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.
Maybe We Should Just Go Home
Joel Plaskett Emergency Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Maybe we should just go home
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
Where the hell am I?
The cars have no doors
The sun sets in the east everyday at 4
Tell me where I am
The babies have 3 eyes
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
Where the hell am I?
It never rains or snows
I knew when I arrived
That it was time to go
Who, what, where and why
The locals hate my guts
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
Something evil lies beneath the surface of the earth
We gotta get out of this place before it gets us first
It was a cold, driving rain
And the wind so strange
That chilled and killed my Annabel Lee
I didn't think
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should just go home
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
Maybe we should
just go home
At first glance, Joel Plaskett Emergency's "Maybe We Should Just Go Home" appears to be a simple ode to homesickness. The repeating refrain of "I didn't think we'd be out here on our own, maybe we should just go home," coupled with lines like "tell me where I am" and "who, what, where and why" suggest a longing for familiarity and belonging. However, as the song continues, it becomes clear that the singer is not just lost, but in a bizarre and unsettling world. The seemingly mundane details - cars without doors, a sun that sets in the east - are quickly followed by more disturbing ones, such as babies with three eyes and the suggestion of an impending evil that threatens to "get us first."
The lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on the surreal and disorienting experience of being in a new or unfamiliar environment. The singer's confusion and unease are palpable, and the repetition of the refrain only emphasizes the urgency of the desire to return home. However, the song leaves it up to the listener to decide whether there is hope that they will make it back or whether they are doomed to stay in this strange world forever.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't think we'd be out here on our own
I never expected us to be in this situation alone
Maybe we should just go home
Perhaps it's best if we leave this place and go back home
Where the hell am I?
I am unsure of my current location
The cars have no doors
The vehicles are missing their entryways
The sun sets in the east everyday at 4
The sun is setting earlier and in an unexpected direction
Tell me where I am
Please inform me of my whereabouts
What's going on
I am confused about the situation
The babies have 3 eyes
The infants possess an unusual physical abnormality
It never rains or snows
The weather is consistently dry and unchanging
I knew when I arrived
I sensed upon arrival that something was amiss
That it was time to go
I realized that we needed to leave as soon as possible
Who, what, where and why
I am seeking answers about the situation and its context
The locals hate my guts
The residents of the area despise me intensely
Something evil lies beneath the surface of the earth
There is a malevolent force hidden underground
We gotta get out of this place before it gets us first
We need to leave this location before the dangers present here harm us
It was a cold, driving rain
The rain was harsh and intense
And the wind so strange
The wind was peculiar and unusual
That chilled and killed my Annabel Lee
The weather caused harm to Annabel Lee, possibly even resulting in her death
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ian Burnip
I remember seeing Joel supporting BNL in the UK last year. I was probably one of the few people in the audience who knew who he was! Plaskett = awesome.
Ian Burnip
I remember seeing Joel supporting BNL in the UK last year. I was probably one of the few people in the audience who knew who he was! Plaskett = awesome.
Peter Byker
This is such a haunting video, it never fails to choke me up.
bombtom
i remember seeing this on 'going coastal' on muchmusic when i was in high school.
Frank Fernandez
Wow. Quite nice, great band. :]
Lori Deltina
I love this song, but the video kinda makes me sad! I love Joel and if he died i would have to die too! :( </3
Dustin Smith
Great tune and video
Jill Hamilton
This video is totally unrealistic. Because Joel Plaskett isn't allowed to die. Ever.
jaxlaxsurprise
honestly, i've yet to meet another American who's heard of him. I only know him because of my Canadian friends. :/
John Tierney
This dude is a fucking god.