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.
Parry Sound
Jason Collett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Up in the north country
Air is cool, and the lakes are seething
The sun sets, I can not describe this feeling
I followed you down
I followed you down
Through the black waters
I Thought you drowned
Big ol' house bending pines
Feeling I get is this your line
Stars and satellites
Staying up for the chance of northern lights
I followed you down
I followed you down
Through the black waters
Of Parry Sound
I thought you drowned
You got caught in my flashlight beam
Looking back, but you can't see me
I still believe the story you told me
Smoke from the fire gets in my eye
The north wind toss me
I followed you down
I followed you down
Through the black waters
Of Parry Sound
I thought you drowned
I followed you down
I followed you down
The lyrics of Jason Collett's song "Parry Sound" paint a vivid picture of the beauty and mystery of Parry Sound, a region in Northern Ontario. The opening lines of the song describe the lamps of kerosene, which are likely a nod to the region's history as an important center for shipping and logging. The air is cool and the lakes are seething, likely a reference to the region's deep, crystal-clear lakes and the emotions that they can inspire.
The song's chorus speaks to the singer's relationship with a person who they followed down into the black waters of Parry Sound. The imagery of the black waters creates a sense of danger and mystery, while the singer's belief that the person they followed had drowned adds a layer of sadness and melancholy to the song. Ultimately, the chorus expresses the singer's deep connection to this place and the person they followed there.
The song's second verse paints a picture of the natural beauty of Parry Sound, with a big old house and bending pines. The feeling the singer gets is "this your line," which could suggest that this beauty is something familiar to them, perhaps something they have experienced before, or something that resonates deeply with them. The singer also mentions staying up for the chance of northern lights, which adds to the sense of wonder and magic in the song.
Overall, "Parry Sound" is a deeply evocative song that uses vivid imagery and metaphor to create a sense of mystery, wonder, and melancholy.
Line by Line Meaning
Lamps of kerosene
The environment is characterized by the presence of oil lamps fueled by kerosene oil
Up in the north country
The natural setting of the location is in the Northern hemisphere
Air is cool, and the lakes are seething
The atmosphere is cold and the lakes are turbulent, perhaps due to the onset of winter
The sun sets, I can not describe this feeling
The experience at the moment, perhaps of awe and admiration, can hardly be put into words.
I followed you down
Jason observed someone and trailed behind them
Through the black waters
The waters of Parry Sound are deep and opaque
Of Parry Sound
Parry Sound is the geographical location where the event is taking place
I Thought you drowned
At the time, Jason was worried and had thoughts of the person probably being submerged in water
Big ol' house bending pines
Jason probably witnessed a country home that was old and surrounded by thick pine trees which were bending
Feeling I get is this your line
Perhaps Jason had thoughts of asking questions about the ownership of the house and the property line
Stars and satellites
The sky was busy with different stars and satellites
Staying up for the chance of northern lights
Jason stayed up in the hopes of seeing the aurora borealis display
You got caught in my flashlight beam
Jason shone a light on the person he was following and watched their reaction
Looking back, but you can't see me
The person being followed was unaware of Jason's presence
I still believe the story you told me
Jason harbors no doubts regarding the story he was told by the person he trailed
Smoke from the fire gets in my eye
Smoke from a nearby fire entered Jason's eyes, leading to discomfort
The north wind toss me
The sudden wind gusts make Jason stagger
I followed you down
Jason continues to trail the person he is following
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Jason Collett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind