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.
Time Difference
Shane Koyczan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what it's like in the future.
It's not bluetooth controlled sex robots or water and juice boxes.
It's more subtle than that.
It's the stars, the moon, and drops of dew sleeping on the leaves of flowers whose names I don't know.
It's the fact that, all of these things, you will see before I do.
You will read the headline news before I even wake.
Which in some small way makes you psychic, but don't worry.
I will not ask you to read my fortune, I already know that my hand belongs on you hip and my belly against your back. They belong there.
Like fingertips on a typewriter.
You live in the future so there's really not much that the past can tell you.
History has never really had any use for crystal balls and tarot cards.
And I thought you should know, if you're smiling, that's perfect.
It's something I predicted.
The lyrics of Shane Koyczan's Time Difference speaks of the idea of time zones and how it affects two people in a way that is both profound and subtle. The song starts with the line "You will see the sunrise before I do" which highlights the reality of time difference and how it affects people's daily lives, especially those in long-distance relationships. The song then moves on to describe the beauty of the future - a future that the person listening to the song will experience before Koyczan does. He describes how it's not about technological advancements but rather the simple beauty of nature such as stars, the moon, and dewdrops.
What makes the song intriguing is the way Koyczan weaves his words to give meaning to the mundane aspects of life. When he talks about the fact that his partner will read the headline news before he even wakes up, it turns into something almost magical - she becomes "psychic" in a way. He then reassures her that he won't ask for insider information or winning lotto numbers, but rather, he'll rest easy knowing that his hand belongs on her hip and his belly against her back.
The song then takes a turn as Koyczan talks about the past and its inability to predict the future. He reminds the listener that they belong to the future, and therefore, the past has no use for crystal balls and tarot cards. The song ends with the line "And I thought you should know, if you're smiling, that's perfect. It's something I predicted." It's a beautiful way to end the song - a promise that despite the distance and time difference, they will always be connected in some way.
Line by Line Meaning
You will see the sunrise before I do.
I won't be able to see the sunrise as soon as you because you live in a time zone ahead of mine.
That's what it's like in the future.
Living in the future means having a time difference with the rest of the world.
It's not bluetooth controlled sex robots or water and juice boxes.
Living in the future is not what science fiction movies make it out to be, it is much more subtle than that.
It's more subtle than that.
Living in the future involves experiencing natural beauty that I cannot see yet.
It's the stars, the moon, and drops of dew sleeping on the leaves of flowers whose names I don't know.
The beauty of the future is in the natural elements such as the stars, moon and dew drops that I don't have access to yet.
It's the fact that, all of these things, you will see before I do.
You will experience the beauty of nature in the future before me due to the time difference.
You will read the headline news before I even wake.
You will have access to current news that I won't have access to yet due to living in the future.
Which in some small way makes you psychic, but don't worry.
Your access to news and events before they happen in my time zone makes you appear psychic in some way, but it's just the result of the time difference.
I won't ask you for insider info or winning lotto numbers or the answers to the crossword puzzle clues.
I won't take advantage of your time difference advantage to seek insider information, fortunate numbers, or answers to puzzles in advance.
I will not ask you to read my fortune, I already know that my hand belongs on you hip and my belly against your back. They belong there.
I don't need to know the future, I just want to enjoy the present moment with you by having my hand on your hip and my belly against your back.
Like fingertips on a typewriter.
Our bond is as natural as the feel of fingertips on a typewriter.
You live in the future so there's really not much that the past can tell you.
Living in the future means that the past doesn't hold many surprises for you.
History has never really had any use for crystal balls and tarot cards.
The future cannot be predicted by crystal balls or tarot cards, history won't help you much with that.
And I thought you should know, if you're smiling, that's perfect.
If you are smiling because you are happy, then that's perfect and that's all I need to know.
It's something I predicted.
I am happy when you are happy, so it is not surprising that I predicted your smile during our conversation.
Contributed by Victoria Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@junothestar1398
Been listening to Shane's stuff for years, this still remains my favorite having online friends haha
@snipnnip3269
:O So glad I found this video. I've been searching for a while.