Shane is a dynamic and charismatic artist whose performances are jaw-dropping in their expressive power. His delivery follows that of slam poetry and his performances and personae are at the vanguard of the live poetry circuit in the U.S., Canada & the UK.
His written work has been well received in Canada & the UK. The initial print-run for his book Visiting Hours dwarfed the industry standards for poetry books. Visiting Hours was recommended as a Book of the Year 2005 by the Guardian and the Globe and Mail.
Together with Mighty Mike McGee and C. R. Avery, he is the co-founder of spoken word, "talk rock" trio, Tons of Fun University.
Promise
Shane Koyczan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
we were always just kind of touch and go.
as if we knew we'd know that somehow we'd grow differently
so we did and we do
and none of this is to say that it wasn't worth going through
or that i care any less about you
shoulders to lean on are hard to come by.
I know because there were times I would have broken my own neck
And I remember when each finger was a pawn
moving slowly across the chessboard of your body
and we made each game last.
Passed up each avenue of attack because neither one of us were trying to win
So how do we begin again when that feels like now and this feels like then?
When all I can do is tell you
"if you've got something that needs saying, tonight I'm paying dues."
I've got a pocket full of blues and two pennies to rub together
Which means I'm wealthy enough that I can finally afford to pay attention.
I'm listening.
And I know right now I'm somehow like that kid sitting in math class,
terribly aware of his first boner.
It's hard.
But difficulty has never been a good enough reason to describe
the effort it takes to make the good times and the memories worth having.
And they were and they are and I wouldn't have come this far
if you weren't worth the sleepless nights where abandoned appetites of a heart, now rail-thin, because of the constant hunger strikes.
In your absence, I'm finding value,
because what starves you carves you,
and I'm chipping away the rough edges of a statue
built to memorialize everything we've been through.
And when I'm done, I'm gonna set it against
the backdrop of the sun and stare just no matter where I go,
it'll always be etched into the back of my mind,
stenciled in behind whatever future I have left to find.
Maybe we were never meant to last.
Maybe we're only meant to reflect fondly upon a past where we cast ourselves in the lead role of a one-year sitcom.
One that had the critics standing, while putting hand to palm,
in an ovation we're still getting curtain calls for.
And the stage floor was a graveyard for the
freshly cut roses that we waded through
to take our bows and say
thank you.
It was beautiful.
And it was and it is and none of it was ever show-biz.
But we were waiting for lights to dim on a stage where we set ourselves to music.
As if the swelling violins could ever
mimic the hidden moments found in the theatre
where we kept audiences stapled to their seats.
And they watched us, looking for vacancies they could occupy in the spaces between our heartbeats,
as if silence was a room for rent,
and we both went "shh."
But the beats themselves:
they were loud enough to drown out the applause.
And we laughed at the ushers left looking in the aisles for the dropped jaws of patrons who still can't believe we took time to find beauty in the flaws we possess.
That there's only something better to be found in allowing our collective damage to coalesce.
And all we confess of ourselves forever
is that we will make it through this.
We're gonna make it through this,
like a big-ass jug of cool-aid with legs and arms
busting through a brick wall to quench the thirst of our loneliness and say "fuck yeah."
Yes, I miss you.
When I'm not looking, the softest parts of me
will issue restraining orders.
Not the kind that define borders or boundaries;
these are the kind that will keep me in place when I ask
"please, call me when you get there."
Because every somewhere I go to,
is just another place that reminds me I miss you.
And my broken heart is where I keep the scar-tissue
that I used to dry my eyes when a tear tries to make a break for it.
I've built my eyelids into an Alcatraz,
where every prisoner has a parole board meeting scheduled for yesterday. And they played dominoes until time comes full circle,
like a sun rise, and today tries to set them free
because they'll be locked up here until I let them go,
until it's safe to let you know
you're my best friend.
And that some things end
so that other things can begin.
Sometimes an ending can be an origin.
That history is a resin that can keep
two people stuck together,
that change can be a tether if you let it.
I'll always want to kiss you.
Or touch you.
Or do that thing that drives you crazy.
And by that, I mean you literally go crazy when I call you "cranky pants."
Sorry, but it makes me laugh.
And that's important to someone
who's given more than half of their life to tragedy.
I keep your side of the bed empty with a just-in-case mentality of
that hope's middle name is maybe and maybe you miss me too.
One day,
you and I are going to make it through this.
And we'll look back
and we'll realize
that we have,
and we did,
promise.
In the song Promise by Shane Koyczan, the singer reflects on a past relationship and its complexities. The lyrics suggest that the relationship wasn't based on grand promises or a commitment to be together forever, but rather an understanding that things might change and they might grow differently from each other. Despite this, the relationship was still valuable and worth going through. The singer emphasizes the difficulty of finding someone to lean on, and how much they appreciated having that support.
The lyrics also delve into how the relationship was more about experiencing the moment, rather than trying to win or control each other. The singer uses the metaphor of a chessboard to reflect how they explored each other's bodies in a playful and non-competitive way. Throughout the song, the singer acknowledges the pain and longing that comes with a breakup, but also recognizes the beauty in the shared experiences and memories.
Line by Line Meaning
We never promised each other much
We didn't make any grand commitments to each other
we were always just kind of touch and go.
Our relationship was always casual and undefined
as if we knew we'd know that somehow we'd grow differently
so we did and we do
and none of this is to say that it wasn't worth going through
or that i care any less about you
We recognized that we might change and we did, but that doesn't mean our relationship wasn't valuable or meaningful
shoulders to lean on are hard to come by.
I know because there were times I would have broken my own neck
just so that I'd have one of my own to cry on.
It's difficult to find someone to support you, and there were times when I wished I could rely on myself
And I remember when each finger was a pawn
moving slowly across the chessboard of your body
and we made each game last.
Passed up each avenue of attack because neither one of us were trying to win
We took our time exploring each other physically, without any pressure or competition
So how do we begin again when that feels like now and this feels like then?
When all I can do is tell you
"if you've got something that needs saying, tonight I'm paying dues."
We're not sure how to move forward, but I'm willing to listen and work through any issues that need to be addressed
I've got a pocket full of blues and two pennies to rub together
Which means I'm wealthy enough that I can finally afford to pay attention.
I'm struggling, but I'm in a place where I can focus on our relationship instead of just surviving day to day
And I know right now I'm somehow like that kid sitting in math class,
terribly aware of his first boner.
It's hard.
I feel inexperienced and awkward, but I'm still trying my best
But difficulty has never been a good enough reason to describe
the effort it takes to make the good times and the memories worth having.
The challenges we've faced don't diminish the value of our positive experiences and shared memories
In your absence, I'm finding value,
because what starves you carves you,
and I'm chipping away the rough edges of a statue
built to memorialize everything we've been through.
While we're not together, I'm using the pain and loneliness to grow and improve myself
And when I'm done, I'm gonna set it against
the backdrop of the sun and stare just no matter where I go,
it'll always be etched into the back of my mind,
stenciled in behind whatever future I have left to find.
I'll look back on our relationship with fondness, no matter where life takes me
Maybe we were never meant to last.
Maybe we're only meant to reflect fondly upon a past where we cast ourselves in the lead role of a one-year sitcom.
One that had the critics standing, while putting hand to palm,
in an ovation we're still getting curtain calls for.
Our time together may have been brief, but it was still significant and impactful
And the stage floor was a graveyard for the
freshly cut roses that we waded through
to take our bows and say
thank you.
Our relationship had its ups and downs, but we appreciate the good moments and the lessons we learned
But the beats themselves:
they were loud enough to drown out the applause.
And we laughed at the ushers left looking in the aisles for the dropped jaws of patrons who still can't believe we took time to find beauty in the flaws we possess.
That there's only something better to be found in allowing our collective damage to coalesce.
Our love and connection was powerful enough to overshadow any flaws or criticisms, and we see value in our struggles and imperfections
And all we confess of ourselves forever
is that we will make it through this.
We're gonna make it through this,
like a big-ass jug of cool-aid with legs and arms
busting through a brick wall to quench the thirst of our loneliness and say "fuck yeah."
We commit to staying strong and overcoming our challenges together, like a powerful force bursting through barriers
Yes, I miss you.
When I'm not looking, the softest parts of me
will issue restraining orders.
Not the kind that define borders or boundaries;
these are the kind that will keep me in place when I ask
"please, call me when you get there."
I still feel a strong emotional connection to you, and I need to hear from you to feel secure
Because every somewhere I go to,
is just another place that reminds me I miss you.
And my broken heart is where I keep the scar-tissue
that I used to dry my eyes when a tear tries to make a break for it.
No matter where I am, I'm reminded of you and I still feel emotional pain, but I'm finding ways to cope and heal
I've built my eyelids into an Alcatraz,
where every prisoner has a parole board meeting scheduled for yesterday.
And they played dominoes until time comes full circle,
like a sun rise, and today tries to set them free
because they'll be locked up here until I let them go,
until it's safe to let you know
you're my best friend.
I'm guarding my emotions and trying to protect myself, but I still value our friendship deeply
And that some things end
so that other things can begin.
Sometimes an ending can be an origin.
Sometimes good things come to an end, but that can lead to new beginnings and growth
That history is a resin that can keep
two people stuck together,
that change can be a tether if you let it.
Our shared history can keep us connected, but we have to be open to change and growth
I'll always want to kiss you.
Or touch you.
Or do that thing that drives you crazy.
And by that, I mean you literally go crazy when I call you "cranky pants."
Sorry, but it makes me laugh.
I still have feelings for you and I want to be close to you, even in small ways
And that's important to someone
who's given more than half of their life to tragedy.
I've been through a lot of difficult experiences, and having someone to share laughter and joy with is valuable to me
I keep your side of the bed empty with a just-in-case mentality of
that hope's middle name is maybe and maybe you miss me too.
I'm leaving space for you, holding onto the hope that we'll be together again
One day,
you and I are going to make it through this.
And we'll look back
and we'll realize
that we have,
and we did,
promise.
We'll work through our troubles and come out the other side stronger, and we'll see that we made a commitment to each other that we kept
Contributed by Leah D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Trinity Frank
I was never promised such works that This man has made. This man has helped me so much with dealing with depression. Shane, you probably won't see the this but, thank you.
MrShinnickNeth
That's wonderful, Trinity. Shane's words are magic! :)
Anna Yagoubian
This is connection
Christo Geo Jose
😊😊 this talks about a lot