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.
Nothing Changes
Headstones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The hands of time are slowly squeezing
The life, out of me, I refuse to wake up
In the future screamin', I sing a vicious song
I'm already long gone
It's time to step up, no more passing the buck
Nothing changes if nothing changes, I will never be caught
Left here to rot
When I get out
Of this town, I'll try not to burn it down to
The ground, 'cause I'm
Certain, there's a curtain, calling for another round
I got a
Vicious song, I'm already long gone
Make, no mistake, the hands of time are slowly squeezing, the life
Out of me, I couldn't stand it here another season
The lyrics of "Nothing Changes" by Headstones are about feeling trapped and stagnant in life, and the feeling of a slow, suffocating existence. The singer of the song is aware of the ticking clock and the fact that time is slipping away from them. They refuse to wake up to a future where they're regretting wasted time and missed opportunities. They vow to step up and not just pass the buck to someone else, because they know that nothing will change if they don't take action. The chorus echoes this sentiment - if nothing changes, they will never be caught left to rot.
The singer has a sense of urgency and desperation, and a fierce resolve to leave this town and situation behind. They don't want to burn it down to the ground, but they can't ignore the call of the next chapter in their life. They know they have a long road ahead, but they have a vicious song in their heart and are already long gone - mentally and emotionally, they have moved on from the past. The song ends with the repetition of the opening lines, driving home the idea that the hands of time are always moving, and we must act before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Make, no mistake
Let there be no confusion or error
The hands of time are slowly squeezing
Time is slowly taking away my life
The life, out of me, I refuse to wake up
I am alive but barely, and I refuse to accept my situation
In the future screamin', I sing a vicious song
I can see myself in the future, screaming and singing a song of anger and bitterness
I'm already long gone
I am already mentally or emotionally detached from my current situation
It's time to step up, no more passing the buck
It's time to take responsibility and stop blaming others
Nothing changes if nothing changes, I will never be caught
If I don't make any changes, I will never be able to move forward and thrive
Left here to rot
Left to deteriorate or decay without any help or support
When I get out
When I leave this place or situation
Of this town, I'll try not to burn it down to the ground, 'cause I'm
I will leave without causing destruction or chaos because I am
Certain, there's a curtain, calling for another round
I am sure that there is another opportunity waiting for me
I got a vicious song, I'm already long gone
I have a song of anger and bitterness, and I am already mentally or emotionally detached
Make, no mistake, the hands of time are slowly squeezing, the life
Again, let there be no confusion or error - time is slowly taking away my life
Out of me, I couldn't stand it here another season
I cannot tolerate living in this situation for even one more season or year
Contributed by Joshua F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Michelle Cassar
on Nickels For Your Nightmares
Oops - that's "Lacks AN educated edge". :)
Michelle CassarMichelle Cassar
on Nickels For Your Nightmares
I'm pretty sure it's "Lacks and educated edge" rather than "That's an educated edge".