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.
New Goodbye
Hey Rosetta! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're leaving
When the morning birds are singing
We're sailing
Cause its time to go
What's to come only fate can show
See her move like a toreador
But I believe
If we run into red full speed
Then there isn't a blade beneath keen enough to pierce our skins
Cause we won't let it in
(In)
I've carried this preconceived false belief
That secretly everybody's fooling me
Just acting sweet
But I'm not taking it anymore
Cause the only thing that I ever learn
Is when trusting a stranger your trust will be returned
(Return it)
So we're taking the boat tonight
We're taking our aging lives
And we're waving a new goodbye
Our arms open wide
(Wide and wide-eyed)
The opening lines of Hey Rosetta!'s song New Goodbye suggest that it is time to leave a particular place and embark on a new journey. The lyrics imply that the decision is not an easy one, but it is necessary to take the leap when the opportunity presents itself. The reference to morning birds singing and sailing creates an evocative image of starting afresh, almost as if they are setting out on a new course of life. The focus of the song is on taking risks and having the courage to let go of the past in order to embark on a new future, which is accentuated by the lines "What's to come only fate can show" and "See her move like a toreador/Wielding her cloak and sword".
The following lines, "But I believe/If we run into red full speed/Then there isn't a blade beneath keen enough to pierce our skins/Cause we won't let it in," suggests the singers' determination to tackle any obstacle that comes their way. The red in this context could symbolize danger or a warning, but the lyrics imply that they have the tenacity and resilience to overcome any hurdle. The song further delves into the singer's life experiences and beliefs, such as his or her preconceived notion that people were not genuine in their niceness. The lines "But I'm not taking it anymore/Cause the only thing that I ever learn/Is when trusting a stranger your trust will be returned" seem to indicate that the singer has an epiphany and decides to trust people again.
In the end, the song asserts that they are taking the boat and embracing the new journey of their aging lives full of open arms, ready for what’s to come. The phrase "waving a new goodbye" has a sense of finality and is an expression of the singer's commitment to leaving the past behind and moving on.
Line by Line Meaning
Get your things
Prepare yourself and gather your belongings
We're leaving
We are departing
When the morning birds are singing
We are departing during the dawn
We're sailing
We are departing by boat
Cause its time to go
It is necessary for us to depart
What's to come only fate can show
The future is unpredictable and only time will tell
See her move like a toreador
Observe her graceful and elegant movements
Wielding her cloak and sword
Brandishing her tools for the task at hand
But I believe
I have faith in my convictions
If we run into red full speed
If we face danger head-on without fear
Then there isn't a blade beneath keen enough to pierce our skins
No obstacle or challenge is insurmountable if we face it fearlessly
Cause we won't let it in
We will not permit negativity to affect us
(In)
Untranslatable vocalization for emphasis
I've carried this preconceived false belief
I have previously held an incorrect assumption
That secretly everybody's fooling me
That others are deceiving or tricking me without my knowledge
Just acting sweet
Behaving kindly without sincerity
But I'm not taking it anymore
I refuse to tolerate insincerity or deception
Cause the only thing that I ever learn
From past experiences, I have learned one valuable lesson
Is when trusting a stranger your trust will be returned
If I show trust and kindness to others, they are likely to reciprocate
(Return it)
Untranslatable vocalization for emphasis
So we're taking the boat tonight
We are departing by boat this very evening
We're taking our aging lives
We are bringing our older selves with us
And we're waving a new goodbye
We are bidding farewell in a fresh and different way
Our arms open wide
We are embracing the future with openness and optimism
(Wide and wide-eyed)
Untranslatable vocalization for emphasis
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy John Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mich van der Zant
Get your things
We're leaving
When the morning birds are singing
We're sailing
Cause its time to go
What's to come only fate can show
See her move like a toreador
Wielding her cloak and sword
But I believe
If we run into red full speed
Then there isn't a blade beneath keen enough to pierce our skins
Cause we won't let it in
(In)
I've carried this preconceived false belief
That secretly everybody's fooling me
Just acting sweet
But I'm not taking it anymore
Cause the only thing that I ever learn
Is when trusting a stranger your trust will be returned
(Return it)
So we're taking the boat tonight
We're taking our aging lives
And we're waving a new goodbye
Our arms open wide
(Wide and wide-eyed)
Frances Vaccaro
Just found this amazing band by chance..Love them !
Mich van der Zant
Get your things
We're leaving
When the morning birds are singing
We're sailing
Cause its time to go
What's to come only fate can show
See her move like a toreador
Wielding her cloak and sword
But I believe
If we run into red full speed
Then there isn't a blade beneath keen enough to pierce our skins
Cause we won't let it in
(In)
I've carried this preconceived false belief
That secretly everybody's fooling me
Just acting sweet
But I'm not taking it anymore
Cause the only thing that I ever learn
Is when trusting a stranger your trust will be returned
(Return it)
So we're taking the boat tonight
We're taking our aging lives
And we're waving a new goodbye
Our arms open wide
(Wide and wide-eyed)
LPC Cocteau
Feel sorry for anyone who hasn't heard and fallen in love with this song.
Theresa Stoesser
First HR! song I heard almost ten years ago. Thank you HR ! for everything you've given me since...... we're waving a new goodbye / our arms open wide, wide, wide
AbatedFawn
These guys played this song at my middle school in Iqaluit Nunavut. Super awesome and everyone remembers who they are. Love you guys!
C B
Masterpiece
Must have been rewarding to write.
I hope it was one of those ones that spilled out effortlessly.
Fantastic
AlexAndPaolo
This band is amazing.. wow
Megan G.
The album art is so beautiful, too.
TheNewShenmui
Jesus Christ, these lyrics are simply breathtaking
Candy Smith
I need someone to make an 8D of this song. How amazing would it be? The is one of my favorite songs ever and NEED it in magic form.