Kon Kan is a Canadian synthpop project conceived & formed by musican/prod… Read Full Bio ↴Kon Kan is a Canadian synthpop project conceived & formed by musican/producer/dj Barry Harris (vocals, keyboard, guitar), in 1988 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. His debut album, 'Move to Move' (1989), produced the international hit single "I Beg Your Pardon (I Never Promised You a Rose Garden)" (also known as "I Beg Your Pardon"), which sampled pop country star Lynn Anderson's "Rose Garden". Kevin Wynne was a hired session singer to sing lead vocals on IBYP. The name Kon Kan is a parody of the Canadian content regulations (often referred to as "Can Con") that mandate that thirty per cent of songs played on commercial radio stations in Canada must be Canadian in origin.

Though the aforementioned hit single earned much success, particularly in the U.K. where it spent many weeks on the charts and peaked at #5, it also left the group saddled with the 'one hit wonder' label outside of Canada & Brasil. Yet, from the same album, he returned to the Canadian charts with another original/cover combination, "Puss N' Boots/These Boots (Are Made For Walkin')". The track included resung interpolation snippets of Led Zeppelin's "Immigrant Song" and Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'". Another single, "Harry Houdini", failed to chart completely in America, but scored a Top 40 placing in Canada and also peaked at #14 in the New Zealand Singles Chart.

Wynne, who sang on 6 of 9 tracks from 'Move to Move', left shortly after its release at the end of 1989. Wynne did not pursue a solo career & currently owns a printing business since 2010. Harris released two more albums under the group's original name "Syntonic" & "VIDA!" taking on all lead vocals. He then went on to form the eurodance inspired group Outta Control together with musicians Kimberley Wetmore and Rachid. He also later became a celebrated remixer under the moniker Thunderpuss. Harris rerecorded and reissued "Barry Harris Presents Kon Kan - I Beg Your Pardon 2014" with new remixes. Harris took on sole administrator duties in the digital era on Kon Kan's Spotify page in 2016 and Apple Music/iTunes 2018. In 2020 he rereleased the Kon Kan L.P. VIDA! digitally world-wide with additional remixes never before available. In 2023 Harris continues on as Kon Kan releasing "Stars" July 2023 and "Sinful Wishes (Moonlight Mix) ft. Kimberley Wetmore August 2023.

Arts In D Minor/Harry Houdini
Kon Kan Lyrics

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I wanna be like Harry Houdini
And be the one to make the great escape
I wanna be where no one'll see me
You've gotta learn a lesson give and take.

I wanna be where lovin' is easy
If I could go it wouldn't be a dare
Cause when you look in my eyes

How can you not realize
That I could go and couldn't give a care.

I wanna be like Harry Houdini
Where there ain't nothin' that'll keep you in
I wanna be where no one'll see me
Can't find a way to say I can't begin.

And when I'm gone I know how you'll
miss me
How could there ever really be a doubt
Cause when you look in my eyes
How can you not realize
That you could never really be without.

How much more can I believe in
The Things they say
I'm past the point, I'm leavin'
I gotta get away.

Why should you try to change me
You never will
My past comes back to chase me
I won't be happy till

I wanna be like Harry Houdini
And be the one to make the great escape
I wanna be where no one'll see me
You've gotta learn a lesson give and take.

I wanna be where lovin' is easy
If I could go it wouldn't be a dare
Cause when you look in my eyes
How can you not realize
That I could go and couldn't give a care.

I wanna be (I'm gonna be)
I gotta be (I oughta be)
Just like Harry Houdini

Repeat & Fade

Overall Meaning

The song "Arts In D Minor/Harry Houdini" by Kon Kan is about the desire to break free from constraints and be like Harry Houdini, the famous illusionist and magician known for his escape acts. The lyrics state a longing to make a great escape, to not be seen, and to live where love is easy. The song reflects the desire for independence and autonomy, while acknowledging the potential loneliness that may come with it. The lines "I wanna be where lovin' is easy" and "How can you not realize that you could never really be without" suggest a fear of losing love, despite the desire for independence.

The chorus line "I wanna be like Harry Houdini, and be the one to make the great escape" is repeated throughout the song, emphasizing the desire to break free from the mundane and the ordinary. The song also includes lyrics about a past that haunts and a need to get away, a theme also prevalent in Houdini's life as he often tried to distance himself from his past.

Overall, the song conveys a longing for freedom, independence, and the possibility of love, accompanied by the fear of the unknown.

Line by Line Meaning

I wanna be like Harry Houdini
I aspire to be like Harry Houdini who is famously known for his great escape acts

And be the one to make the great escape
I want to be the one who is able to make a remarkable escape

I wanna be where no one'll see me
I desire a place where I can be unseen by others

You've gotta learn a lesson give and take.
To achieve my desires, I must learn the potential pitfalls and sacrifices that come with them

I wanna be where lovin' is easy
I long for a place where love flows effortlessly

If I could go it wouldn't be a dare
If I were to go to such a place, it wouldn't be a courageous move

Cause when you look in my eyes
Because when someone looks into my eyes

How can you not realize
They should be able to see and comprehend

That I could go and couldn't give a care.
That I could leave without any concern or guilt

And when I'm gone I know how you'll miss me
I'm certain that people will miss me when I'm absent