Hey Rosetta! was a Canadian seven-piece indie rock band from the northeaste… Read Full Bio ↴Hey Rosetta! was a Canadian seven-piece indie rock band from the northeastern province of Newfoundland and led by singer and songwriter Tim Baker. The band announced in October 2017 that they would be taking an indefinite hiatus

In 2005, frontman Baker arrived home from a road trip with a suitcase full of poems and melodies. Hey Rosetta! was formed soon after with the addition of a string section (cellist Romesh Thavanathan and violinist Kinley Dowling) and rhythm section (bassist Josh Ward, drummer Phil Maloney, and guitarist Adam Hogan). Since that time, they blossomed into a powerful group whose explosive live shows earned them a devoted following.

The band's album, Seeds, was produced by Tony Doogan (Belle and Sebastian, Mogwai, Wintersleep) and revealed a maturing lyrical depth and an atmosphere rooted to the band's passion for epic musical experiences.

It was while recording 2008's breakthrough album Into Your Lungs (and around in your heart and on through your blood) that Tim Baker began to fully realize his vocal and lyrical abilities, and the band made a huge creative leap forward. Into Your Lungs garnered a slew of awards and critical accolades, was short-listed for the prestigious Polaris Music Prize, and Hey Rosetta! were named one of Billboard's Top 5 new Canadian acts.

During the three solid years of touring after Into Your Lungs was released the concept of Seeds was born. "The title track, "Seeds", came about while out on the highway a few years ago" muses Baker. "In a way it's about what our lives had become, and how we're like seeds that float around into different fields and cities, bringing something and trying to build something for the people that come to see us."

The group developed the sonic landscapes found on Seeds while maintaining an extensive tour schedule that took them to Australia, China, Europe, the US and on numerous tours of Canada (including a tour of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut). The band then holed up in Newfoundland to finish the songs before traveling to Halifax, NS to record with renowned producer Tony Doogan at The Sonic Temple. "Tony was really incredible at getting all the sounds and tones we'd dreamt up. He's an amazing engineer and for all his Scottish bluster and pop-rock dogma, he is very sensitive, patient, and a gifted producer," says Baker (who wrote all of the songs except "Downstairs", "Young Glass", and "Seeds" which were co-writes with guitarist Adam Hogan).

Thematically, Seeds explores everything from depression to procreation. "Young Glass" was written after reading J.D. Salinger's "Franny and Zooey". Baker explains:

"It's sort of directed at the novel's main character, Franny.. it describes a sleepwalking scene that didn't actually occur in the book, but one that I imagined. We spent a lot of time flying and sleeping on planes and in airports and I was always finding myself in half-waking states, feeling, as one does, all alone somewhere between dream and reality. When I'd wake up, I was always surrounded by people, going about their business. I like that; a sort of evidence that even when we think we are completely alone, we are not. So I wrote Franny, a character who is plagued by such thoughts, a song about it. but it's really about everyone".

First single "Welcome" is a song about Baker's close friends who were expecting a baby:

"I wrote a song for the little soon-to-be, who now is a 18 month old girl named Madeleine; healthy and beautiful, just like her parents" explains Baker, "I was just sitting with them talking to the unborn baby in a sort of cynical, joking way. You know, like "stay in there as long as you can kid. Sorry, but it's a mess out here..." and so on. Later, alone, I was thinking about what it means to bring new life into the world, how it's sort of sad but also so hopeful and kind of religious".

Hey Rosetta! decided to break up at the end of 2017.

Handshake the Gangster
Hey Rosetta! Lyrics

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Are you a wolf,
Warm in your pinstripes?
Is your pen a boot knife,
Drawing red and dollar green?
(Two colors for everything)

Look how the teeth gnash
Look how they smile

It's some kind of witchcraft
That keeps us laughing all the time

We did our jobs
So quick and calm
Wasted no love

Have I been drinking? My feet are kicking
Like someone's pushing this institution down my throat
(and I'm going to choke!)
Is this a living, this steady gunning?
It's got a rhythm, sure, a hemiola to my pulse
(A messy rush!)

We did our jobs
So quick and calm
Wasted no blood

Ambition, give me wings
Ambition, break my legs
She swims inside my head
Was planted in my skin
(And I can't forgive!)

Have I been driving? I see the lines bend
But I've not been steering and I keep on veering to the right
(To those blissful lies!)
When did they reach me, while I was sleeping?
When did they rein me? interrogate my better sense
(With their fucking rent!)
And all my teachers, those dusty pilgrims
Those plucky speakers are all just victims of a lie
(That they can't deny!)

We did our jobs

So quick and calm
Wasted our lungs

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Hey Rosetta!'s song Handshake the Gangster describe a person who is successful and ambitious, but at the same time, is aware of the corruption and disillusionment that comes with power. The opening lines 'Are you a wolf, Warm in your pinstripes?' paints a picture of an individual in a suit who is confident and commanding. They are likely part of a corrupt system since the next line, 'Is your pen a boot knife, Drawing red and dollar green?', describes someone who is ruthless and willing to do whatever it takes to succeed. The verse continues, 'Look how the teeth gnash, Look how they smile, It's some kind of witchcraft That keeps us laughing all the time,' referring to how those in power manipulate others to stay in power.

The second part of the lyrics, starting with 'Have I been drinking?', seems to be a reflection of the singer's own disillusionment with the system. The imagery of someone pushing an institution down their throat, lines bending on the road, and veering to the right are all metaphors for the loss of control over one's own life. The lines, 'Ambition, give me wings, Ambition, break my legs' describe the singer's internal struggle with power and ambition. They are simultaneously drawn to it and repulsed by it. In the end, the singer realizes that all their hard work has been in vain, and they have wasted their lungs and their energy serving a system that they cannot forgive.

In summary, "Handshake the Gangster" is a reflective song that comments on the nature of power and corruption. It describes someone who starts out ambitious and successful but begins questioning the validity of the system and the cost of their own ambitions. The song's themes are universal and relatable, and it is a powerful commentary on the pitfalls of wealth and power.

Line by Line Meaning

Are you a wolf,
Do you have a fierce and ruthless nature?

Warm in your pinstripes?
Are you comfortable and at ease in your tailored suit?

Is your pen a boot knife,
Is your writing purposeful and sharp?

Drawing red and dollar green? (Two colors for everything)
Are you focused solely on making money at any cost?

Look how the teeth gnash
Observe the aggressive and angry behavior

Look how they smile
Notice the false and insincere demeanor

It's some kind of witchcraft
This behavior and attitude is unexplainable and deceptive

That keeps us laughing all the time
This sinister behavior is a source of amusement

We did our jobs
We performed our duties

So quick and calm
Efficiently and without stress or emotion

Wasted no love
We were devoid of any affection or compassion

Have I been drinking? My feet are kicking
Do I feel out of control and overwhelmed?

Like someone's pushing this institution down my throat (and I'm going to choke!)
I feel suffocated and forced into a situation

Is this a living, this steady gunning?
This constant pursuit of success - is this what life is?

It's got a rhythm, sure, a hemiola to my pulse (A messy rush!)
This lifestyle is chaotic yet strangely regulated

Ambition, give me wings
Desire for success and power is motivating

Ambition, break my legs
The pursuit of success can also cause harm and setbacks

She swims inside my head
The desire for success is all-consuming

Was planted in my skin (And I can't forgive!)
This desire is deeply rooted and unforgivable

Have I been driving? I see the lines bend
Am I in control of my own life?

But I've not been steering and I keep on veering to the right (To those blissful lies!)
I have been misled and am heading in the wrong direction

When did they reach me, while I was sleeping?
When did I become susceptible to this destructive way of life?

When did they rein me? interrogate my better sense (With their fucking rent!)
When did the pursuit of success and money take over my morals and values?

And all my teachers, those dusty pilgrims
Even those who led me through life are misguided

Those plucky speakers are all just victims of a lie (That they can't deny!)
Even the most inspiring and successful people are caught up in this false reality

Wasted our lungs
We were breathless and void of any feeling or emotion

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy John Baker

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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