artist is describing a fragile and unstable emotional state, one that is difficult to maintain and often leaves them feeling alone and broken.
Treat the rush in hindsight
With prime time talk
All your pain
Will end here
The singer is describing a society that treats mental health as entertainment, as something to be dealt with retrospectively and superficially. However, true healing can only come from deep and meaningful understanding and support.
Let the doctor
Soothe your brain, dear
The artist is expressing skepticism and criticism for a medical system that prioritizes medication over true healing and understanding. The term 'dear' is likely used ironically or sarcastically, expressing a sense of condescension or distrust towards those who claim to have all the answers.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EMILY HAINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ErwinDiazDoomsdayParty
After several years, hare I am. Still love the song.
@TheJoshuaCross
Props on filming in ZELLERS. Thank you Emily Haines/Last Gang Records for being a part of making Canadian music fresh again. I have a huge amount of respect for what the record label is trying to do for Canadian music (I am forever in debt).
@otaviooliveira2836
15 years. Wow. Still fresh.
@Hillelfraenkel
Imagine finding out that your favorite band’s side project is somehow even better than their already incredible music.
@sarakatelyn8923
She’s truly the best
@Comradu
I am still asking myself if I love Metric or do I just love Emily Haines
@jaraweerideout
I have been trying to find this music for over a decade now. I've had dreams about it. And I finally fuc×ing found it!!!!! ❤ you have no idea how happy this makes me! ❤
@kdub10009
I actually think this video enhances the song, which is so rare.
@am1688
She's gorgeous. And her songwriting makes me cry... amazing voice, amazing talent.
@stylepartner5123
Loved this since the first time I heard it. Like a one woman Radiohead. Incredible.