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
The People
Metric Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Not trying to catch your eye, not trying to touch your hand
Not trying to show you part of me no one else can find
But I will bring a song to you, who will buy my time?
Not looking for reason, not trying to understand
Not trying to catch your eye, not trying to touch your hand
Not trying to show you part of me no one else can find
People get philosophical and say there is no future
I am trying to tear myself away from your eyes
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
Nothing is as blinding as your eyes
Not watching the seasons, watching days flow by
No quenchless autumn breezes, late tomorrow skies
Are you frightened by the moments, how they softly lie
Where I thought I would always be, I let myself get by
People get philosophical and say there is no future
I am trying to tear myself away from your eyes
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
Nothing is as blinding as your eyes
The people get by, the people get by
The people get by, the people get by
Get by, get by, get by, get by...
Not looking for an ending to make the pieces fit
Need is always pending on how much you can get
How much you can get
People get philosophical and say there is no future
I am trying to tear myself away from your eyes
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
Nothing is as blinding as your eyes
The people get by, the people get by
The people get by, the people get by
Get by, get by, get by, get by...
Where are you now
Where are you now
Where are you now...
In Metric's song "The People," the singer is not interested in finding a reason for a particular situation nor trying to understand it. They are also not trying to catch anyone's eye or touch their hand. The singer in the song is not interested in showing others a part of themselves that is hidden away from the world but they will share a song with the person. The singer wonders who will buy their time.
The lyrics are ambiguous and can be interpreted in many ways. One interpretation is that the song is about unrequited love. The singer has feelings for someone but doesn't want to reveal them. They are not trying to catch the person's eye or touch their hand, but they will share a song with the person. The singer is trying to tear themselves away from the person's eyes but finds it difficult. The people around them say there is no future, but the singer can't help their feelings. They are not looking for an ending to make the pieces fit, but they also can't ignore their desire for the person.
Another interpretation of the song is that it is about the difficulty of letting go of a situation. The singer is watching the days go by and is not watching the seasons. They are not paying attention to the changes around them because they are stuck in a particular moment. The singer is frightened by the moments because they softly lie where they thought they would always be. The people around them are philosophical and say there is no future, but the singer can't let go.
Line by Line Meaning
Not looking for reason, not trying to understand
I'm not searching for logic or making an attempt to comprehend the situation.
Not trying to catch your eye, not trying to touch your hand
I'm not attempting to interact with you physically or emotionally.
Not trying to show you part of me no one else can find
I'm not looking to reveal any hidden or personal information.
But I will bring a song to you, who will buy my time?
However, I will perform a song, and someone will pay me for my time.
People get philosophical and say there is no future
People often contemplate the lack of a future, or the futility of their existence.
I am trying to tear myself away from your eyes
I am attempting to pull myself out of your gaze.
Nothing is as blinding as your eyes
Your eyes are the most intense and captivating thing I've ever experienced.
Not watching the seasons, watching days flow by
I'm not observing the changing of the seasons, just the passing of time.
No quenchless autumn breezes, late tomorrow skies
There are no never-ending autumn winds or exceedingly delayed sunsets.
Are you frightened by the moments, how they softly lie
Are you afraid of the delicate lies held within each individual moment?
Where I thought I would always be, I let myself get by
I allowed myself to settle for a place where I always believed I would remain.
Not looking for an ending to make the pieces fit
I don't need closure in order to make sense of everything.
Need is always pending on how much you can get
My wants and necessities are determined by how much I can receive or obtain.
The people get by, the people get by
Most individuals just get through life without any significant changes or growth.
Get by, get by, get by, get by...
They just continue to exist day after day without any advancement.
Where are you now
Where are you located currently?
Where are you now
Where are you currently situated?
Where are you now...
Where are you at this present moment?
Contributed by Kaitlyn K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
oleum nekomimi
Not looking for a reason, not trying to understand
Not trying to catch your eye, not trying to touch your hand
Not trying to show you part of me no one else can find
But I will bring a song to you, who will buy my time?
Not looking for a reason, not trying to understand
Not trying to catch your eye, not trying to touch your hand
Not trying to show you part of me no one else can find
But I will bring a song to you, who will buy my time?
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
I am trying to tear myself away from your eye
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
Nothing is as blinding as your eye
Not watching the seasons, watching days flow by
No quenchless autumn breezes, late tomorrow skies
Are you frightened by the moment? i softly lie
Where i thought i would always be, i let myself get by
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
I am trying to tear myself away from your eye
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
Nothing is as blinding as your eye
The people
Get by
Not looking for an ending to make the pieces fit
Need is always pending on how much you can get
How much you can get
(Ooh,oh...aah)
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
I am trying to tear myself away from your eye
The people get philosophical and say there is no future
Nothing is as blinding as your eye
The people
Get by
Where are you now?
Phoebe Raine
Love Metric, I'm always so happy when I find a hidden song by them like this. Absolute perfection.
Miguel Chapo
Not tryna catch your eye. Not tryin to touch your hand
TheYanimer
This is like finding a hidden diamond... I love this song.
scott street
Most definitely an album worthy song. I really don't understand why it never made it on any of them. The song is timeless and beautiful. Love Metric.
Diego A.
it did, it's on the Mainstream EP from 1998
scott street
@Diego A. E.P. yes.
Aredyn
Deciding what song from metric is your favorite is as hard as...never mind, nothing is harder than that.
Ash Viper
A diamond
Reza's Youtube Channel
This song is a gem. 11,651 who have found it should count themselves lucky.
Fleur De Saison
Masterpiece ❤