The band began in Vancouver in January 2005, when guitarist and vocalist Ryan Guldemond was at music school and wanted to start a band based around vocal-driven pop songs. He recruited his sister Molly along with a friend from college, Debra-Jean Creelman, to accompany his own vocals for the songs he had written, and the trio played as an acoustic act before adding drummer Kenton Loewen and bassist Jeremy Page.
The five members started off playing under the name Mother, and in the fall of 2005, they independently released a self-titled album. This debut album was recorded with Howard Redekopp, who had also worked with The New Pornographers and Tegan and Sara. When the Vancouver Province rated Mother as one of the top five BC bands to watch for in 2007, they began to receive acclaim for their debut album. Shortly thereafter, Mother landed a nationally broadcasted concert opening for K'naan and The Wailin' Jennys. In the summer of 2006, they opened for the Australian band, The Cat Empire, at the sold-out Vancouver International Jazz Festival. Later that year, they made their debut in central Canada at the Montreal International Jazz Festival on June 29 as well as in Toronto on July 1, Canada Day, at the Harbourfront Centre.
In October 2006, after playing a set at the Pop Montreal festival, Mother met with Last Gang Records and later signed a four-album contract. At that point the label encouraged the band to change their name to avoid legal issues, so rather than changing it completely they decided to simply rename themselves Mother Mother. On February 20, 2007, the band re-released its debut album under the new name, renaming the album Touch Up and including two new songs, as well as artwork and overdubs different from the original.
The band released their second album, O My Heart, in 2008. In December 3, it was announced that Debra-Jean Creelman had left Mother Mother, with the addition of a new singer/keyboardist, Jasmin Parkin, announced in January 2009.
Mother Mother's third album, Eureka, was released on March 15, 2011. The album's lead single, "The Stand," entered the Canada Singles Top 100 chart in May 2011 and peaked during that week at position 76. The album prompted a reviewer at the Toronto Star to describe the band as "evolving into orchestral harmonies and hip hop-influenced power ballads, as if Adam Lambert had joined The Dirty Projectors." On January 9, 2012, Kraft Foods launched a series of television commercials featuring the song "Bright Idea."
Mother Mother's fourth album, The Sticks, was released on September 18, 2012. It contains 14 tracks and was co-produced by band frontman Ryan Guldemond and producer Ben Kaplan. The first single, "Let's Fall in Love", was released on July 17, and the second single, "Bit By Bit" in December.
In 2014 the band signed with Universal Music Canada to produce their fifth album, Very Good Bad Thing, which was released on November 4, 2014. The first single from the album, "Get Out The Way" was released on July 15, 2014.
Mother Mother has since produced two more albums under Universal Music Canada. In February 2017 "No Culture" was released, with the first single "The Drugs" released November 4, 2016, and the second single "Love Stuck" released November 29.
In November 2018, "Dance and Cry" was released, the only single "Get Up" released on September 14.
Neighbour
Mother Mother Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I got these blinds that I peek through
And when you're crying
I see your tears fall down
They're making oceans
That in I
Sink and drown
I feel I know you well
I've seen you go through
I've seen you go through hell
I was there when you
First let euphoria
Spill on your bed sheets
I could feel
What you felt
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh you would too
I am your neighbor
I can hear you
I got this tin can
With a string through
And when you're crying
I hear your shaky breath
And when you're lying
I hear your heart confess
Time's slipping away
Cuz I see your moving signs everyday
You got your things in your boxes
Your oven's always cold
You'll leave me all alone with just an
Empty peep hole
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh you would too
The song "Neighbour" by Mother Mother is a reflection on the various layers of human relationships that stem from being neighbors. The song is a commentary on the curiosity and voyeurism that comes with living next door to someone, and at the same time being relevant in each other's lives. The first verse speaks about the singer's physical proximity to their neighbor and the blinds they use to peek into their lives. The second verse talks about the emotional depth of their relationship and how they have been present to witness their neighbor's highs and lows, including the euphoria they first experienced.
The chorus highlights the fact that the singer feels used by their neighbor, but they too would use them in the same way. The power dynamic is an essential part of this song. Even though the singer is the one who has been watching and listening to their neighbor, they are equally dependent on each other. The third verse delves into the inevitability of change and how the singer feels left behind as their neighbor moves on. They are left with an empty peephole and a feeling of loss.
Overall, "Neighbour" is a cleverly crafted song that explores the complex dynamics of human relationships, particularly those that come with being neighbors. It speaks to the human desire for connection and the duality of feeling used and wanting to use others.
Line by Line Meaning
I am your neighbor I can see you
The singer is physically close to the person being addressed and can regularly see them.
I got these blinds that I peek through
The singer frequently checks in on the person's activities by looking through the blinds of their respective homes.
And when you're crying
I see your tears fall down
They're making oceans
That in I
Sink and drown
The singer is empathetically impacted by the person's emotions, represented by the metaphor of sinking in oceans caused by their tears.
I feel I know you
I feel I know you well
I've seen you go through
I've seen you go through hell
I was there when you
First let euphoria
Spill on your bed sheets
I could feel
What you felt
Through their observations, the artist feels a deep connection to the person, having witnessed their most vulnerable moments and feeling their similar emotions.
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh you would too
The artist acknowledges the possibility of being used and using others, suggesting that it is a normal human experience and not unique to themselves or the person being addressed.
I can hear you
I got this tin can
With a string through
And when you're crying
I hear your shaky breath
And when you're lying
I hear your heart confess
The singer listens in on the person's conversations by using a makeshift device, and is attuned to their emotional states even when they are not directly observable.
Time's slipping away
Cuz I see your moving signs everyday
You got your things in your boxes
Your oven's always cold
You'll leave me all alone with just an
Empty peep hole
The person is preparing to move away, creating a sense of loss for the singer who fears losing the connection and proximity they currently have.
Contributed by Henry F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@solperson6721
I am your neighbor I can see you
I got these blinds that I peek through
And when you're crying
I see your tears fall down
They're making oceans
That in I
Sink and drown
I feel I know you
I feel I know you well
I've seen you go through
I've seen you go through hell
I was there when you
First let euphoria
Spill on your bed sheets
I could feel
What you felt
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh you would too
I am your neighbor
I can hear you
I got this tin can
With a string through
And when you're crying
I hear your shaky breath
And when you're lying
I hear your heart confess
Time's slipping away
Cuz I see your moving signs everyday
You got your things in your boxes
Your oven's always cold
You'll leave me all alone with just an
Empty peep hole
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh you would too
@persephone060
Personally, I don't think it's about an actual stalker. I think it's about being in love with someone that is not in love with you anymore. You're still looking at them, feeling their every move and emotion, but they don't really see you anymore. You don't exist for them as they exist for you, and you just kinda remain in an one sided relationship: "Time's slipping away
Cuz I see your moving signs everyday
You got your things in your boxes
Your oven's always cold
You'll leave me all alone with just an
Empty peep hole"
Also, that's why the narrator feels so deeply what the other person is feeling - a 'normal' neighbour wouldn't be able to feel so much ("I feel I know you well").
But hey, it could actually be about a stalker. Or about something totally different. That's why I love Mother Mother. Their lyrics are always so versatile.
@tsukishimakeianypronouns8054
Lyrics:
I am your neighbor I can see you
I got these blinds that I peek through
And when you're crying
I see your tears fall down
They're making oceans
That in I
Sink and drown
I feel I know you
I feel I know you well
I've seen you go through
I've seen you go through hell
I was there when you
First let euphoria
Spill on your bed sheets
I could feel
What you felt
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh, you would too
I am your neighbor
I can hear you
I got this tin can
With a string through
And when you're crying
I hear your shaky breath
And when you're lying
I hear your heart confess
Time's slipping away
'Cause I see your moving signs everyday
You got your things in your boxes
Your oven's always cold
You'll leave me all alone with just an
Empty peep hole
Do you feel used?
Well I would too, I would too
And would you use me
Like I did you?
Oh, you would too
@tommycoolatta420
This song is great and all, but I think I'm gonna close my curtains now.
@eridanampora3024
lmao same
@toptomato
🤣🤣🤣
@cathryncordero2914
aww why did you close the curtains? you looked so good~~
and you still do...
@iheartguys
What??? Nooo puts down binoculars don’t do that!
@ezra3792
@@cathryncordero2914 .. NOT ME OPENING MY CURTAINS
@HOULWOOD
its amazing how they made a creepy stalker sound sweet.
@RandomPerson-bl6oi
Indeed
@ghostybees6322
I donno, they kinda just sound kookier for it to me.
@mikeyotero6566
"its more comfortable for you to label me insane"