Plaskett and The Emergency have been nominated for two Juno Awards and won two East Coast Music Awards. The Emergency won in the Rock Recording of the Year category for the album Truthfully, Truthfully.
In 2007, their first album to include their new bassist, Chris Pennell, was released. The album, Ashtray Rock, is described by the band as a concept album. The album was on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize.
In 2012, the band released the album Scrappy Happiness.
Down At The Khyber
Joel Plaskett Emergency Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been lost, I've fucked around
And like a heavy run rounder (?)
Through open fields and prairie towns
I got sick, and I got sicker
And I spent a month in bed
Until the visions came to me quicker
I saw ghosts and I saw land
Am I still alive where did I collapse?
In Edmonton Alberta or home in Halifax
Float me down the river to the Musquedobit harbor
Because I'm getting nowhere
I met my love down at the Khyber
And we drifted throughout the crowd
And when I finally lay beside her
Oh you could hear my heart out loud
And when I'm gone she'll never leave me
No no she'll never be untrue
But if you do not believe me
You don't believe the sky is blue
You don't believe the sky is blue
Am I still alive where did I collapse?
In Edmonton Alberta or home in Halifax
Float me down the river to the Musquedobit harbor
Because I'm getting nowhere
And if it feels just like a toss off
Perhaps it is perhaps it ain't
Do you remember at the sock hop?
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint
The lyrics of "Down At The Khyber" by Joel Plaskett Emergency is about someone who has been traveling and losing their way in life. They fell ill and saw visions, including ghosts and land. They question whether they are still alive and where they collapsed. They mention floating down the river to the Musquedobit harbor because they feel like they are getting nowhere. They then talk about meeting their love at the Khyber and how they never want to be apart from them. They then question if someone doesn't believe them, they don't believe the sky is blue.
The song opens with the singer talking about the struggles they have been through while traveling, stating they got lost and did things they shouldn't have. However, they then talk about experiencing visions of ghosts and landscapes that have given them a new perspective on life. The line "I saw ghosts and I saw land" is repeated several times throughout the song, giving the impression that these visions were very significant to the singer.
The chorus talks about floating down the river to Musquedobit harbor, which could be interpreted as a metaphor for wanting to escape their problems and find peace. They then talk about meeting their love at the Khyber, a popular venue in Halifax, and express how significant this person is to them. The line "But if you do not believe me, You don't believe the sky is blue" emphasizes how important this love is to them and how they want others to believe in it as well.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been away and I've been travelin'
I have been away and traveling.
I've been lost, I've fucked around
I have been lost and distracted.
And like a heavy run rounder (?),
And like a restless wanderer,
Through open fields and prairie towns
I traveled through open fields and prairie towns.
I got sick, and I got sicker
I became ill and my condition worsened.
And I spent a month in bed
I spent a month in bed recovering.
Until the visions came to me quicker
Until I started having vivid visions more frequently.
I saw ghosts and I saw land
I saw ghosts and landscapes in my visions.
Am I still alive where did I collapse?
I wonder if I am still alive and where I may have had a collapse.
In Edmonton Alberta or home in Halifax
Not sure if it was in Edmonton Alberta or my hometown Halifax.
Float me down the river to the Musquedobit harbor
I wish to be taken down the river to Musquedobit harbor.
Because I'm getting nowhere
I feel like I am not making any progress.
I met my love down at the Khyber
I met my love at the Khyber.
And we drifted throughout the crowd
We floated around the crowd.
And when I finally lay beside her
And when I finally lay down next to her,
Oh you could hear my heart out loud
My heart was beating loudly.
And when I'm gone she'll never leave me
If I ever leave, she will never forget me.
No no she'll never be untrue
She will always be loyal to me.
But if you do not believe me
But if you don't trust me,
You don't believe the sky is blue
You don't believe something that is obviously true.
Am I still alive where did I collapse?
I wonder if I am still alive and where I may have had a collapse.
In Edmonton Alberta or home in Halifax
Not sure if it was in Edmonton Alberta or my hometown Halifax.
Float me down the river to the Musquedobit harbor
I wish to be taken down the river to Musquedobit harbor.
Because I'm getting nowhere
I feel like I am not making any progress.
And if it feels just like a toss off
And if it feels like it's just something unimportant,
Perhaps it is perhaps it ain't
It may or may not be that important.
Do you remember at the sock hop?
Do you remember at the sock hop?
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint?
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint?
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint?
Did I dance or did I faint
Did I dance or did I faint?
Contributed by Connor B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.