The band are best known for their singles "5 O'Clock" and "Saturday", and for their covers of Spirit of the West's "Home For a Rest" and AC/DC's "Long Way to the Top". In addition, the band recently hit it big with the single "Lost," which was featured in the promos for the NBC television show The Black Donnelly's. Their single Animal was featured on the soundtrack of the hit video games Burnout 3: Takedown and MX vs. ATV Unleashed.
The band's name comes from the occupation of the Campbell brothers prior to forming the band; they were mixing mortar and carrying bricks for bricklayers. The band was influenced by traditional Scottish music as well as hard rock groups like AC/DC. The Mudmen have opened for many bands, including ZZ Top, Tool, Dropkick Murphys and Bowling for Soup as well as fellow Canadians Nickelback, Sum 41 and The Guess Who.
The Mudmen have toured in Canada, the United States and Great Britain. The band has three albums, Mudmen (2000), Overrated (2003) and Defending the Kingdom (2005). Six Mudmen videos have been produced and shown on MuchMusic. As of 2005, the band is touring throughout Canada and are have released their third (October 11th) album Defending the Kingdom and are working on a live DVD.
Empty
Mudmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let you in, you emptied me
You took a little bit more every time you took a day away
With nothing to lose well that's all my loser friends would say
Enough is enough but I'm a glutton for punishment
Enough is enough, is enough, is enough, you say
Can you be more elusive?
I don't know how we got this far
We got this far
I hate you, you hate me
Why did you not let me be?
You took a little bit more every time you took a day away
With nothing to lose well that's all my loser friends would say
Enough is enough but I'm a glutton for punishment
Enough is enough, is enough, is enough, I say
Can you be more abusive?
Silence speaks out loud
I don't know how we got this far
We got this far
Can you get me to empty
I know you can do that
And you cost me plenty
I know you can do that
The lyrics to Mudmen's song "Empty" tell a story of a relationship that has become toxic and draining. The singer sees the other person, who they have let into their life, but that person has slowly emptied them of their energy and happiness. Every time that person takes a day away, they also take a little bit more of the singer's emotional well-being. The singer's friends tell them to cut ties with this person, but they can't seem to let go. This becomes a pattern where the singer is punishing themselves by allowing this person to continue to drain them.
The second verse takes a more aggressive tone as the singer expresses their hatred toward the other person. They wonder why that person couldn't just leave them alone and allow them to be happy. The same pattern continues, where the person takes more and more each time they're around. The chorus repeats the phrases, "Can you be more elusive? / Silence speaks out loud / I don't know how we got this far / We got this far," which suggests that the other person is not opening up or communicating effectively. The singer laments that they don't know how they've ended up in this situation.
The third verse acknowledges that the other person has the power to make the singer empty. The singer knows that the other person can do this and it has cost them a lot. There is a sense of resignation in the final words, which suggests that even though the relationship is unhealthy, the singer doesn't know how to get out of it or how to fully let go.
Line by Line Meaning
I see you, you see me
We are aware of each other's existence
I let you in, you emptied me
I allowed you to have access to my emotions and you drained me completely
You took a little bit more every time you took a day away
Every time we spent apart, you took a piece of me with you
With nothing to lose well that's all my loser friends would say
My friends who have nothing to lose would encourage me to continue despite the damage you're causing
Enough is enough but I'm a glutton for punishment
I know I should end this, but I keep subjecting myself to the abuse
Enough is enough, is enough, is enough, you say
You know things have gone too far and it's time to stop
Can you be more elusive?
Can you make it harder for me to find you or understand you?
Silence speaks out loud
The absence of communication says a lot
I hate you, you hate me
Our mutual feelings are negative
Why did you not let me be?
Why did you come into my life and cause so much damage?
Can you be more abusive?
Can you hurt me even more than you already have?
Can you get me to empty
Can you completely destroy me emotionally?
I know you can do that
I'm aware that you have the power to damage me even more
And you cost me plenty
Your actions have had a significant negative impact on my life
I don't know how we got this far
I'm not sure how our relationship became so toxic and damaging
We got this far
Our relationship has reached a point of no return
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.