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.
Light Of The Moon
Joel Plaskett Emergency Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The mountains behind me and the ocean beyond
This country's a coal mine and I'm a canary
Turn out the headlights and the radio on
I remember the words I forget the tune
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
Under the stars you stagger and swoon
Sunrise, oh sunrise will you wait for me?
Don't come too soon through night's deep abyss
Flirt with the waitress in Sault Ste Marie
Hear music and voices through static and hiss
I remember the words I forget the tune
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
Under the stars you stagger and swoon
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
Light of the moon, light of the moon
The lyrics of Joel Plaskett Emergency's song "Light of the Moon" describe a journey taken by the singer across the Canadian prairies. The opening lines create a vivid sense of movement and distance, as the singer leaves the mountains and heads towards the ocean. Like a canary in a coal mine, he is sensitive to the environment around him and the risks it poses. The idea of turning out the headlights and radio creates a sense of isolation and vulnerability.
The chorus of the song centers around the light of the moon, and its mesmerizing effect on the singer. He recalls words but forgets the tune, suggesting that his experience is more sensory and emotional than intellectual. The moon casts a spell that causes him to stagger and swoon, implying a loss of control and surrender to its power.
As the song progresses, the singer addresses the sunrise, which he implores not to come too soon. He desires to linger in the night, to listen to music and be in the company of people. This creates a sense of longing and nostalgia for a particular moment in time, perhaps a feeling of being alive and free. The song's final lines repeat the image of the light of the moon, reinforcing its importance as a symbol of something beautiful, mysterious, and transformative.
Line by Line Meaning
In late September I drove across the prairies
I traveled across flat land in the latter part of September
The mountains behind me and the ocean beyond
I left mountainous terrain and am now near the coast
This country's a coal mine and I'm a canary
This place is deteriorating and I'm suffering because of it
Turn out the headlights and the radio on
Shut off the car's headlights and turn on the radio
I remember the words I forget the tune
I recall the lyrics but not the melody
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
The brightness from Earth's natural satellite
Under the stars you stagger and swoon
You stumble around under the star-filled sky
Sunrise, oh sunrise will you wait for me?
Will the sun come up later so I can have more time to sleep?
Don't come too soon through night's deep abyss
Don't rise too early through the dark, empty space of night
Flirt with the waitress in Sault Ste Marie
Romantically converse with the female server in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario
Hear music and voices through static and hiss
Listen to songs and conversations on the radio despite poor reception
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
The brightness from Earth's natural satellite
Under the stars you stagger and swoon
You stumble around under the star-filled sky
The light of the moon, the light of the moon
The brightness from Earth's natural satellite
Light of the moon, light of the moon
The brightness from Earth's natural satellite
Contributed by Juliana R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.