So far, Metric has released eight studio albums: Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? (2003), Live It Out (2005), Grow Up and Blow Away (2007), Fantasies (2009), Synthetica (2012), Pagans in Vegas (2015), Art of Doubt (2018), and Formentera (2022).
Besides Metric, Emily Haines and James Shaw also perform with Broken Social Scene. Joules Scott-Key and Joshua Winstead have their own side project, Bang Lime. Emily Haines released her debut album Cut in Half and Also Double in 1996 and two records under the moniker Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton: the album Knives Don't Have Your Back in 2006 and the 6-track EP What Is Free to a Good Home? in 2007. She also has been a guest on albums by Stars, The Crystal Method, KC Accidental, Delerium, The Stills and Jason Collett.
Emily Haines was born in New Delhi, India and raised since the age of 3 in Peterborough, Ontario. The daughter of poet Paul Haines grew up as a dual citizen of Canada and India. Her father would often make cassettes of rare and eclectic music for his daughter to listen to and her early influences included Carla Bley and Robert Wyatt. By her teens she followed her parents' footsteps by attending the Etobicoke School of the Arts. There she met Amy Millan and Kevin Drew, with whom she would later collaborate in hHead. Haines and Millan briefly formed their first band around 1990 while at ESA and with songs later written and recorded while at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver in 1992–1993, at Toronto in 1995 and at Concordia University in Montreal in 1995–1996, Haines distributed in 1996 an early effort called Cut in Half and Also Double with a limited number of copies.
James Shaw was born in the UK. He was a student at a Boston music school and was friends with Torquil Campbell, a vocalist who would later form Stars and Chris Seligman, the future synthesizer player of Stars. Torquil had plans to move to New York City and on his suggestion Shaw applied to Juilliard Music School and moved to New York with him. In 1998, Shaw and Torquil returned to Toronto, where Haines met Shaw through mutual friends in the local music scene. Shaw moved to Montreal where Haines was still living and the two worked on filling out each other's projects. The first song made by Shaw and Haines was "Butcher" and eventually they had completed in 1998 several other tracks in their home studio, gathered on Mainstream EP, a collection of demos with an overall downtempo and electronic feel.
In the fall of 1998, Shaw moved back to New York City, this time accompanied by Haines, Campbell and Seligman. There they shared a loft in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. During their two-year stay at the loft, Haines and Shaw were erstwhile room mates with future members of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and TV on the Radio.
Haines and Shaw set off to London in early 2000 and signed a publishing deal with Chrysalis Records. With the help of producer Stephen Hague, Metric worked on a new batch of New Wave/electropop drum-machine paced songs that would form the nucleus of their debut album. The effort dubbed Grow Up and Blow Away, revealed a more musically-layered and mature sound than the earlier Mainstream EP. Haines and Shaw completed the album in April 2001 and by this time had found a label for their release, Restless Records. The album was delayed for years by their record label.
The band performed in New York in early Spring and late Summer 2001, personally circulating handmade CD-R copies of their unreleased music to fans at shows and by mail, eventually giving the music away for free on the internet. Metric at the time was for the most part a studio band and live shows approximated the synthesizer-centered and drum-machine driven sound of the recordings. In the same year they issued a 5-track EP entitled Static Anonymity and two promo singles: "Grow Up and Blow Away" and "Raw Sugar".
In the winter of 2001, Metric had gained two new bandmates: the drummer Joules Scott-Key (born in Flint, Michigan) and the bass player Joshua Winstead. Joules Scott-Key was attending college in Texas was in town with his friend Joshua Winstead performing in the local music scene. Scott-Key and Winstead had known each other for about a decade and they met Shaw and Haines at the Brooklyn loft and at local performances.
On 2 September 2003, Metric released their first official studio album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now? on Last Gang Records. The album was received with positive reviews and it has gone gold in Canada. They released 2 singles from the album, "Combat Baby" and "Dead Disco".
On 27 September 2005, the band released their second studio album, Live It Out on Last Gang Records. The album was well received and has since gone twice platinum in Canada, selling over 200,000 units. They issued 4 singles: "Monster Hospital", "Poster of a Girl", and "Empty". The band has toured the world extensively for several years. They also opened for The Rolling Stones in NYC.
On 26 June 2007, Last Gang Records released Metric's 2001 album Grow Up and Blow Away, after purchasing the rights to the album from band's previous label. In 2007 they released a live EP entitled Live at Metropolis followed a year later by a DVD with the same name featuring a concert recorded from Montreal.
On 7 April 2009, Metric released their fourth album Fantasies on their own label, Metric Music International. In the US it debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Heatseekers and peaked at #76 on the Billboard 200, in Canada it debuted at #13 on the Canadian Albums Chart and peaked at #6 and in Australia, the album debuted at #48. The album received mostly positive reviews and it's their most successful record to date. They released 6 singles: "Help I'm Alive", "Front Row", "Gimme Sympathy", "Sick Muse", "Gold Guns Girls" and "Stadium Love".
Amazon.com listed Fantasies in eleventh in its "Best Albums of 2009" list. This album was a shortlisted nominee for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize and also won two Casby Awards, the NXNE favourite new indie release award and favourite new album award. On 18 April 2010, the album won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year at the 2010 Awards, as well as the band winning Group of the Year.
On 27 October 2009, Metric released a 5-track EP called Plug In Plug Out containing acoustic versions of five songs from Fantasies. During the 2010 Winter Olympics, Metric, along with several other Canadian music acts, came together in Vancouver to re-record K'Naan's song "Wavin' Flag" to benefit Haiti in a movement called Young Artists for Haiti.
In 2010, the band contributed to Twilight: Eclipse movie soundtrack with a song entitled "Eclipse (All Yours)". In the same year, a previously unreleased song "Black Sheep" was used on the soundtrack of the movie Scott Pilgrim vs. the World. In 2011, Metric issued the live EP iTunes Session.
On 18 September 2015, Metric released their sixth album, Pagans in Vegas.
On September 21, 2018, Metric released their seventh album, Art of Doubt.
On July 8, 2022, Metric released their eighth album, Formentera .
On October 13, 2023, Metric released their ninth album, Formentera II.
EPs
Mainstream EP (1998)
Static Anonymity (2001)
Live at Metropolis (2007)
Plug In, Plug Out (2009)
Spotify Acoustic EP (2010)
Spotify Covers EP (2010)
iTunes Session EP (2011)
The Shade EP [Cassette only] (2015)
were featured in:
3 films
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Cosmopolis
"Handshakes" and "Gold Guns Girls" were used as a radio soundtrack in Test Drive Unlimited.
Official site: http://www.ilovemetric.com
Live It Out
Metric Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You changed your mind at the station
You had a nice apartment
There was a good bar downstairs
Your old friend worked there
I'll go anyway, I'll go anyway
They won't refund the ticket
But I don't want to live it alone
Crash to take a chance
I wanna live it out
Look at you, I know I'm already dead
No concrete adversity
Only traps of our own actions
How we wanted it to be
Now I'm never gonna see you again
You checked out
Vertabrae by vertebrae
Roll your way out of a coma
Look up, the nurse is smiling
What luck, the nurse is me
Your old body is dead
Your body's dead, you're a word instead
In my sleep I repeat it
It's a good story
But I don't want to live it alone
Crash to take a chance
We were gonna live it out
Look at you, you're already dead
How will you remember me
Digging ditches out of boredom
Said you would never leave
Now you're never gonna be here again
You turned off
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
In Metric's song "Live It Out," the singer recounts a past moment where they were supposed to leave town with their partner, but at the last minute, the partner changed their mind and stayed behind. Despite this sudden change, the singer decides to leave on their own and proceeds to describe their experiences afterward. The song talks about wanting to experience life fully, even if it means taking risks and facing adversity, rather than living an uneventful and safe life. The lyrics paint a picture of missed opportunities, regrets, and the finality of death.
The singer acknowledges that their partner has chosen to stay behind and live a different kind of life, but feels that they need to take chances and live life to the fullest. There is a sense of sadness and finality in the lyrics, as if the singer knows that they will never see their partner again. The metaphor of the body as a word also adds to this sense of finality; once someone is gone, they become just a memory or a story.
Overall, "Live It Out" speaks to the human desire to live a fulfilling life full of adventure and the realization that time is precious and shouldn't be wasted. The song is a call to action to make the most out of every moment and to embrace all of life's ups and downs.
Line by Line Meaning
On the day we were supposed to leave
The day we planned to depart
You changed your mind at the station
You had a change of heart while at the train station
You had a nice apartment
You lived in a comfortable dwelling
There was a good bar downstairs
A quality bar was located on the bottom floor
Your old friend worked there
Your previous companion was employed there
I'll go anyway, I'll go anyway
I'll still leave despite the situation
They won't refund the ticket
The ticket cost can't be reimbursed
It's a good story
The experience is worth telling
But I don't want to live it alone
I don't want to endure it by myself
Crash to take a chance
Take a risk to gain experiences
I wanna live it out
I want to fully experience it
Look at you, I know I'm already dead
Seeing you makes me realize I'm missing out on life
No concrete adversity
No actual obstacles to overcome
Only traps of our own actions
The only hindrances are choices we make
How we wanted it to be
The way we envisioned it
Now I'm never gonna see you again
We won't cross paths again
You checked out
You moved on
Vertabrae by vertebrae
One part at a time
Roll your way out of a coma
Work your way out of being numb to life
Look up, the nurse is smiling
Be mindful of the happiness around you
What luck, the nurse is me
It's fortunate that I can help
Your old body is dead
Your physical self is no more
Your body's dead, you're a word instead
You're just a memory now
In my sleep I repeat it
I dream about it often
It's a good story
It's a tale worth sharing
How will you remember me
What will be my legacy
Digging ditches out of boredom
Engaging in tedious work to pass the time
Said you would never leave
You promised to always be present
Now you're never gonna be here again
You won't be around anymore
You turned off
You shut down
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb
Repeating the word 'dumb'
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: EMILY HAINES, JAMES SHAW
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Roiy Benkel
On the day we were supposed to leave
You changed your mind at the station
You had a nice apartment
There was a good bar downstairs
Your old friend worked there
I'll go anyway, I'll go anyway
They won't refund the ticket
It's a good story
But I don't want to live it alone
Crash to take a chance
I wanna live it out
Look at you, I know I'm already dead
No concrete adversity
Only traps of our own actions
How we wanted it to be
Now I'm never gonna see you again
You checked out
Vertabrae by vertebrae
Roll your way out of a coma
Look up, the nurse is smiling
What luck, the nurse is me
Your old body is dead
Your body's dead, you're a word instead
In my sleep I repeat it
It's a good story
But I don't want to live it alone
Crash to take a chance
We were gonna live it out
Look at you, you're already dead
How will you remember me
Digging ditches out of boredom
Said you would never leave
Now you're never gonna be here again
You turned off
Dum dum dum dum dum
Sha la la la la
Dum dum dum dum dum
TheiPerception
Still incredible over a decade later. What a song!
David G
@Abusive Wife Yes :(
Joe Blow
I love this song! It makes my depression a little bit more tolerable! Thank you Metric!
golf ball
Will always be one of my favourite songs <3
Allen r
Just got this on vinyl
Frank Rollo
Holy Shit, I've only ever heard the acoustic version which I've played literally thousands of times over the years. Just heard this original version for the first time and it blew my mind.
Legendslayer222
Awesome album, and talk about saving the best 'til last.
meesalikeu
awesome thanks -- and the slow live version is just as great in a different way
Roiy Benkel
On the day we were supposed to leave
You changed your mind at the station
You had a nice apartment
There was a good bar downstairs
Your old friend worked there
I'll go anyway, I'll go anyway
They won't refund the ticket
It's a good story
But I don't want to live it alone
Crash to take a chance
I wanna live it out
Look at you, I know I'm already dead
No concrete adversity
Only traps of our own actions
How we wanted it to be
Now I'm never gonna see you again
You checked out
Vertabrae by vertebrae
Roll your way out of a coma
Look up, the nurse is smiling
What luck, the nurse is me
Your old body is dead
Your body's dead, you're a word instead
In my sleep I repeat it
It's a good story
But I don't want to live it alone
Crash to take a chance
We were gonna live it out
Look at you, you're already dead
How will you remember me
Digging ditches out of boredom
Said you would never leave
Now you're never gonna be here again
You turned off
Dum dum dum dum dum
Sha la la la la
Dum dum dum dum dum
Ajay
Can I just say I fucking love Metric??