Singing in the local church choirs as a boy, studying jazz and classical piano performance, composition, and arrangement, and singing and playing keyboards in the ska band Gangster Politics in high school. Watson left the band after graduating and began to explore other types of music, including electronica and ambient. In 2002, after returning from a trip to Vietnam, he decided to start a four-piece chamber pop group, bringing in bassist Mishka Stein, drummer Robbie Kuster (both of whom he had met at university), and former Gangster Politics guitarist Simon Angell. The group (which was technically a solo project with a backing band) released Just Another Ordinary Day (2003) independently.
In 2001 Watson released his first own solo debut, Waterproof9 and in 2006 his second, Close to Paradise. Early in 2007, Watson was nominated for a Juno Canada's music award in the New Artist of the Year category.
His band's song "The Great Escape" was featured on a third-season episode of Grey's Anatomy.
He co-wrote and performed on several songs on The Cinematic Orchestra's 2007 album Ma Fleur including the opening track "To Build a Home". His "Missing You" remix of Champion's "Guy Doune", from Champion's 2006 album The Remix Album, reached #1 on CBC Radio 3's R3-30 chart in early 2007.
Patrick Watson (the band) also won the prestigeous Polaris Music Prize (Canada) in 2007.
Website: www.patrickwatson.net
The Great Escape
Patrick Watson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looking for the great escape
Gets in his car and drives away
Far from all the things that we are
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
And breathes it out, he says
Bye bye, bye to all of the noise
Oh, he says, Bye bye
Hey child, things are looking down
That's OK, you don't need to win anyways
Don't be afraid, just eat up all the grey
And it will fade all away
Don't let yourself fall down
Bad day
Looking for the great escape
He says, bad day
Looking for the great escape
On a bad day
Looking for the great escape
The great escape
Patrick Watson's song The Great Escape is a melancholic anthem about attempting to escape the chaos and noise of modern life. The lyrics follow the story of someone experiencing a difficult day and seeking solace in a long car ride, far from the stresses and anxieties of their everyday existence. The opening lyrics "Bad day, looking for a way home, looking for the great escape" set the tone for the rest of the song, painting a picture of desperation and a desire for release.
Watson's lyrics draw attention to the struggles of trying to navigate the complexities of daily existence. The chorus provides a sense of hope and optimism as the singer "puts on a smile and breathes it in and breathes it out" and declares "bye bye, bye to all of the noise." The lyrics suggest that escape is possible, even if only momentarily, and imply that self-care is often necessary when our well-being is threatened.
The second verse speaks to listeners who may be struggling in a similar way. Watson encourages the listener to persevere, even when things are difficult. The message here is one of resilience and the idea that every bad day will eventually come to an end. The Great Escape is a powerful and poignant song that captures the universal experience of trying to find peace amidst life's chaotic moments.
Line by Line Meaning
Bad day, looking for a way home
The singer is having a bad day and searching for a way to get back to a familiar, comforting place.
Looking for the great escape
In this struggle, the singer is yearning for a way to escape their current circumstances altogether.
Gets in his car and drives away
The singer takes decisive action, hoping to physically remove themselves from their problems.
Far from all the things that we are
The idea of leaving behind everything that is part of their current identity and situation is a driving force behind this escape attempt.
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
The artist is actively trying to convince themself that everything will be okay.
And breathes it out, he says
The singer vocalizes their hope to escape and start over.
Bye bye, bye to all of the noise
The singer is saying goodbye to all the negative aspects of their current struggles in order to leave them behind.
Oh, he says, Bye bye
The artist repeats their goodbye, emphasizing their desire to leave their problems behind.
Hey child, things are looking down
The artist is now talking to someone else, perhaps a younger version of themself, who is also struggling.
That's OK, you don't need to win anyways
The artist is reassuring the child that it's okay if they can't come out on top or overcome their struggles.
Don't be afraid, just eat up all the grey
The singer is suggesting that the child should accept the negative aspects of their situation and try to find a way to deal with them.
And it will fade all away
The artist believes that, with time and acceptance, the negative aspects of the situation will pass.
Don't let yourself fall down
The singer is imploring the child not to give up or let their struggles defeat them.
The great escape
The song's chorus repeats, emphasizing the overpowering desire to escape and start over.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Patrick Watson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DeepBlue2107
lyrics:
Bad day, looking for a way home,
looking for the great escape.
Gets in his car and drives away,
far from all the things that we are.
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
and breathes it out, he says,
bye bye bye to all of the noise.
Oh, he says, bye bye bye to all of the noise.
Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo
Hey child, things are looking down.
That's okay, you don't need to win anyways.
Don't be afraid, just eat up all the gray
and it will fade all away.
Don't let yourself fall down.
Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo noo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo
Doo doo doo doo doo doo noo noo noo
Bad day, looking for the great escape.
He says, bad day, looking for the great escape.
On a bad day, looking for the great escape,
the great escape.
@ghadabenkraiem1000
LYRICS
Bad day, looking for a way home
Looking for the great escape
Gets in his car and drives away
Far from all the things that we are
Puts on a smile and breathes it in
And breathes it out, he says
Bye bye, bye to all of the noise
Oh, he says, Bye bye
Bye to all of the noise
Hey child, things are looking down
That's OK, you don't need to win anyways
Don't be afraid, just eat up all the grey
And it will fade all away
Don't let yourself fall down
Bad day
Looking for the great escape
He says, bad day
Looking for the great escape
On a bad day
Looking for the great escape
The great escape
@RagingMusic20
You know what.. I believe people with real issues will understand when I say this song should be listened to when, literally, having a bad day. Grab your headphones, close your blinds, and just run this on repeat. The beauty of it helps. It really does.
@bakielh229
I totally agree with you.
@4Caprichos
It really helps.
@BentonWithMovies
Luka very few people understand what true sadness is your right, but Patrick seems to be able to make it all go away for people like us doesn't he?
@BentonWithMovies
***** what an arrogant and uninformed opinion you have there. this might come as a shock to people like you but sometimes, the problems we have cant be solved without powerful drugs that don't just help with the problem, but create new ones.
I would rather be anxious all the time, then feel nothing at all
@4Caprichos
It's just a personal opinion, I think nobody is aiming to solve all the cases of depression in the world with a song. Any way your solution may be valid for some (try helping out someone with depression getting out of the house and run and sing along, kudos to you) and really worthless for others. As the common sense should tell you, we're not all the same.
@belaidarhal9355
How ironic...after a bad day, this song is my great escape.
@belaidarhal9355
quelle coincidence :)
@BananaTNO
ugh same
@Ben55838
Nicely said.