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.
I've Been Asleep for a Long Long Time
Hey Rosetta! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blond hair to brown and then brown to white
My ma is buried beside my dad
But I was asleep for all of that
I shut my eyes for a moment's rest
Cause I get so tired
What thing transpired while my body slept?
All the schools that I went to have all been closed
And all of my teachers are dead I suppose
The songs that we sung have all gone quiet
What happens below as you sleep at night?
I shut my eyes for a moment's rest
Cause I get so tired
What things transpired while my body slept?
Beset my mind
The river's up, the reeds are caught
Halfway across what never was
The water rose and swept in slow
When the reeds awoke they were half below
I've been asleep for a long, long time
Blond hair to brown and then brown to white
My ma is buried beside my dad
But I was asleep for all of that
I've been asleep for a long, long time
Blond hair to brown and brown to white
My ma is buried beside my dad
But I was asleep for all of that
For all of that
The lyrics to the song "I've Been Asleep for a Long Long Time" by Hey Rosetta! are about the feeling of being disconnected from one's surroundings due to being preoccupied with internal struggles. The singer appears to have been in a state of deep sleep for a long time, during which he missed significant life events such as the death of his parents and the closure of his schools. The song suggests that the singer has been struggling with some sort of emotional or mental distress, which has caused him to disengage from the world around him.
The first verse sets the scene for the song, with the singer waking up from a long sleep and realizing how much time has passed. The imagery of his hair changing color from blond to brown to white suggests the passage of time, and the fact that his parents are buried next to each other implies that they have both passed away while he was asleep. The chorus, which repeats throughout the song, emphasizes the singer's sense of detachment from his surroundings and his own life.
In the second verse, the singer reflects on the changes that have taken place in his absence. The fact that all of his schools are closed and his teachers are dead implies that many years have gone by, and the reference to quiet songs suggests a sense of loss or nostalgia for the past. The bridge of the song introduces a new metaphor, in which the singer imagines a river overflowing and reeds becoming half-submerged. This image suggests the idea of being caught in the current of life and struggling to stay afloat.
Overall, "I've Been Asleep for a Long Long Time" is a poignant and reflective song about the feeling of being disconnected from one's surroundings due to emotional or mental distress. The singer's sense of dislocation and loss is conveyed through vivid imagery and repetitive, haunting melodies.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been asleep for a long, long time
I have been missing out on life for a significant period.
Blond hair to brown and then brown to white
Over time, my hair has gone from being blonde to brown and finally to white.
My ma is buried beside my dad
My mother has been buried next to my father.
But I was asleep for all of that
Unfortunately, I was not awake to attend my parents' deaths or funerals.
I shut my eyes for a moment's rest
I occasionally pause to take a quick nap.
Cause I get so tired
This is due to the fact that I expend a lot of energy daily.
What thing transpired while my body slept?
What events occurred while I was in a trance?
Beset my mind
My subconscious is disturbed by these unconscious events.
All the schools that I went to have all been closed
All of the schools I attended have been shut down.
And all of my teachers are dead I suppose
It is likely that all of my instructors have passed away.
The songs that we sung have all gone quiet
The tunes that we sang have all died down.
What happens below as you sleep at night?
What takes place in the world while you are unconscious and unaware?
The river's up, the reeds are caught
The water level has risen, and the plant stems are tangled.
Halfway across what never was
Somewhere that did not exist before.
The water rose and swept in slow
The water elevated and moved gradually.
When the reeds awoke they were half below
Once the plants had emerged from their slumber, they were halfway submerged in water.
For all of that
Despite my absence or unavailability, life still goes on.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy John Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ma Murphy
Seen them live several times now, they're fantastic and the studio album doesn't do their skills justice
Luke Kintsukuroi
much love to a band long gone; their music lives on
Cain9236
This song is literally so amazing!!!!!!
NakVerrion
Rest assured, friend, I have seen them live and they do not disappoint!
jin blank
can confirm
Lexi Griffin
Heartland always has the best songs
Matt K
Ahead of their time
nico tiro
I thought this too, still do
It'sHappening
Heartland brought me here, thanks for introducing me to a great band!
Cain9236
Omg me 2 I head it and was like WAIT A MINUTE so unexpectedly good