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
Perfect on the Surface
Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
This is
The purpose of my life
This is (this is)
This is
The purpose of my life
This is
The purpose of my life
Harvest all my love, harness all my power
To be perfect on the surface
The surface cracks and I
Harvest all my love, harness all my high
To be perfect on the surface
The surface shine
Kill it (save it)
Kill it (to save it)
The purpose of my life
Kill it (to save it)
Kill it (to save it)
The purpose of my life
Kill it (to save it)
Kill it (to save it)
The purpose of my life
Harvest all my love
(Harvest all my love)
Harness all my power
(Harness all my power)
To be perfect on the surface
The surface cracks and I
Harvest all my love
(Harvest all my love)
Harness all my high
(Harness all my high)
To be perfect on the surface
The surface shine
Harvest all my love
(Harvest all my love)
Harness all my power
(Harness all my power)
To be perfect on the surface
The surface cracks and I
Harvest all my love
(Harvest all my love)
Tarnish all my pride
Perfect on the surface
The surface shine
The lyrics to "Perfect on the Surface" by Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton explore the pursuit of perfection and the pressure society puts on individuals to present themselves as flawless. The repetition of "This is the purpose of my life" indicates a sense of urgency and desperation to fulfill societal expectations. The singer wants to harvest all their love and harness all their power to achieve perfection in the eyes of others.
However, the surface cracks, revealing the vulnerability beneath the facade of perfection. This is emphasized through the repetition of lines like "The surface shine" and "Tarnish all my pride." The singer recognizes that in their quest for perfection, they have neglected their own emotions and inner struggles.
The repetition of "Kill it (to save it)" suggests a willingness to sacrifice aspects of oneself in order to conform to societal standards. The singer feels compelled to destroy certain parts of their identity in an attempt to preserve the image of perfection.
Line by Line Meaning
This is (this is)
This represents the central idea or essence of my existence
This is
This embodies the core meaning or purpose of my life
The purpose of my life
The ultimate reason or objective that defines my existence
Harvest all my love, harness all my power
Gather and utilize all the affection and strength within me
To be perfect on the surface
Striving to portray an ideal image or facade
The surface cracks and I
The external appearance weakens and I
Kill it (save it)
Destroying it in order to rescue or preserve it
Kill it (to save it)
Eliminating it in an effort to safeguard or revive it
Harvest all my love
Collect all the affection within me
Harness all my power
Utilize all my strength
(Harvest all my love)
(Gather all my love)
(Harness all my power)
(Utilize all my strength)
The surface shine
The outer appearance glimmers or sparkles
Tarnish all my pride
Diminish or stain my sense of self-importance
Perfect on the surface
Flawless in terms of external presentation
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: Emily Haines
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind