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
Nothing & Nowhere
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Because nothing and nowhere is golden.
Apartments are cages I still don't know what is permanent. Maybe all my possesions were precious. Truth is, all my possesions, I somehow lost them. Been travelling so light, when we're floating it seems nothing and nowhere is golden.
Some say we're lost in space, some say we're falling off the page
Some say our life is insane but it isn't insane on paper
Some say we always only wanna get off, some say our hands are much too soft.
Some say our life is insane but it isn't insane on paper. Some say our hair is in our eyes, some say we're out of our little minds. Some say our life is insane but it isn't insane to have to ask.
The lyrics of Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton's song "Nothing & Nowhere" reflect the artist's search for permanence and meaning in life. The song begins with the "sketch" of faces that are not yet familiar or permanent, highlighting the transitory nature of human relationships. The desire to capture and hold onto moments is futile, as they will inevitably slip away into the blind alleys and basements of memory. The chorus, "nothing and nowhere is golden," suggests that the artist is seeking a sense of purpose or significance that is not found in the fleeting moments of life.
The second verse introduces the idea of possessions and their impermanence. The artist questions whether her possessions were truly valuable, as they have all been lost along the way. The metaphor of floating suggests a sense of weightlessness or detachment, perhaps indicating the artist's desire to escape the constraints of material possessions and find meaning in something more intangible.
The final verse explores the themes of permanence and memory. The playgrounds and scars are both permanent, serving as reminders of the past. The artist expresses love for someone who is hers to keep, suggesting that even though people may come and go, some connections are meant to last. The line "numb is the new high" could indicate a sense of apathy or disconnection, further emphasizing the search for something meaningful amidst the chaos of life.
Overall, the song seems to be an exploration of the human search for permanence and meaning in a world that is often transitory and ephemeral.
Line by Line Meaning
Sketch of your faces I still don't know you, you aren't permanent.
I have an incomplete picture of who you truly are and I understand that you won't be here forever.
You want all of our moments stolen, blind alleys and hallways to basements. How are you gonna hide till you disappear?
You desire to take away precious moments from us and vanish without a trace. How do you expect to hide completely?
Because nothing and nowhere is golden.
You believe that the absence of everything and anywhere is valuable.
Apartments are cages I still don't know what is permanent. Maybe all my possesions were precious. Truth is, all my possesions, I somehow lost them. Been travelling so light, when we're floating it seems nothing and nowhere is golden.
I feel trapped in my apartment and I don't have a firm anchor in my life. Perhaps my possessions meant everything to me, but I've lost them nonetheless. I've been travelling without many belongings that now, when we have nothing else, the feeling of being weightless is valuable to me.
Some say we're lost in space, some say we're falling off the page
People may perceive that we are lost in life or unimportant.
Some say our life is insane but it isn't insane on paper
Although our life may seem crazy to some, it's not actually that insane when you really analyze it.
Playgrounds are graveyards and all of our scars are permanent. There's no replacement for places. I'll always love you, you're mine. Numb is the new high, all memories die out 'till nothing and nowhere is golden.
Places that used to bring joy may now hold painful memories forever. No new place can take the old one's place. Although I love you always, I can't feel anything anymore. Memories begin to lose their significance until nothing and nowhere becomes significant.
Some say we always only wanna get off, some say our hands are much too soft.
People may think that we are always trying to escape our problems or that we are too weak to fight them.
Some say our hair is in our eyes, some say we're out of our little minds. Some say our life is insane but it isn't insane to have to ask.
Some people perceive us as being careless or even crazy, but it's not crazy to need help.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EMILY HAINES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Keely Popejoy
Sketch of your faces I still don't know you aren't permanent, permanent
You want all of our moments stolen
Blind alleys and hallways to basements
How you gonna' hide 'till you disappear?
Because nothing and nowhere is golden
Apartments are cages, I still don't know what is permanent, permanent
Maybe all my possessions were precious
Truth is all my possessions I somehow lost them
Been traveling so light when we're floating by
Seems nothing and nowhere is golden
Some say we're lost in space
Some say we're falling off the page
Some say our life is insane
But it isn't insane on paper
Playgrounds are graveyards, and all of our scars are permanent, permanent
There's no replacement for places
I'll always love you, you're mine
Numb is the new high, old memories die out, 'till
Nothing and nowhere is golden
Some say we always only want to get off
Some say our hands are much too soft
Some say our life is insane
But it isn't insane on paper
Some say our hair is in our eyes
Some say we're out of our little minds
Some say our life is insane
But it isn't insane on paper to have to ask
Keely Popejoy
Sketch of your faces I still don't know you aren't permanent, permanent
You want all of our moments stolen
Blind alleys and hallways to basements
How you gonna' hide 'till you disappear?
Because nothing and nowhere is golden
Apartments are cages, I still don't know what is permanent, permanent
Maybe all my possessions were precious
Truth is all my possessions I somehow lost them
Been traveling so light when we're floating by
Seems nothing and nowhere is golden
Some say we're lost in space
Some say we're falling off the page
Some say our life is insane
But it isn't insane on paper
Playgrounds are graveyards, and all of our scars are permanent, permanent
There's no replacement for places
I'll always love you, you're mine
Numb is the new high, old memories die out, 'till
Nothing and nowhere is golden
Some say we always only want to get off
Some say our hands are much too soft
Some say our life is insane
But it isn't insane on paper
Some say our hair is in our eyes
Some say we're out of our little minds
Some say our life is insane
But it isn't insane on paper to have to ask
Ryan Henson
Since 2006. This whole album has been a gracious piece of my life. <3 Emily will always have a place in my heart.
There's no replacement for places.
I'll always love you. You're mine.
Numb is the new high all memories die out.
Seems nothing and nowhere is golden.
Simone Keegan
I love her song the lottery, so I looked at more of Emily's songs and she's sooooo amazing!!! I swear, they need to play more songs like these on the radio.
Ludmila Sevla
In love with her voice. ❤️
Natalia Miranda
Thank you Emily your voice is a bless!!
Nicole Flores
I love this album so much, really helped new through some tough times
Susi R.
What a poet!
My life behind camera
I can listen to this song all day I'm in love with it
Kasey Lagger
This song is so pretty. Anyone know the chords to it? I'd really love to play it! (Guitar)
muhammad hodgson
this song makes me feel sad and nostolgic for some reason