Originally formed as Pilate in 1999, the Toronto-based rock quartet changed… Read Full Bio ↴Originally formed as Pilate in 1999, the Toronto-based rock quartet changed their name to “Pilot Speed” in mid-2006, in order to avoid possible lawsuits as their music spread internationally from their native Canada. Pilate were born in 2000 after vocalist and New Zealand native Todd Clark left the music program at the University of Western Ontario where he’d been studying and placed an ad online for potential bandmates. Bassist Ruby Bumrah, a graduate of the Ontario College of Art and Design, answered the call, bringing with him fellow alums Chris Greenough (guitar) and Bill Keeley (drums). Citing influences like Crowded House, Radiohead, and U2 for Pilate’s especially sweeping brand of melodic rock — not so dissimilar to acts like Keane, Coldplay, and Snow Patrol — they released the six-song EP For All That’s Given, Wasted in the summer of 2001. It quickly sold out its initial pressing and established the guys as players in the Canadian music scene.

They then landed opening slots on shows for Broken Social Scene, DFA 1979, and Hot Hot Heat, and received the honor of Best Unsigned Band at the 2002 North by Northeast music conference (Canada’s version of SXSW in the U.S.). Soon after, Pilate inked a deal with indie MapleMusic Recordings, which then released their full-length debut, Caught by the Window, in 2003. The album produced two hits on national radio and MuchMusic, as the guys toured North America, Australia, and Japan. Their follow-up, Sell Control for Life’s Speed, appeared back at home in mid-2006, after which the band changed its name to Pilot Speed.

Their first album under their new name "Wooden Bones" was released April 28th, 2009

Merchandise and news is available from their Official site.

Up On The Bridge
Pilot Speed Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We watched the train head out, and vanish from our sight
The light upon this bridge seems no lonelier than I

Oh, I'm going nowhere
Oh, I'm going nowhere

We walked across these fields to stop at our front gate
This house seems empty now, he asks if we will stay

Ah, I'm going nowhere
Oh...

Slipping out the front door, ready to ignore
All that sleeps tonight, in the lonely hours

Oh, I'm going nowhere
Oh, I'm going nowhere

Oh, I'm going nowhere
Oh, I'm going nowhere...

Overall Meaning

Pilot Speed's song "Up on the Bridge" is a melancholic ballad about a sense of aimlessness and alienation from one's surroundings. The opening lines refer to watching a train disappear into the distance, a symbolic representation of moving on and leaving behind old ways of life. The light on the bridge provides an eerie backdrop to the singer's feelings, as if reflecting his sense of isolation and detachment. The repeated refrain of "Oh, I'm going nowhere" underscores the sense of being stuck in a limbo, unable to move forward or find direction.

The second verse tells of a walk through empty fields, further emphasizing the feeling of desolation and abandonment. The image of a deserted home heightens the sense of alienation and loss. The reference to "all that sleeps tonight" suggests a larger theme of the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The final repetition of "Oh, I'm going nowhere" amplifies the sense of despair and ennui, leaving the listener with a haunting sense of the singer's emotional state.

Line by Line Meaning

We watched the train head out, and vanish from our sight
Observing the train leave, slowly disappearing from our view

The light upon this bridge seems no lonelier than I
The bridge's light is not as lonely as the singer

Oh, I'm going nowhere
The singer is not going anywhere

We walked across these fields to stop at our front gate
We strolled in the fields before reaching the gate of our house

This house seems empty now, he asks if we will stay
The house feels vacant, and someone asks if we'll remain there

Ah, I'm going nowhere
The singer is still not going anywhere

Slipping out the front door, ready to ignore
Leaving quietly, prepared to disregard

All that sleeps tonight, in the lonely hours
Everyone who rests at night, in the lonesome hours

Oh, I'm going nowhere
The singer remains stationary

Oh, I'm going nowhere
The singer is still not moving

Oh, I'm going nowhere
The singer has no destination in mind