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.”
Made to Heal
Our Lady Peace Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your exercise
And the world that I knew
Then, I fell back on you.
Cause I need more time
And I need an excuse
I'm a thief, a liar
I'm a king, a drug
The push that comes to shove
I'm a freak, a star
I'm everything you are
I'm your Jesus, I'm your pride
We're made to heal
I depend on you
For the wings of life
And the air that you move
And I defended you
For this one last time
For the nerves you abuse.
I'm a thief, a liar
An angel in the fire
I'm a king, a drug
The push that comes to shove
I'm a freak, a star
I'm everything you are
I'm your Jesus, I'm your pride
We're made to heal
The lyrics of "Made to Heal" by Our Lady Peace express a sense of dependency and dependence on someone or something. The song starts with the singer abandoning the subject after feeling disillusioned by their activities and lifestyle. However, the singer later returns to the subject because they realize that they need more time and a justification for their return. The lyrics also suggest that the singer has a complicated relationship with the subject, as they describe themselves as both a thief and a liar, but also as an angel and a king.
Throughout the song, there is a sense of duality, almost as if the singer is torn between two sides, just like they are either a thief or an angel. The line "I'm your Jesus, I'm your pride" could be interpreted as the singer taking on the role of savior or Messiah for the subject, but it could also suggest that the singer is the subject's source of arrogance or ego. "We're made to heal" is a phrase that appears throughout the song, and it signifies that both the singer and the subject are in need of healing.
Line by Line Meaning
I gave up on you.
I lost faith in your ability or willingness to change or improve.
And your exercise
I gave up on the efforts you were making to become better.
And the world that I knew
I lost hope and became disillusioned with the way things were in my life.
Then, I fell back on you.
Despite my disappointment, I turned to you for help and support.
Cause I need more time
I require additional time to process my emotions and possibly come up with a new plan.
And I need an excuse
I'm searching for a justification or explanation for my actions or inaction.
I'm a thief, a liar
I'm admitting to behaving dishonestly or immorally at times.
An angel in the fire
I can withstand difficult or painful experiences and come out stronger on the other side.
I'm a king, a drug
I'm likening myself to a powerful ruler or addictive substance that people rely on.
The push that comes to shove
I'm capable of taking decisive action when the situation becomes critical or urgent.
I'm a freak, a star
I possess unique attributes or talents that make me stand out from others, for better or worse.
I'm everything you are
I share many of the same qualities or experiences as you do.
I'm your Jesus, I'm your pride
I'm trying to convey that I can serve as a source of comfort or inspiration for you, just as Jesus or your own personal pride might do.
We're made to heal
This statement refers to our inherent ability as individuals to recover from difficult experiences and to help others to do the same.
I depend on you
I rely on you for my survival or well-being.
For the wings of life
I'm dependent on your support to move forward or progress in life.
And the air that you move
Your actions or efforts have a direct impact on my life and well-being.
And I defended you
I stood up for you or your actions, despite any flaws or shortcomings you may have.
For this one last time
This is likely the final time I will offer my support or defend you.
For the nerves you abuse.
You may be causing me significant emotional distress or harm.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAIDA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bear Island Comics
Man, Spiritual Machines was THAT album. That front-to-back masterpiece every great band puts out just once in their career. From the production, to the lyrics, to the weird little Kurzweil interludes...everything is perfect. 'Made To Heal' was always my favorite; it was track 9 but I rarely skipped ahead to it because everything else was SO. DAMN. GOOD. Thank you Our Lady Peace, this album helped lift me out of a dark time -- but absent that, it would still be a beauty!
eloise
I totally agree!!
TheGodYouWishYouKnew
There first 4 albums were killer.
MarLon Marin
It came out at the best time !!!!
Far their best album with clumsy 🤝
Curtis Smith
So good to hear you guys again
Mathew Jay
This album is a regular in my car
Laggard Lady
THIS ALBUM ❤ I stripped my throat raw for years, singing this entire CD at the top of my lungs…good thing I’m made to heal. 🙏 An absolute gem. Now I have to find my Matthew Goodband LP to be transported back in time.
Mike M
One of my favorite songs from one of my favorite bands.
Marie Ward
Now I have a second favorite song. You guys already snagged the title for FAV song (Big Dumb Rocket). Dude, the way you sing speaks to my soul. It's amazing and beautiful.
DJ Digger Jonez
Best album for working out.