Fifty-five years ago, Marilyn Bell took a plunge and traversed Lake Ontario. Back then, being a Great Lake swimmer was a big deal; now, it's an astonishing physical feat taken for granted. It's a rapidly forgotten part of history, like a faded map or a tattered photograph. Or a lost channel.
Tony Dekker's Great Lake Swimmers have spent the past seven years performing on stages around the world - though, like Bell, they should never be taken for granted. LOST CHANNELS, their fourth album set for release on March 31st, finds them once again recording at historic locations. This time in the Thousand Islands region of Ontario and New York state, telling tales of hidden histories, still "mining for light in the dark wells," still "tuned to an instrument of greater and unknown design."
The instrument in question is the singular voice of Tony Dekker, a voice that summons ghosts from times past. It’s a voice that is capable of conveying heartache and comfort all in the space of a single phrase. Though his supporting cast has changed over the years—with the exception of longtime right-hand man Erik Arnesen — Dekker has always encircled him self with sympathetic players who value spacious arrangements that frame his vocals. Over time, the band has evolved from a sparse, delicate and hushed unit into a well-rounded folk rock band, sacrificing none of their original intimacy while upping both the volume and tempos when necessary.
Dekker chooses to record in old churches, community halls, abandoned grain silos and rural locations. It's easy to hear why. His voice doesn't need any studio embellishment, standing at its strongest when bathed in natural reverb and enriched by the historical context surrounding it.
To record LOST CHANNELS, Dekker and company went upstream on the St. Lawrence River to the Thousand Islands, halfway between Toronto and Montreal, a historic and picturesque area that straddles the Canadian/American border, and has been designated a World Biosphere Region. Great Lake Swimmers arrived at the invitation of fan and Thousand Islands photographer/regional historian Ian Coristine (www.1000islandsphotoart.com).
Coristine was able to arrange for the band to record in a number of acoustically unique spaces within the region, including one of the area's most storied landmarks, Singer Castle on Dark Island, near Hammond, NY (www.singercastle.com); as well as the historical Brockville Arts Centre (www.brockvilleartscentre.com); and at St. Brendan’s Church in Rockport, ON.
Additional recording took place at Halla and the Lincoln County Social Club in Toronto and the album was woven into a cohesive whole at the House Of Miracles, in London, ON, with long-time Great Lake Swimmers collaborator, Andy Magoffin.
That the album was created in both rural splendour and urban Ontario makes perfect sense for a band that has always navigated the parallels between natural and urban rhythms. River imagery recurs throughout LOST CHANNELS; the title of the album is a reference to a certain passage of the St. Lawrence, close to the recording locale, where a reconnaissance boat from a British warship went mysteriously missing in 1760. There’s no specific reference to the incident in the lyrics, though there are plenty of night skies, howling winds and raging rivers in almost every song which captures an elusive sense of mystery. As the album closes, Dekker sings the final lyrics—“Like the unstoppable river… Your beauty is gentle/ but forceful, and fast”—before the band ends on a suspended note. There is no resolution there, only eternity, a continuum, an endless river.
LOST CHANNELS also features the talents of Julie Fader (flute/backing vocals), Greg Millson (drums), Darcy Yates (bass), with appearances by Erin Aurich on violin; Mike Olsen on cello; and Paul Aucoin on vibraphone; along with special guests / Swimmers collaborators Serena Ryder with vocals on “Everything Is Moving So Fast” and Bob Egan on pedal steel.
Four albums into an already-rich and storied career, Great Lake Swimmers’ live show has won them ever-expanding audiences in the United States and Europe, and of course their native Canada. In 2008 Great Lake Swimmers shared the stage with an impressive list of artists, including Feist, Bela Fleck & The Sparrow Quartet, Hayden, Goldfrapp, Bill Callahan of Smog, and Robert Plant & Alison Krauss.
Concrete Heart
Great Lake Swimmers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where I saw "I love you" all over the place
And that was where the Stones played once
And these are the bricks that shattered my heart
This is the place where I felt
Like the world's tallest self-supporting tower
At least for a little while anyway
Hiding out in the subway system
Hanging out in the library system
You made me feel like a harbour
And you made me feel like a fortress
This is the place where I felt
Like the world's tallest self-supporting tower
Or maybe number two
At least for a little while anyway
Concrete heart
Concrete heart
Concrete heart
Concrete heart
The lyrics to Great Lake Swimmers' song, Concrete Heart, describe a place that was once the centre of the world for the singer, where they felt love and where they saw the Stones play once. The place is also where the bricks shattered their heart. The singer reflects on how they felt like the "world's tallest self-supporting tower" for a little while, only to become the "concrete heart" that they now inhabit. The lyrics convey a sense of both hope and regret, as the singer looks back on their experiences in this place.
The song's opening line, "This was the centre of the world for me once", captures the idea that there are places we can go that feel like the most important place in the world to us, if only for a moment in time. The juxtaposition of feeling like the world's tallest tower to becoming a "concrete heart" is a powerful metaphor that illustrates how our experiences in a certain place can change us.
The reference to the Stones playing once is likely a nod to Toronto's music history, as the band played at the El Mocambo club in the city in 1977. The lyrics also reference the subway and library systems, highlighting the importance of public spaces in our lives. The imagery of feeling like a harbour and a fortress reflects the singer's sense of safety and security in this place, which ultimately led to their "concrete heart".
Line by Line Meaning
This was the centre of the world for me once
This place held the most significance to me at one point in my life
Where I saw "I love you" all over the place
I associated this place with love and affection, as it seemed like those words were everywhere
And that was where the Stones played once
The Rolling Stones once performed here, adding to its significance and history
And these are the bricks that shattered my heart
The same place that held so much love and history also caused me great pain and heartbreak
This is the place where I felt
I experienced a strong emotional connection to this location
Like the world's tallest self-supporting tower
I felt powerful and invincible here, like I was on top of the world
At least for a little while anyway
Although my feelings were fleeting and temporary
Hiding out in the subway system
I found refuge in the subway system, perhaps to escape the pain this place caused me
Hanging out in the library system
Similarly, I spent time in the library system, seeking solace in knowledge and literature
You made me feel like a harbour
The person I was with at this place made me feel safe and secure, like a harbor that provided shelter
And you made me feel like a fortress
They also made me feel strong and impenetrable, like a fortress that could withstand any attack
Or maybe number two
Although I felt powerful and significant at this place, it may have been a close second to another location in terms of importance to me
Concrete heart
This place has an almost inanimate, unfeeling quality to it, like it is made of concrete rather than capable of emotion
Concrete heart
This line is repeated to drive home the idea that this place is cold and emotionless
Concrete heart
Concrete heart
Contributed by Owen I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@StphSantamaria
i can't describe how much i love this song.
@danpatrick24
Beautiful song, as always.
@jonbudy
Love!
@PeepsILoveEllie
wow!! I just fucking love this band? why have I never heard of them before?! :)
@waynesworld7804
The worst thing I could say about the GLS is they are my favourite “background music” artist. Haven’t heard a bad song yet.
@lizsayro
I'm a fan of both this song and Dallas Green.. And the song is called The Grand Optimist by City and Colour We all have our own taste, if you don't like it, leave.
@tazymaters
hey im new to this group need to know more about this group. if anyone can help me please feel free
@kimowasabe
reminds me of an interview of William Gibson when he lived in toronto in the late 60s 70s I think and he saw the whole sale throwing out of amazing architecture and bldings for the shitty concrete and glass 'modern' shyte the devlopers/politicos foisted on the landscape. Concrete heart is right --of course they live in the caymans or elsewhere with Sir Stamford no less i bet :-)