The band has sold over five million albums worldwide, won four Juno Awards, and ten MuchMusic Video Awards. OLP has released eight studio albums to date, with "Clumsy" often being considered the most popularized of the set. The Heavyweight Songfacts reports that their eighth studio album Curve was recorded from 2010 through 2012 at vocalist Raine Maida's home recording studio. It was released on April 3, 2012.
Full circle: a theme that eagerly resonates with each member of multiplatinum survivors, Our Lady Peace. As the band approached the release of their seventh studio album, a feeling of renewal and excitement washed over Toronto’s favorite sons in a manner not felt since their earliest days.
Self-produced in lead singer Raine Maida’s Los Angeles home studio, the 10-track Burn Burn (in stores July 21 2009), marks the longest period between studio albums for Our Lady Peace. It also signifies a sonic and philosophical rebirth. The band now enjoys a creative and professional freedom that they haven’t experienced since the release of their now classic debut. “I think about the way we made Naveed,” Maida recalls. “We were just starting, we knew nothing about the business and we had no expectations. It was four guys in a room just trusting their instincts. We went back to that. ‘Liberating’ doesn’t really even sum it up.”
Burn Burn is a triumphant return to what Maida terms “a proper, mature rock album,” steeped in the kind of raw intensity that drove their early material. Blinding rays of anthemic light make way to the tender poise and precision of a band that was looking for a way out and found a satisfying new way in.
With caution thrown to the wind, tracks such as the stunningly arranged “Dreamland” and the overpowering first single, “All You Did Was Save My Life,” soar above angry clouds of confusion and insecurity with an ascending clarity that can only come from experience and growth.
The pounding affirmation of “The Right Stuff” and the vigilant build of band favorite “Refuge,” also reinforce the notion that OLP now occupy a unique and enviable mindspace. “We’re not looking back with any kind of regret,” Maida points out, “but we’ve been doing this long enough now that we know what we want to say. We didn’t want to compromise a thing.”
Having scattered in different directions after the release of 2005’s Healthy In Paranoid Times, all four members took on projects of their own, ranging from solo records, production and songwriting work, tours and guest performances. Over the last two years, Raine Maida, guitarist Steve Mazur, bassist Duncan Coutts and drummer Jeremy Taggart sporadically reconvened and lived at Madia’s home, creating what he calls their best effort to date.
Members would leave each session without tapes, giving themselves a much fresher perspective on the material they created when they returned. Producing themselves and an adherence to rolling tape off the floor gave birth to an urgent, natural body of work. “We didn’t put a lot of pressure on ourselves,” Coutts confirms. “We left things alone and haven't done that in a long time."
“For us,” adds Maida, “a big part of this band is playing live. It has to be something that we’re going to enjoy; a real dynamic collection of songs. When we really started to understand that, the record took on this whole other life.”
This work ethic allowed room for guitarist Steve Mazur, who joined the band in 2002, to blossom on Burn Burn. “On this album I really felt comfortable with my role and what I sound like as the guitarist of Our Lady Peace.” Mazur shines on tracks such as “Escape Artist” and “Paper Moon,” a song where Mazur’s solowork was nailed on the first go-round.
Our Lady Peace is also striking out on their own professionally this time around, opting for what the band terms a “true partnership” with both North American record labels. “We’ve never been this prepared for an album,” adds OLP founding member Jeremy Taggart. “In the past, we’ve never had the foresight to have maybe two or three singles in the can already with videos, etc.”
“Nobody knows us better than ourselves,” Taggart continues. “We didn’t over think a good song or idea or under think anything. The good songs really picked themselves.”
Hello Oskar
Our Lady Peace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is Oskar there, is Oskar alright?
Was never cool not allowed to fit
He never knew what he liked
And over there he's the rubberman
A rubber dress with Betty Page eyes
Was never cool, he'll never settle down
He's not allowed to drive
He'll build a bridge then walk around
Don't ever call him dumb
He's not that bright
He's not that bright
And he's not him, not him
And I can take you somewhere
Somewhere to unwind
You're tangled up in all this shit
And I will make you mine
And I will make you mine
There's nothing wrong
He's a superstar
A taxi man and a young Einstein
Was never cool
He'll never settle down
He's not allowed to drive
He'll build a bridge then walk around
Leave that boy alone
He's not that bright
He's not uptight
He's just not him, not himself
And I will take you somewhere
Somewhere to unwind
You're tangled up in all this shit
But I will make you mine
And I will make you mine
And I can take you somewhere
Somewhere to unwind
You're tangled up in all this shit
And I will make you mine
I will make you mine
I will make you mine
Make you mine, mine, mine
Make you mine, mine, mine
Make you
But I can take you somewhere over
Mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine, mine
The song "Hello Oskar" by Our Lady Peace is a poignant tale about a character named Oskar, who is struggling to find his identity and place in the world. The opening lines of the song establish Oskar as someone who is not well-liked or accepted by his peers, as he is "not cool" and "not allowed to fit." This lack of belonging is further emphasized by the fact that he "never knew what he liked."
As the song goes on, we learn that Oskar is something of an outsider, both in terms of his appearance (with "rubber dress" and "Betty Page eyes") and his actions (being "not allowed to drive"). Despite these limitations, he remains resourceful, "building a bridge then walking around." However, he is also underestimated and derided, with the singer calling out the refrain "He's not that bright / He's not uptight / He's just not him, not himself."
In the chorus, the singer offers comfort and solace to Oskar, assuring him that "I can take you somewhere / Somewhere to unwind / You're tangled up in all this shit / And I will make you mine." It is a bittersweet moment that speaks both to the isolation and pain that Oskar feels, as well as the potential for connection and support that exists.
Overall, "Hello Oskar" is a powerful meditation on identity, belonging, and the ways in which we can support those who are struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
Over there, well, he's wondering
He's curious about someone named Oskar who's not around.
Is Oskar there, is Oskar alright?
He's concerned if Oskar is safe and sound.
Was never cool not allowed to fit
He was never part of the crowd, never felt like he belonged.
He never knew what he liked
He was confused about his preferences and had a hard time making choices.
And over there he's the rubberman
He's wearing a rubber dress and has eyes like Betty Page.
A rubber dress with Betty Page eyes
He's cross-dressing in a rubber outfit and looks like a fetish model named Betty Page.
Was never cool, he'll never settle down
He was never socially accepted, and he won't ever be content with the mediocrity and routine of a mundane lifestyle.
He's not allowed to drive
He's prohibited from driving a vehicle.
He'll build a bridge then walk around
He'll find solutions to problems that he won't even use or enjoy.
Don't ever call him dumb
Don't underestimate his abilities or intelligence.
He's not that bright
He's not extremely smart or talented.
And he's not him, not him
He's not himself, he's putting on an act or mask to hide his true self.
And I can take you somewhere
I can show you a place, a different world.
Somewhere to unwind
Somewhere to relax and let go of your worries and problems.
You're tangled up in all this shit
You're caught up in difficulties, conflicts, and struggles.
And I will make you mine
I want you to be mine, to have a strong emotional bond.
There's nothing wrong
There's nothing bad or defective about him.
He's a superstar
He's extraordinary, exceptional, distinguished.
A taxi man and a young Einstein
He's a taxi driver who's also very intelligent and knowledgeable like Albert Einstein.
He'll build a bridge then walk around
He'll create or invent something and then not use it to its full potential.
Leave that boy alone
Don't interfere with him or bother him.
He's not uptight
He's not tense, nervous, or overly strict.
He's just not him, not himself
He's pretending to be someone he's not or hiding his true identity.
Make you mine, mine, mine
I want to own you, possess you, make you mine.
But I can take you somewhere over
I can show you something beyond what you're currently experiencing.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Arnold Lanni, Michael Maida
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
J P
Well played!
Erilis000
such a weird song but i love it
patrick grondines
love this song
blAckspot
Fuck eh, wicked song of a killer good album.
Tony Sokaleoralvsky
Good album
Sedraque Barbosa
<3 <3
blAckspot
☝️😎🇨🇦
pentelegomenon
kind of similar song idea to xtc's 'making plans for nigel'
marcio giacomo lamounier
Sera que o Pearl Jam plagiou?
Graydon Wallace
Sounds awfully similar to Starseed and Starseed is definitely the better song