Born in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, he attended Loyola High School and McGill University. Roberts formed the band William in 1993. The band's name was changed to Northstar in 1996. Although the band gained some notice in independent rock circles, they couldn't break through to a national audience, and broke up in the late 1990s. Roberts' bandmate George Donoso went on to significant success in indie rock circles with The Dears, but Roberts struggled for several years afterward.
In 2000 Roberts began his solo career by independently releasing his first studio album, Brother Down. The album was largely unsuccessful but the title track would later go on to be re-recorded and re-released on a six-song EP titled The Inhuman Condition. The EP sold slowly at first, but by the summer of 2002 Roberts was all over the Canadian airwaves: his first single "Brother Down" had become one of the biggest Canadian hits of the year, and the follow up single "Don't Walk Away Eileen" quickly followed suit.
Roberts then signed to Universal Music, releasing his full-length debut, We Were Born in a Flame, in 2003. That album's singles, "Where Have All the Good People Gone?", "Hard Road", "Brother Down" and "Don't Walk Away Eileen", became major hits, especially in Canada.
The band's album Chemical City, produced with Joseph Donovan and released on April 11, 2006, got major radio play in Canada after its release, especially the single "The Gate".
The band's latest release, the album Love at the End of the World (May 20, 2008), included the song "Them Kids", which reached #1 on the Canadian indie chart (the R3-30), and also #1 on CFNY's Thursday 30 chart.
The band released the album Collider on May 10, 2011.
Brother Down
Sam Roberts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got my brother down cause it's nothing to me
(Yeah, it's nothing to me)
Everyone saying that it's wrong to cheat
But there's no other way to get my life on easy street
(Get your life on easy street)
Been knocking you down, now you're looking for more
And the only sound you hear is a closing door
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
Rich man cryin' cause his money's time
And poor man's smilin' 'cause he knows he ain't blind
(Knows he ain't blind)
And there's a man over there, he says he's tougher than me
But I got eyes that can see through fantasy
(I can see through fantasy)
I think my life is passing me by
I think my life is passing me by
Take it all back 'cause it don't mean nothing
If you give it away then you're looking for something back
(Looking for something back)
You wake up every morning and there's nothing there
No reason to die but no reason to care
Someone else telling you what you're living for
Been knocking you down, now you're looking for more
Now the only sound you hear is a closing door
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
We got one life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
Got my brother down 'cause it's nothing to me
(It's nothing to me)
And there's a rich man cryin' 'cause his money is time
A poor man smilin' 'cause he knows he ain't blind
(He knows he ain't blind)
I think my life is passing me by
I think my life is passing me by
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
You know we're doing it wrong
Yeah we're doing it wrong you see
I said we're doing it wrong you see
You know we're doing it wrong you see
Yeah, we're doing it wrong you see
I said, we're doing it wrong you see
You know we're doing it wrong
I said we're doing it wrong
The lyrics of Sam Roberts’s song "Brother Down" appear to be commenting on the concept of the American Dream and the pursuit of happiness in a world where the odds seem stacked against the average person. The line "One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see" suggests that the singer is aware that life is fleeting, but isn't sure how to make the most of it. The repetition of the phrase "one life to live" further emphasizes this point.
The image of the "rich man crying" and the "poor man smiling" creates a contrast between those who have everything and those who have nothing. It suggests that wealth and success don't always lead to happiness, and that poverty and hardship don't necessarily mean despair. The references to cheating and easy street suggest that some people will do whatever it takes to get ahead, even if it means hurting others. The line "Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war" further emphasizes this point, suggesting that the world is full of conflict and struggle, and that it's difficult to find true peace and contentment.
Overall, "Brother Down" seems to be a commentary on the human condition, the pursuit of happiness, and the struggle to make sense of a world that often seems chaotic and unfair.
Line by Line Meaning
One life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
Despite having only one life, we're living it in a wrong manner
Got my brother down cause it's nothing to me
I'm causing harm to my brother and it doesn't affect me
(Yeah, it's nothing to me)
I'm indifferent to my brother's struggles
Everyone saying that it's wrong to cheat
People advise against cheating
But there's no other way to get my life on easy street
Cheating seems like the only way to make life easier
(Get your life on easy street)
Make your life easier by cheating
Someone else telling you what you're living for
Someone else is dictating the purpose of your life
Been knocking you down, now you're looking for more
You've been oppressed and are now seeking justice
And the only sound you hear is a closing door
You feel trapped and the only escape route is closing
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
Your pursuit of peace has resulted in a conflict
Rich man cryin' cause his money's time
A wealthy person is unhappy despite having money
And poor man's smilin' 'cause he knows he ain't blind
A poor person is happy because they can see through the facade of wealth
(Knows he ain't blind)
The poor person is aware of the truth
And there's a man over there, he says he's tougher than me
Someone claims to be stronger than me
But I got eyes that can see through fantasy
I can see through the person's false claim
(I can see through fantasy)
I'm not fooled by false claims
I think my life is passing me by
I feel like life is slipping away from me
Take it all back 'cause it don't mean nothing
Reclaim all that was given away because it has no value
If you give it away then you're looking for something back
Giving away things means you expect something in return
(Looking for something back)
The motivation behind giving is self-serving
You wake up every morning and there's nothing there
You feel like there's no purpose in life
No reason to die but no reason to care
You don't want to die, but you also don't care about life
We got one life to live but we're doing it wrong you see
As a collective, we're living our lives in a wrong manner
And there's a rich man cryin' 'cause his money is time
A wealthy person is unhappy because of their lack of time
A poor man smilin' 'cause he knows he ain't blind
A poor person is happy because they can see through the facade of wealth
(He knows he ain't blind)
The poor person is aware of the truth
You know we're doing it wrong
We know we're not doing things the right way
Yeah we're doing it wrong you see
We're making mistakes and it's evident
I said we're doing it wrong you see
I'm emphasizing that we're doing things incorrectly
You know we're doing it wrong you see
We're aware that our actions are incorrect
Yeah, we're doing it wrong you see
It's apparent that our behavior is misguided
I said, we're doing it wrong you see
I'm repeating my point that we're doing things incorrectly
You know we're doing it wrong
We're not doing things the right way
I said we're doing it wrong
I'm emphasizing that our actions are incorrect
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Sam Lewis Roberts
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Stevinho
One life to live but we're doing it wrong
You see, got my brother down cause it's nothing to me
Everyone's saying that it's wrong to cheat
But there's no other way to get my life on easy street
Someone else telling you what you're living for
Been knocking you down, now you're looking for more
The only sound you hear is a closing door
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
Rich man's crying cause his money's time
And poor man's smiling cause he knows he ain't blind
There's a man over there says he's tougher than me
But I got eyes that can see through fantasy
I think my life is passing me by
I think my life is passing me by
Take it all back cause it don't mean nothing
If you give it away and you're looking for something back
Wake up every morning when there's nothing there
No reason to die but no reason to care
Someone else telling you what you're living for
Been knocking you down now you're looking for more
The only sound you hear is a closing door
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
One life to live but we're doing it wrong
You see, got my brother down cause it's nothing to me
Rich man's crying cause his money's time
Poor man's smiling cause he knows he ain't blind
I think my life is passing me by
I think my life is passing me by
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One life to live but we're doing it wrong
You see, got my brother down cause it's nothing to me
Everyone saying that it's wrong to cheat
But there's no other way to get my life on easy street
Someone else telling you what you're living for
Been knocking you down, now you're looking for more
The only sound you hear is a closing door
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
Rich man cryin' cause his money's time
And poor man's smilin' cause he knows he ain't blind
There's a man over there says he's tougher than me
But I got eyes that can see through fantasy
I think my life is passing me by
I think my life is passing me by
Take it all back 'cause it don't mean nothing
If you give it away and you're looking for something back
Wake up every morning when there's nothing there
No reason to die but no reason to care
Someone else telling you what you're living for
Been knocking you down now you're looking for more
The only sound you hear is a closing door
Been looking for peace but they're bringing you war
One life to live but we're doing it wrong
You see, got my brother down cause it's nothing to me
Rich man cryin' cause his money's time
And poor man's smilin' cause he knows he ain't blind
I think my life is passing me by
I think my life is passing me by
Adam Martin
20 years later and this song still sounds as fresh now as it did back then. Canadian classic.
holly pietrzak
This was sam Roberts very first song?
Stussy
@holly pietrzakfirst one on radio. I remember hearing it the first time and I was in awe. I have all his albums, another one coming up. First 3 are amazing.
holly pietrzak
@Stussy I remember heading this song a lot on the radio back in the early 2000s a lot?
Kailan Carter
My dad passed away from cancer and he used to love this song, play it in his truck on Saturday mornings. It's crazy how much music impacts our lives.
Phil S
so beautifully sad.
Accurate Mender
Kailan Carter
Music is the first language of the world my friend and in a way, a tiny portion of his essence/legacy, lives on in this tune.
Rest in peace and condolences to you and your family.
-from mid-west Canada
Fuck Big brother
(Just a playful jab, hope you're at peace with his passing.)
Youtubeishorrendous
Kailan Carter indeed brother, indeed :) :( :/
ray2op
One of those songs I get to come back and feel the impact of as an adult. I loved how it sounded being young, I love the message as an adult.