The first seeds of the band were originally planted on Canada’s salty-aired East Coast in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Young Warren C. Spicer and Matthew ‘the Woodman’ Woodley had begun playing together in high-school bands. The sea winds eventually carried them through the vast plains of Quebec to Montreal (a journey they would come to know intimately as the years wore on). It was in the now hallowed halls of Concordia University’s music department that they would come upon Nicolas Basque, a strange francophone native that shared their musical inclinations (and a trappeur’s finely-tuned taste in cuisine). It wasn’t until then that the three boys became men, signified their union with a name, and that Plants and Animals emerged from the wildlife.
In 2003 they bat out an instrumental menagerie of song-like folk-beasts, and put some of them to tape in the form of a recording that local label Ships at Night would later release. By 2005 the three young men were taming the sprawling wilderness of their sound and sculpting real songs, as Spicer also lead the way to a (hitherto unheard of) vocal domination of their material—as if he had been possessed by the ghost of some recently departed soul singer. During this time Spicer and Woodley would occasionally stop by to care for some of the neighbours—Timber, Socalled, and Katie Moore—and play. All the while, the Halifax-born were jamming and pruning with Basque, harnessing the band and its songs like a wild horse. Some called it post-classic-rock. Some called it folk-prog. Those who knew better didn’t say anything at all.
In about the summer of 2005 they carried a 24-track Studer “bull” up the stairs of Spicer’s apartment and split their time between their new makeshift studio there (aka Le Carillon Tropical), and the Treatment Room. By fall 2006 the foundations of what would later become Parc Avenue were layed, the band was playing shows (and singing), and a relationship with Montreal label Secret City Records was formed. By summer 2007 the once-monster was complete, temporarily tamed, housed, and ready to be unleashed. While the band awaited the release of Parc Avenue, they kept busy touring in the US, Canada, and Iceland, working on their album art and recording with/avec EP that was released in Canada in October 2007.
Since Parc Avenue was released in early 2008 the band has played over 175 shows, circling the Western world more than once, including appearances at the Pitchfork Festival in Chicago, Primavera in Barcelona, Central Park Summer Stage with the National, and even one night in Columbus opening for Gnarls Barkley, after Danger Mouse discovered Parc Avenue and invited them out.
In January 2010 Plants and Animals announced their latest offering, La La Land, due out on April 20th on Secret City. The album was recorded at the band’s home-base studio in Montreal, The Treatment Room, and at Studio La Frette outside Paris, a brokedown old mansion filled with vintage gear and a killer board in the cellar instead of wine. Spicer says, “the Paris stuff is like a nice Bordeaux and the Montreal stuff is more like a baked potato. Sessions in Paris ended by 10pm, sessions in Montreal by 6am.” Rum and cokes supposedly inspired the initial Treatment Room sessions in late 2008. The album’s first track, “Tom Cruz,” eventually came out of these late nights. As the Woodman tells it, “it was December, pre-Christmas, so we fuelled the session with rum and cokes. They made us feel like Tom Cruise. It gave us killer smiles and made our enemies wither.”
Before
Plants and Animals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The sun done come and changed everything
What looked good in the winter don't look good no more
Forget about me and everything that came
Before
Before
Open your heart before you make that choice
Looker at nine with the beautiful voice
Memories I can't handle from before
From before
From before
From before
On another day
, the song "Before" by Plants and Animals is a poignant take on the fleeting nature of love and the inevitable changes that come with the passage of time. The opening lyrics "Love me now and leave me in spring, the sun done come and changed everything" seem to suggest a romantic relationship that has run its course, with the changing season serving as a metaphor for the shifting dynamics of the partnership. The singer urges the other person to forget about them and everything that came before, perhaps indicating a desire to move on and let go of the past.
As the song goes on, there are references to a child with a beautiful voice and memories that are difficult to handle from before. It's unclear whether the child is a literal or metaphorical figure, but either way, they seem to represent a past innocence and purity that has been lost. The memories are also a reminder of the pain and heartache that the singer has experienced, but they still feel a sense of attachment to their past despite the difficulties.
Overall, "Before" is a bittersweet reflection on love and loss, with a sense of melancholy that is underscored by the plaintive melody and plaintive vocals. The lyrics are open to interpretation, allowing listeners to make their own connection to the song's themes and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Love me now and leave me in spring
Show me affection and then abandon me when everything is renewed.
The sun done come and changed everything
The new season has come, altering everything from the past.
What looked good in the winter don't look good no more
The looks that were pleasing during the difficult times of life are now no longer appealing.
Forget about me and everything that came
Erase me and all the past experiences associated with me from your mind.
Before
The time that has passed, preceding the current moment.
Open your heart before you make that choice
Allow yourself to be vulnerable before making a decision.
Oh, just a child
I was naive and inexperienced at that time.
Looker at nine with the beautiful voice
At the age of nine, I possessed a melodious voice and was attractive.
Memories I can't handle from before
I am unable to cope with the events that happened in the past.
From before
Referencing the experiences and moments that happened previously.
From before
Retrospectively reflecting on the past.
From before
Looking back at the past events that have shaped the present.
Contributed by Taylor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@bicardo1
When they hit that crescendo, makes me wish time would stand still. I could sit in that pocket for hours.
@kaneschiller
This performance is mind blowing!
@mericsso
The more i listen to this song, the more it's becoming my favorite song on the album. Steller.
@BarryKBrownJr
Holy shit, this band is amazing. The lead guitarist plays a Vox AC15 and its a badass tube amp.
@rajathamid
it’s so gooood. 🤙🏼
@DuppyBruh
Hey man, check out some Reverb effects I dont think thats delay but I could be wrong. Look up videos with "Hall" reverb sounds and i think you'll find something close to what you're trying to accomplish soundwise. Hope this helps
@TimStanley1978
I got the acoustic guitar part worked out more or less if anyone needs to know
@BrixxonLP
Yes please tell me how to play this, i absolutely love this song
@TimStanley1978
I'll try to add a tutorial at some point....
@BrixxonLP
Tim Stanley Thank you so much :)