The best songs don’t just tell a story set to music – they capture a moment, encapsulate a feeling and draw in the listener, in a way that’s at once singularly personal and completely universal. When Toronto singer-songwriter Jason Collett was mulling over titles for his new album, the by-turns effervescent and elegiac Here’s To Being Here, he stumbled across a line in an anthology of poetry by his friend Emily Haines’ (Metric) late father Paul, a well-known avant-garde jazz poet.
“I really love the simple sentiment of the title. I think of it as a toast, a raising of the glass to the notion of being present to the moment. Recording this record was all about that for me. Capturing the bits of spontaneous magic in the studio that are just the happy accidents of the day. For me there's a kind of unadorned celebratory ring to the phrase ‘here’s to being here’. There's no irony in it, and lord knows we’ve all had enough of that for a while. I really like Haines’ playful writing. It’s like Dylan, almost Dada-esque; it doesn’t take itself too seriously. I really relate to that era of writing… Ginsberg, that pre-’60s movement.”
Fittingly, Collett’s own work draws upon such classic cultural touchstones while continuing to push the boundaries of the great singer-songwriter tradition. After over a decade of honing his sound and style, in the process becoming a key figure in Toronto’s burgeoning indie scene, Collett returns with the long-awaited follow-up to 2005’s critically acclaimed Idols of Exile.
But where Exile was one big house party featuring Collett’s Broken Social Scene brethren, the guestlist was scaled back a bit for Here’s To Being Here, which was built largely around Collett’s former touring band Paso Mino, with producer Howie Beck, New York guitar great Tony Scherr, The Stills’ Liam O’Neil, BSS’ Kevin Drew, and members of Apostle of Hustle and the 6ixty8ights all lending a hand in the studio.
When it came time to get off the road and begin to record some of the 40-plus tunes the prolific Collett had written over the past several years (the father of three children, the busy musician notes he’s able to find sanctuary and perspective to write while on tour), the recording process took place in two quick but productive sessions in winter 2007: four days in a barn an hour outside of Toronto with engineer Marty Kinack in February, and two days at Toronto’s Hallamusic studio in March.
“For me, the studio is a very different beast from playing live. What you’re trying to do is capture a bit of magic in an environment that doesn’t necessarily lend itself to that. Howie and I have a really dynamic thing going on,” Collett says of working with Beck, who also produced his last album. “He’s the Woody Allen of rock and roll: he’s neurotic, funny, he’s got crazy ears – he can hear things that other people can’t, which drives *ME* crazy. He works fast, and I like working fast.”
Here’s To Being Here is the sound of a seasoned songsmith fully coming into his own signature sound – from the ’70s AM-radio vibe of road-tested favourites like the rollicking relationship reflections “Not Over You” and “Out of Time” to sparse countrified ballads like Canadiana ode “No Redemption Song” and album closer "Waiting For the World" (partially inspired by Collett's friend James Loney, who was taken hostage in Iraq in 2005), the album redefines the contemporary guitar-based singer-songwriter framework for the current genre-blurring musical landscape. As tuneful as they are poetic, these masterful songs of hope in an age of disillusionment stick in your head as firmly as they capture your heart.
“I feel this is a rock-and-roll music record. Not rock, not rock and roll, but Rock ’n Roll music. I don’t care much for the roots-rock tag or the singer-songwriter one and all the banality those genres conjure up. Rock ’n Roll music encompasses all sorts of influences – country, blues, gospel... all those things, and I’m just part of that tradition,” Collett points out. “We decided midway through the record to avoid embellishing it with horns and strings – which I really love, but I think it sort of helps make the record more cohesive with the absence of that indulgence. There’s not a lot of trickery to it. It’s not like we really stripped things down, it’s just that we never gussied them up.”
Collett, who began writing to try to escape the boredom of the suburb of Bramalea where he grew up, and logged time in Toronto bands before going on to craft two full-length albums (1999’s Chrome Reflections and 2001’s Bitter Beauty) prior to joining the Arts & Crafts family in 2003, has always penned songs with a poet’s knack for reflection and a journalist’s eye for detail. That timeless quality permeates Here’s To Being Here, which not only allows listeners a peek into the songwriter’s thoughts, but also a glimpse into the everyday human emotions that bind us.
“I’m beginning to recognize that I have a body of work. I’ve always tried to make records with a classic sensibility, so that they’re records you can listen to 20 years from now,” Collett says. “I feel like I connect when I’m just being candid. I want to take the audience on a journey with me – by being as present in the moment as I can.”
With the release of Here’s to Being Here, Collett looks back at the ghosts of his past while keeping his eyes firmly fixed on the future. The title says it all: it’s a line of poetry, an affirmation, a toast to where we’ve come from, and where we’re going.
Hangover Days
Jason Collett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With all of its earth and sea
Making love on the carpet
Under the light of the TV
Outside, the sour moon minstrels
Shook their dark tambourines
The morning came in sinister
With clouds up above
Clouds down below
Killing time but it won't stand still
It won't stand still
I told you, I'll never make a promise
A promise I can't keep
I thanked you for being honest
I told you, "don't pull that shit on me"
These are the hangover days
Frosted glass, metallic gleam
All these new non-places
They erase your memory
We try so hard
We try so hard
We try so hard to love
We try so hard to love
It was underneath London bridge
I finally realized what you mean
Meanwhile, all of fashion's latest
Were nipping at the heels of history
I tried to send you a postcard
But all you could write were apologies
So out the Columbia hotel window
I threw my heart into the streets
Stars up above
And stars down below
Killing time but it won't stand still
It won't stand still
We try so hard
We try so hard
We try so hard to love
The lyrics of Jason Collett's song Hangover Days depict a tumultuous relationship full of raw passion, honesty, and broken promises. The first verse describes a scene of sexual intimacy in a basement apartment, with the outside world depicted as sinister and threatening. The imagery of clouds both above and below symbolizes the feeling of being surrounded by chaos and uncertainty even in a moment of personal connection. The chorus mentions the titular hangover days, where the characters find themselves in non-places that erase their memories. The second verse shifts the location to London Bridge, where the singer finally understands the depth of the other's emotions while fashion trends pass them by. The singer's heartbroken state is evident in the fact that they can't write anything but apologies on a postcard, and the imagery of throwing their heart into the streets shows a sense of hopelessness.
Overall, the song portrays the difficulties of finding love and maintaining a healthy relationship in a world that is often overwhelming and uncertain. The characters try their hardest to love each other, but it seems that external forces always get in the way. The lyrics explore themes of honesty, trust, and intimacy, but also depict a sense of vulnerability and pain. The haunting, melancholic melody and sparse instrumentation enhance the emotional weight of the lyrics, making Hangover Days a powerful and introspective piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
It was in your basement apartment
The story is set in the singer's lover's basement apartment.
With all of its earth and sea
The apartment was decorated with earthy and aquatic elements.
Making love on the carpet
The singer and his lover had sex on the carpet.
Under the light of the TV
The room was illuminated by the light of the TV.
Outside the sour moon minstrels
There were street musicians outside the apartment.
Shook their dark tambourines
The street musicians were playing tambourines and making noise.
The morning came in sinister
The next morning felt ominous and unwelcome.
Well, window light menacing
The light coming in from the window seemed to be threatening or hostile.
With clouds up above
There were clouds in the sky above them.
Clouds down below
There were clouds in the streets and alleys below them.
Killing time but it won't stand still
The singer is passing time but time itself is not stopping.
I told you I'll never make a promise
The singer promised not to make a promise he couldn't keep.
A promise I can't keep
The singer knows there are limits to his promises.
I thanked you for being honest
The singer showed gratitude for his lover's honesty.
I told you don't pull that shit on me
The singer asked his lover not to deceive or cheat on him.
These are the hangover days
The singer is experiencing days of exhaustion and regret after partying.
Frosted glass, metallic gleam
The singer describes the appearance of modern buildings and architecture.
All these new non-places
The singer is talking about modern, impersonal spaces such as airports and chain restaurants.
They erase your memory
These modern spaces can be so devoid of character that they make people forgettable.
We try so hard
The singer acknowledges the effort required to sustain a relationship.
It was underneath London bridge
The singer recalls a moment when he was under a famous landmark in London.
I finally realized what you mean
The singer had an epiphany and finally understood something his lover had said.
Meanwhile all of fashion's latest
The world of fashion was moving forward and evolving at a fast pace.
Were nipping at the heels of history
Despite the modern advances, the present and future are still influenced by the past.
I tried to send you a postcard
The singer attempted to send a message to his lover.
But all you could write were apologies
His lover couldn't respond with anything positive or reassuring.
So out the Columbia hotel window
The singer threw something out of a hotel window.
I threw my heart into the streets
Metaphorically, the singer threw his heart out into the world.
With stars up above
The sky was full of stars above him.
And stars down below
There were also stars on the city streets below him.
We try so hard to love
The singer is highlighting the effort put into relationships despite their difficulties.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jason Collett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind