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.
Tired Eyes
Hey Rosetta! Lyrics
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I built my home of oak and stone and I feasted on the animals and earth
I raised my kids in modern beds and I taught them to take what's theirs
I built this town on god and doubt and science (an economy of fear)
I drained the pond and the woods beyond for dinner, and the river for a song
The more I've got the more I want. I'm blinded but I'm waking up!
Tired eyes, open wide
Tired eyes, open wide
Salty brine, bluest sky
Tired eyes, open wide
Either side, all these veins of light!
The lyrics to Hey Rosetta!'s song Tired Eyes present a narrative that explores the consequences of human actions on the environment. It begins with a character who raises his head from the riverbed and tastes the air, indicating an awareness of the world around him. He then talks about building a home of oak and stone, and feasting on the animals and earth, an action that suggests taking and consuming from the environment. Later, he built a town based on god and doubt and science but also functioning on the economy of fear.
The lyrics also talk about how the character drained the pond and the woods beyond for dinner and the river for a song, and the more he had, the more he wanted. The character seems to be conscious of the fact that they have taken too much from nature and acknowledges their blindness but is also waking up to the fact that something must be done to address the situation.
Overall, Hey Rosetta!'s Tired Eyes is a call to action about the need for people to be more mindful of their actions and the impact they have on the environment. The lyrics are a reflection of the reality we face today, where human actions have caused significant damage to nature. The song urges humanity to take responsibility and make changes before it is too late.
Line by Line Meaning
I raised my head from the riverbed and I tasted the air
I woke up from a deep sleep and became conscious of my environment
I built my home of oak and stone and I feasted on the animals and earth
I established myself using natural resources and took advantage of the land and its inhabitants
I raised my kids in modern beds and I taught them to take what's theirs
I brought up my children to be self-sufficient and assertive in order to succeed in life
I built this town on god and doubt and science (an economy of fear)
I founded a community based on religious beliefs, skepticism, and scientific principles (which caused anxiety and uncertainty)
I drained the pond and the woods beyond for dinner, and the river for a song
I depleted the natural resources in my surroundings for my own benefit and entertainment
The more I've got the more I want. I'm blinded but I'm waking up!
I am consumed by greed and desire, but I am slowly realizing the negative consequences of my actions
Tired eyes, open wide
Despite exhaustion, I am now fully alert and awake
Blossom iris into lily white
My vision is expanding and becoming more pure and clear
Salty brine, bluest sky
The salty ocean air and the vast blue sky symbolize the beauty and wonder of nature
Either side, all these veins of light!
I can see light and hope on both sides of my life path
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy John Baker
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
becka
"A smile is what I least expect"
AlexAndPaolo
Wow... Breathtaking
Jeremy Schwartz
oh man i friggin loves dis tune
Lukas Soboll
the bass *_*
Lucas Plays CoD
THANK YOU <3