Headstones is a Canadian punk-influenced alternative rock band that began i… Read Full Bio ↴Headstones is a Canadian punk-influenced alternative rock band that began in 1987 in the bars of Kingston, Ontario. The band was initially active until 2003, subsequently reforming in 2011. The band consists of vocalist Hugh Dillon, guitarist Trent Carr, bassist Tim White, and drummer Dale Harrison.

Best known for their raucous live performances, the band became one of the most commercially successful Canadian rock bands of the 1990s. Over their career the band enjoyed nationwide radio-play in Canada and had several Juno Award nominations. Their musicianship is typically tight and energetic, their music usually heavy and rough; lyrics range from break-ups to addiction, damnation to necrophilia.

The band signed to MCA Records in 1993 and released Picture of Health, with the original drummer Mark Gibson, but he left the band after touring for Picture of Health was over. Dale Harrison was recruited for the follow-up Teeth and Tissue in 1995. The band broke more ground in 1996 with Juno Award nominations for Best Group and Best Rock Album, while releasing Smile and Wave that same year. Three years passed before Nickels for Your Nightmares was released, in which time Carr and Harrison became fathers and Dillon recovered from a drug addiction. The band would release one more album, on BMG, entitled The Oracle of Hi-Fi, before a break up in 2003

Frontman Hugh Dillon has appeared in several films, including the mockumentary Hard Core Logo. He has also played a main role as one of the police officers in the popular show, Flashpoint, shown on CBS/CTV. He heads the Hugh Dillon Redemption Choir.

The original band members reunited in February 2011 for a mini tour. They released the album, titled Love + Fury, on 14 May 2013.

Coffee Cup
Headstones Lyrics

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Hey Hey
Now you got it all sewn up
You looking at my life through the bottom of your coffee cup

Suture future if I can find a thread
Absolutely nothing depends upon it
It's one of those deals
I'm sure to bet

Just a little lien on it

It's like a picture cropped
And designed for highlighting
Someone else's view
The have's and have nots

Are forever riding
Something tells me they escaped too soon

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Headstones' song "Coffee Cup" seem to be a commentary on society's tendency to judge others without really knowing them. By saying "now you got it all sewn up," the singer is implying that someone else thinks they have it all figured out. However, the singer believes that this person's perception of their life is limited, as they are only seeing it through the "bottom of their coffee cup." In other words, they're not really seeing the whole picture.

The second verse continues this theme, with the singer saying that they could "suture future if [they] can find a thread." This could be interpreted as a metaphor for wanting to fix their life or make improvements, but they're not quite sure where to start. Additionally, the singer acknowledges that "absolutely nothing depends upon it," which could mean that they feel like their efforts won't make a difference in the end. The final lines of the verse ("just a little lien on it") suggest that there might be some kind of debt or obligation associated with their life, which is preventing them from making progress.

The chorus then comes back around to the idea of someone else's view of the singer's life being limited or inaccurate. The singer suggests that this person's perception is like a "picture cropped and designed for highlighting," which implies that they're only seeing a small part of the story. The chorus ends on the line "something tells me they escaped too soon," which could be interpreted in a few different ways. It could mean that the person judging the singer is not really informed enough to pass judgment, or it could mean that society as a whole has become too quick to judge others without understanding their situations fully.

Overall, "Coffee Cup" is a thought-provoking song about the limitations of perception and the dangers of judging others without really knowing them. The lyrics are delivered with a sense of resignation and frustration, but also with a glimmer of hope that things might change.

Line by Line Meaning

Hey Hey
An informal greeting, possibly used to grab someone's attention

Now you got it all sewn up
You believe you fully understand the situation

You looking at my life through the bottom of your coffee cup
You are viewing my life through a distorted and limited perspective

Suture future if I can find a thread
If I can identify a solution, I can prevent further complications

Absolutely nothing depends upon it
There will be no significant outcome if it is unresolved

It's one of those deals
It is an ordinary transaction or occurrence

I'm sure to bet
I am confident in my prediction or assumption

Just a little lien on it
There is a minor claim or attachment to it

It's like a picture cropped
It is like a limited and incomplete version of reality

And designed for highlighting
The perspective has been deliberately chosen to emphasize certain aspects

Someone else's view
It is influenced by the opinions and biases of another person