Joel Plaskett Emergency is a Canadian rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Sco… Read Full Bio ↴Joel Plaskett Emergency is a Canadian rock band formed in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 2001 with the release of Down at the Khyber. The band consists of Joel Plaskett, drummer Dave Marsh and bass player Chris Pennell. Their second album, Truthfully, Truthfully was a commercial success.

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.

The Glorious Life
Joel Plaskett Emergency Lyrics

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As you drove to the concert
You talked bout my 65 beaumont
And how the romance is essential
And, I like instrumentals
And I kissed you on the cheek
Where you had the bruise
I always seem to loose
The ones who make the news

Let's get in the car and cruise

You put the coffee on the dashboard
And told another story
I always have to have the last word
This time I am sorry
I'm leaving for the winter
Going back to 1940
I dream at night of Hollywood
Of the movie stars and the glorious life
The glorious life
The glorious life
The glorious life
The glorious life
The glorious life
The glorious life

Now you face a dilemma
As the band plays return to sender

Overall Meaning

The lyrics from Joel Plaskett Emergency's song The Glorious Life explore themes of love, loss, and personal aspirations. The first verse begins with a scene of a couple driving to a concert together. The conversation turns to the singer's car, a 65 Beaumont, and the idea of romance being essential. The singer reveals that they enjoy instrumental music and affectionately kisses their partner on the cheek where they have a bruise. However, the singer expresses a sense of loss, feeling like they always seem to lose those who make the news. The verse ends with the couple deciding to get in the car and cruise, suggesting that they are trying to escape something.

The second verse sees the couple continuing their conversation as they put coffee on the dashboard. The singer admits to always having to have the last word but apologizes this time. They then reveal that they plan to leave for the winter, perhaps to escape something difficult in their life. The singer dreams of Hollywood and the glorious life of movie stars, perhaps indicating a desire for a better life or a need for escapism. The chorus, repeated several times, emphasizes this idea of the glorious life and emphasizes the singer's desire to live in a glamorous world.

Overall, the song appears to explore the tensions between love, loss, and personal desires, as the singer and their partner try to navigate their way through a difficult situation. The idea of the glorious life serves as a metaphor for the unattainable dream of a better life, one that perhaps cannot be fully realized but remains a source of hope.

Line by Line Meaning

As you drove to the concert
As we were on our way to the concert

You talked bout my 65 beaumont
You mentioned my 65 beaumont car

And how the romance is essential
And talked about the importance of romance

And, I like instrumentals
And I mentioned my preference for instrumentals

And I kissed you on the cheek
And I gave you a kiss on the cheek

Where you had the bruise
Where you had a bruise

I always seem to lose
I always seem to lose

The ones who make the news
The ones who get public attention

Let's get in the car and cruise
Let's get in the car and drive around

You put the coffee on the dashboard
You placed the coffee on the dashboard of the car

And told another story
And shared another story with me