The band calls Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, home – the enigmatic prairie city, which has served artists as both an abundant, creative watering hole and a debilitating quagmire. The city's mood swings from euphoric summers spent biking with beers, fence-hopping residential pools and climbing abandoned roof-tops to harsh, bitter winters that are countered first with defiance, then self-loathing, then denial, then "you've got to be fucking kidding me." Royal Canoe's songs are, in part, an effort to make sense of the resentment and romanticism of the city's divergent identities.
Members:
Matt Peters - Vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar
Bucky Driedger - Electric guitar, vocals
Matthew Schellenberg - Keyboards, vocals
Brendan Berg - Bass, keyboard, vocals
Derek Allard - Drum kit
Michael Jordan - Electronic drums
Just Enough
Royal Canoe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Watch our skin lighten up
Curious little ghosts
You don't peek, no you don't
Water washes off your back
Everyone's reflective
We all knew it wasn't far away
Cool cats standing looking fine your way
Ooh, I found a way uh-huh
Pay attention
No one's really swimming anyway
Someone's talking in a regular way
And I'm forgetting what to say
We show, show just enough
Every tremble is a code
We're not alone in the dark
This is how we assemble
Crawling back with the tide
Shallow hands side-to-side
Fingers burrowing below
Who'll draw fire from the moon?
Who's the first flash of white?
How long can we put it off?
You're too well adjusted
Sure of what you just did
Don't trust it
You've done enough
Man, you're never home
You could stand to get on with it
We show, show just enough
Every tremble is a code
We're not alone in the dark
This is how we assemble
The song "Just Enough" by Royal Canoe is a contemplative reflection about identity and self-perception. The opening lines "We've got nothing to hide, Watch our skin lighten up, Curious little ghosts" express a desire to reveal oneself and be understood. The line "Water washes off your back, Everyone's reflective" highlights the fact that everyone has something to hide or protect and that we all have a certain level of introspection. The chorus "We show, show just enough, Every tremble is a code, We're not alone in the dark, This is how we assemble" could be interpreted as an acknowledgement that we all present ourselves in a certain way, but we also have hidden vulnerabilities that we only reveal to those we trust.
The second verse "Someone's talking in a regular way, And I'm forgetting what to say" conveys a sense of feeling lost in a sea of conversations and societal expectations. The line "Who'll draw fire from the moon? Who's the first flash of white? How long can we put it off?" is possibly a reference to the inevitability of confronting one's self and revealing one's true identity. The lines "You're too well adjusted, Sure of what you just did, Don't trust it, You've done enough" could be interpreted as a warning against blindly conforming to societal norms and expectations.
Overall, "Just Enough" seems to be a nuanced exploration of identity and the complexities of human relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
We've got nothing to hide
We are not hiding anything
Watch our skin lighten up
We are not afraid, we are calm and confident
Curious little ghosts
We are interested in everything around us
You don't peek, no you don't
You don't bother us
Water washes off your back
We are untroubled by what you do
Everyone's reflective
Everyone is thoughtful
Need I mention
Do I really have to say it?
We all knew it wasn't far away
We knew it was coming soon
Cool cats standing looking fine your way
People are watching, but we are not worried
Ooh, I found a way uh-huh
I figured it out, I have a plan
Pay attention
Listen carefully
No one's really swimming anyway
No one is really getting anywhere
Someone's talking in a regular way
Someone is talking normally
And I'm forgetting what to say
I am losing my train of thought
We show, show just enough
We reveal just the right amount
Every tremble is a code
Every movement has meaning
We're not alone in the dark
We have each other
This is how we assemble
This is how we come together
Crawling back with the tide
Going back to where we came from
Shallow hands side-to-side
Moving hands together, not deep in anything
Fingers burrowing below
Digging deeper, getting to the truth
Who'll draw fire from the moon?
Who will be the first to take on the impossible task?
Who's the first flash of white?
Who will be the first to stand out?
How long can we put it off?
How long can we avoid the inevitable?
You're too well adjusted
You fit in too easily
Sure of what you just did
Confident about your actions
Don't trust it
Be careful, something is not right
You've done enough
You don't need to do anything else
Man, you're never home
You are never around
You could stand to get on with it
You should start doing something
Contributed by Caleb O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Brian Bowles
Just discovering these guys. Great new band. Thanks for posting.