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.

Mystery To Me
Headstones Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I hear you're going away
Well you packed your bags that day
To say that I don't care
Would be way too fair
So go and dig your gold
Possessions have no soul
We no longer sing, and baby
Timing's everything

Congratulations, I'm really happy for you
Congratulations, I really think you're swell

I saw a little child find a penny and he smiled
What do children see, it's a mystery to me
For you to understand that the dope don't make the man
Would be far too over head
You wouldn't get it 'til you're dead

Congratulations, I'm really happy for you
If you think this is sentiment
You should know we're not very well built at all

To be double crossed inside
Dragged by my intestines
Is a hurtful curse, but I can think of worse
Oh, and by the way, when I talked to you that day

I talked to all your friends
And they told me everything

Overall Meaning

The Headstones' "Mystery To Me" is a song about the painful experience of being betrayed by someone you thought you knew. The singer addresses someone who is leaving, saying that they are digging for gold but that possessions have no soul. He says that they no longer sing together and that timing is everything, implying that things would have been different if they had acted at the right time. The chorus is sarcastic and congratulates the person on their departure, emphasizing the pain and bitterness felt by the singer.

In the second verse, the singer observes a child finding a penny and being happy, and wonders what children can see that adults cannot. He comments that the idea that the "dope" doesn't make the man is over their head and that they won't understand it until they're dead. The sarcastic congratulations continue in the chorus, but he also comments on how fragile humans are and how easily they can be betrayed. He mentions being double-crossed and dragged by his intestines as a hurtful curse, but also acknowledges that things could be worse.

Overall, the song is a bitter commentary on the fragility of human relationships and the pain of betrayal. The sarcastic congratulations in the chorus and the references to fragility and pain make it clear that the singer is not happy about the departure of the person addressed in the song.

Line by Line Meaning

I hear you're going away
The singer is aware that the addressed person is planning to leave.

Well you packed your bags that day
The addressee has already packed their bags for leaving.

To say that I don't care
The singer does care about the addressee who's leaving.

Would be way too fair
It would be unfair to say that the artist doesn't care.

So go and dig your gold
The artist is wishing the addresser good luck in their future endeavors.

Possessions have no soul
Objects have no emotional value in comparison to human emotions.

We no longer sing, and baby
The relationship between the singer and the addressee is stagnant or hopeless.

Timing's everything
Good timing is vital for any relationship to flourish.

Congratulations, I'm really happy for you
The artist is congratulating the addressee for their plans to leave.

Congratulations, I really think you're swell
The artist is being sarcastic and doesn't think highly of the addressee.

I saw a little child find a penny and he smiled
Children find pleasure in small things, and the singer wonders why adults can't be that way.

What do children see, it's a mystery to me
The artist is wondering what makes children so happy at times, and it's something they can't quite grasp.

For you to understand that the dope don't make the man
The singer wants to convey that a person's worth isn't determined by their material possessions or external factors.

Would be far too over head
It would be too complicated or difficult to grasp for some people.

You wouldn't get it 'til you're dead
Some things can only be understood through experience over time.

If you think this is sentiment
The artist is mocking the addressee's belief that they're being sentimental.

You should know we're not very well-built at all
Humans are flawed in many ways and are susceptible to emotions and weakness.

To be double-crossed inside
The singer has been betrayed by someone close to them.

Dragged by my intestines
The singer is feeling extreme distress because of the betrayal.

Is a hurtful curse, but I can think of worse
The betrayal is painful, but the artist is aware that things could be worse.

Oh, and by the way, when I talked to you that day
The artist wants to inform the addressee that they've spoken to their friends and know everything about their plan to leave.

I talked to all your friends
The artist has spoken to all of the addressee's friends for information.

And they told me everything
The friends have shared their knowledge about the addressee's plan with the singer.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS