The band released their second studio album on February 24, 2009 entitled Masterpiece Theatre.
It takes some real cojones to include the word 'Masterpiece' in your album title, but Josh Ramsay isn't too worried. "I suppose I could be digging myself into a hole calling the record Masterpiece Theatre," he chuckles, "but it's tongue-in-cheek. And I'm not the kind of person that people would assume as being an egomaniac. I hope not, anyway."
Given his feverish imagination and comprehensive musical gifts, Ramsay could probably get away with a little egomania. And with the release of Masterpiece Theatre, the frontman of Vancouver's Marianas Trench makes a iron-clad case for a prodigious set of talents - both his own and those of his bandmates, guitarist Matt Webb, bassist Mike Ayley, and drummer Ian Casselman.
Marianas Trench had already elevated itself above the rest of the pack with a 2006 debut, Fix Me, that showcased a knack for colouring outside the lines of factory-issue millenial punk, shrewdly-built pop, and super-adrenalized modern rock. The single and in particular the video "Shake Tramp" was enough to demonstrate these qualities, coupled with Ramsay's uninhibited urge to be the complete song-and-dance man.
But with both the industry and the fans beating down the door for a quick second album, the Trench decided to put on the brakes. "All of a sudden you have six months to do your next record," Ramsay sighs. "So I really had to just put my foot down and say, 'No, I need the time to do this.' I was not interested in putting something out for the sake of putting something out."
Two years later, Marianas Trench has re-emerged with Masterpiece Theatre. And not surprisingly, it's a work of soaring ambition and decisive technical prowess – that easily might not have happened. "It's one thing when you're Chad Kroeger and you just finished writing 'How You Remind Me'," Ramsay states. "I didn't have some mega-platinum song to back up my argument with, so I was lucky that the band and the label trusted me enough to do it."
By "it", Ramsay means he was allowed to indulge a high-concept fantasy for the band's sophomore album, which is built, for starters, around a song called "Masterpiece Theatre". Adopting Brian Wilson's notion of the 'pocket symphony' and then running with it, the three distinct versions of “Masterpiece Theatre” dotted across the record feature an almost perfect balance between the vocal theatrics of Queen and the more hymnal qualities of the Beach Boys.
By the time “Masterpiece Theatre” is reprised for a final, climactic time, every other song on the album is quoted and incorporated into an intricately constructed dramatic revue that swings from pristine pop, to propulsive riff rock, to quasi-doo wop, to robotic new wave, and finally into a wholly satisfying thematic payoff.
"You know in the climax of a musical, there's always that medley at the end, and I thought that would be cool on a rock record," explains Ramsay, "but it turned out to be a lot harder than I thought it would be. I wrote it in the studio as we recorded it, and it took about three weeks."
After a beat, he adds, "But really it took me two years because it draws from all the songs on the whole album."
Bassist Mike Ayley readily admits, "I don't think any of the three ‘Masterpiece Theatre’ songs could have gone on Fix Me had they been written at the time. ‘Masterpiece’ 2 and 3 in particular are amazing songs that really explore the potential of Josh's writing. You really have to hear them to get it. It's like trying to explain ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ to somebody who has only heard Kanye West and Katy Perry."
Ramsay agrees. "I really wanted to have a 'Good Vibrations'/'Bohemian Rhapsody’ style song on the first record,” he says, “but I don't think I was a mature enough writer to have written it yet, and I still feel like I was in over-my-head when we did this one, and I just barely made it."
Ramsay is unnecessarily modest; the whole of Masterpiece Theatre demonstrates a startling compositional maturity compared to the Marianas Trench of two years ago.
"Beside You" is a panoramic exercise in big emotions, with a dash of the Dream Academy's "Life In a Northern Town”. "Acadia" begins with a clipped, bright acoustic guitar, and blossoms into something like the Who reconsidered by U2, reimagined for the net generation. In the crunchy "All to Myself", the power ballad "Lover Dearest", and the strident "Good to You" (in which he duets with Kate Voegele), Ramsay pulls out the kind of honeyed vocals more attuned to modern RnB than white, adolescent rock.
"I always had that aspect in my voice but the first record just didn't have songs that were conducive to me singing that way," he states. "I think it's from growing up listening to a lot of Michael Jackson. With these songs, it made sense to stretch out a little more."
On "Cross My Heart" and "Celebrity Status", the band conjures up a kind of perfect pop crossover. Producer Dave 'Rave' Ogilvie was responsible for the latter track, which cops a move he used on Marilyn Manson's "Beautiful People" with three drummers (Casselman, Ramsay and Shane Wilson) playing at once - much to Ramsay's delight. "He's just worked with so many great artists which makes his well of tricks and ideas so vast," he says.
True to Ramsay's quest for "more diversity on this album" - not to mention the indulgence of his record label - Rave was just one of four prominent guest producers eventually roped into Masterpiece Theatre. Their collective resume includes Nine Inch Nails, Sum 41, Iggy Pop, Avril Lavigne, and Hedley among others.
"I feel really fortunate to have worked with all those guys," Ramsay says, "coz they all bring really unique things. Dave Genn and I have a really good working relationship with each other, and he has such a unique style with arrangement and stuff. Greig Nori was a really pleasant surprise. As far as I can tell, he wanted to work with us because he liked our video. The whole time he was just trying to get me to dance around like an idiot. And Raine Maida, man? Raine's a trip!"
Bassist Ayley also credits Maida for encouraging the band to “find a personality-identity that wasn't as evident when we started the production process," while also praising Ramsay for his production efforts. Ramsay took charge of four songs on the finished record. “Josh is really about capturing the emotion and power which isn't surprising considering all the feeling in the writing,” he says.
Oddly enough, Ramsay also wanted Disney's in-house genius Alan (Little Mermaid) Mencken to twiddle the knobs for the climactic version of "Masterpiece Theatre", but admits, "it's a pretty tall order to get an Academy Award winner to come and work on your record."
Still, the album is certainly not diminished by the few things Ramsay didn't get. And once the world gets a load of this Masterpiece, Mencken, Pharrell Williams, Phil Spector... you name it. They'll probably be lining up.
Masterpiece Theatre Pt.3
Marianas Trench Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Clever words and phrases only stain
I remain so lost and buried under everything I need
When all I want it you
I've been here so very long
And every word is calculated
Never questioned or debated
I could wreck it I had to
But I'm the wreck so what would that do?
My masterpiece will fall apart
It was over before the start
If I burn out and slip away
If this is just a part I portray
If this is just a part I portray
You're beautiful, can I hide in you awhile?
If this is just a part I portray
If this is just a part I portray
They keep mostly to themselves
Don't make a sound incase they hear you
It only hurts me to be near you
Keep those tired eyes closed
Careful, follow my instruction
And I will show you self-destruction
This masterpiece is only mine
Entirely guilty by design
If I burn out and slip away
If this is just a part I portray
If this is just a part I portray
You're beautiful, can I hide in you awhile?
If this is just a part I portray
Can I hide in you awhile?
I just can't let it, let it out
I just can't let it out
I just can't let it, let it out
I just can't let it out
I just can't let it, let it out
I just can't let it out
I just can't let it, let it out
I just can't let it out
If this is just a part I portray
You're beautiful, can I hide in you a while?
You're beautiful
If this is just a part I portray
If this is just a part I portray
I don't know how it got this way
“Masterpiece” by Marianas Trench is a song about the pressure of maintaining an image or persona and the fear of potentially losing it. The song starts with the realization that the façade the singer has put up is beginning to falter. The use of “clever words and phrases” to create a persona comes at the expense of the singer's true self, which is now lost and buried under everything they think they need. However, there is still a longing for someone to see through the façade and connect with the person beneath.
As the song progresses, we see that the persona the singer has created is “entirely guilty by design”. It has been calculated and rehearsed to the point where it has become a “masterpiece”. But, the cost of maintaining this façade is high, and the singer realizes that they are on the brink of burning out and slipping away. They do not know how to let it out without destroying the façade they have created.
The final plea for hiding in someone else creates a sense of desperation for the singer. They need someone to be there for them, but they are still afraid of losing the persona they have created. The song is a poignant reflection on the struggle of maintaining an image, and the fear of what might happen if that image is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
First it comes on quiet, creeping slow
The singer's problems start off small and seem insignificant at first.
Clever words and phrases only stain
The singer's attempts to hide their issues with words and language are only making things worse.
I remain so lost and buried under everything I need
The singer is weighed down by their own insecurities and desires.
When all I want it you
The artist's only real desire is to be with the person they love.
I've been here so very long
The artist has been struggling with their problems for a long time.
And every word is calculated
The singer is careful about what they say and how they say it, trying to protect themselves.
Never questioned or debated
The singer doesn't question their own behavior or try to change it.
All these practiced poses
The artist's attempts to hide their issues have become habitual and ingrained.
I could wreck it I had to
The artist knows they could change, but they are afraid to try.
But I'm the wreck so what would that do?
The artist feels like they are already a wreck, and changing now wouldn't make a difference.
My masterpiece will fall apart
The image of themselves that the singer has created will eventually crumble.
It was over before the start
The artist's problems began before they even realized it.
They keep mostly to themselves
The singer tries to keep their struggles hidden from others.
Don't make a sound incase they hear you
The singer is afraid that other people will find out about their problems and judge them for it.
It only hurts me to be near you
The singer is in love with someone, but being near them only makes their own struggles worse.
Keep those tired eyes closed
The artist is exhausted from trying to hide their true self from others.
Careful, follow my instruction
The artist is trying to control the situation and keep their problems in check.
And I will show you self-destruction
The singer is afraid that their attempts to hide their problems will eventually lead to their own downfall.
This masterpiece is only mine
The image of themselves that the singer has created is their own creation.
Entirely guilty by design
The artist knows that their problems are of their own making.
I just can't let it, let it out
The artist feels like they can't reveal their true self to others.
If this is just a part I portray
The artist wonders if the image of themselves they have created is just an act.
You're beautiful, can I hide in you awhile?
The singer wants to be close to the person they love and find comfort in their presence.
I don't know how it got this way
The artist is confused and unsure about how their problems started or why they haven't been able to fix them.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@OmriSama
I'm compiling a full list of all the references to different songs and their timestamps. Feel free to add anything I might be missing:
[0:47] "I'll wreck this if I have to" - from Masterpiece Theatre II
[1:06] "I'll be so good to you" - from Good To You
[1:40] The aahs and oohs - from Masterpiece Theatre II
[1:56] "I'd be so good to you" - reference to Good To You
[2:00] "They don't know you like I do" - Used later in Toy Soldiers
[3:00] "Acadia is gone" - from Acadia.
[3:08] Barbershop A-capella style rendition of the chorus from Sing Sing
[4:00] "Look around" - from Celebrity Status
[4:14] "So here's another day..." - from Cross My Heart
[4:22] Seamless shift to "Trading in who I've been..." - from Celebrity Status
[4:28] "Please just follow me..." - from All To Myself
[4:28] "I wonder what you're doing..." - back to Cross My Heart.
[4:35] "I thought you wanted me..." - from All To Myself
[4:35] "All the work to impress..." - and once again back to Celebrity Status
[4:40] "I'm right... beside you" - from Beside You
[4:40] "What you want, what you need..." - from Perfect
[5:12] "If I burn out... and slip away..." - from Masterpiece Theatre I
[5:35] Begins a sort of musical reprise of Masterpiece Theatre I (similar guitar riffs and all)
[5:41] "I've been here so very long..." - from Masterpiece Theatre I
[5:47] "I could slip into you..." - from Lover Dearest
[6:07] "And this is just a part I portray..." - from Masterpiece Theatre I and II
[6:07] "I never took you for a trick..." - from Say Anything off "Fix Me"
Then grand finale. This was really fun and I really like that MT put a song like this on an album. It's essentially a reverse overture (some people would call it a medley) and this is something commonly found on a lot of Prog albums. Only thing is... MT isn't really prog, but I do appreciate concept albums.
@axowotlz
Lyrics
[First verse]
I got a new disease in me
I got a friend that's losing sleep
I take it hard, it's hard to take
I'm wide awake, I'm wide awake
One more confession, discretion's not what I need to sell
I never needed a reason for keeping secrets from myself
And now that's just how I tell I'm wide awake
I'll wreck this if I have to
Tell me, what good would that do?
I'll wreck this if I have to
(I'd be so good to you) (x2)
[Second verse]
You get separated, somebody's gone
And I don't know how this is wrong
And I'm so frustrated falling behind
You were a friend of mine
[First bridge]
I'd be so good to you
'Cause they don't know you like I do
They don't know you like I do (x3)
[Third verse]
There's a difference from me to them
And the road home is paved in starfuckers requiem
I can never go, go back home again (Acadia is gone)
Acadia is gone (Acadia is gone)
[Fourth verse]
All my indecision, all of my excess
Don't you ever tell me I'm not lovin' you best
And I just need a minute, I just need a breath
It's very hard to drink to my continued success tonight
Slow down, slow
It's better in the worst way
It's getting better in the worst way
[Second bridge]
(Look around, 'round, look around, 'round, look around) (x4)
[Fifth verse]
So here's another day I spend away from you
Another night I'm on another broken avenue
Trading in who I've been for shiny celebrity skin
I like to push and push it until my luck is over
(Please just follow me) I wonder what you're doing
I wonder if you doubt it
I wonder how we used to ever go so long without it
(I thought you wanted me) All the work to impress
Charming girls out of their dresses
Smiling pretty and pretty
I am right beside you, right
(Please just follow me)
(What you want, what you need)
(I thought you wanted me) I am right beside you, right
(Please just follow me)
(I thought you wanted me)
I'll make this perfect again
[Third bridge]
(Cross my heart, I hope to die, hope to die) If I burn out and slip away
(Please just follow me)
(What you want, what you need)
You're beautiful, you are
(Please just follow me)
(What you want, what you need)
(Cross my heart, I hope to die, hope to die)
[Outro]
I've been here for so very long
(I could slip into you, it's so easy to come back into you) I'll hide it, can I hide it in you for a while?
(I'm not sick of you yet, is that as good as it gets?)
(And this is just the part I portray) (x2) I never took you for a trick, but sometimes I don't know what you want
I could take it if you need to take this out on someone
(And this is just the part I potray) (x2)
I don't know how it got this way
@karaokekittykat7283
I'm so happy this song got the recognition it deserves from five giants. Anyone coming from there, please consider listening to 1 and 2 as well. Those are amazing!!
@seineevee
Can confirm. 2 has this soft, dreamlike quality which can only be captured by those escaping the darkness of the world by indulging in fantasies of peace, while 1 feels like desperation and rage of being trapped in a pattern, all while reaching for that one bit of hope.
@smagpie
I CAME HERE FROM THAT TOO BAHAHA
@lenaykamazey3693
@Smagpie same
@aesthetic_writer
I came from there too!
@turtle787
I love the whole song, but the first two minutes sends chills down my spine. So good!
@Divine_R3st
Its badass! No doubt about it
@diyamond
Whole song gives me chills. I love it.
@LPHJHGuitar
The first time I've listened to this since February, and I cried the whole song... This was my Mom's favourite Marianas Trench song, and she passed away on February 12th... I miss you Mom...
@QuickdeathsDragons
I know time has passed, 11 years, but I am so sorry for your loss. I’m sure your mother was a wonderful human being.