From Victoria, BC, Canada, but now calling Montreal their home, Caila Thompson-Hannant, Rory Seydel, Jon Crellin and Nathan Gage have shared stages with Frog Eyes, Silver Jews, The Thermals, Architecture in Helsinki, The Blow, Apples in Stereo, The National, Japanther and Yeasayer.
Northern lights
Shapes and Sizes Lyrics
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He spent all night - watched the northern lights
Couldn't it, wouldn't it be easier
To put the blame on the one
I'm not here to be the one for you
But it's getting closer to becoming the truth
(She's come undone)
I've come undone
(Point the finger and thumb and shoot the gun)
Another wire linked up to my heart
An electrical spark
I'm beating apart
I'm too young and foolish to refuse the bait
'Cause it's easy to bring me down
And it's easy to bring me 'round again
A common cause to play the fool
A gleam in her eye like the northern lights from my side
And don't point the finger
And don't pull the trigger
She had her heart on display in the purest of faith
A realisation that weapons are bad
And the effect that they had they threw the world back
(She's come undone)
I've come undone
(Point a finger and thumb and shoot the gun)
The moral is to love and be loved in return
But the chemical burn - it's starting to hurt
Drive all night with me and then sleep all day
Might take the pain away
Come watch the northern lights with me
The lyrics to Shapes and Sizes’ “Northern Lights” explore the themes of love, hurt, blame, and reconciliation. The singer reflects on the hurt caused by a common cause and alludes to the northern lights as a symbol of the relationship. He questions if it would be easier to put the blame on one person, which is a common tendency when things go wrong in a relationship, instead of taking responsibility for shared issues. There is a realization that he is not the one for the other person, but is getting closer to becoming the truth. In the second verse, the singer describes the physical and emotional effects of being hurt, using a metaphor about a wire linked up to his heart, causing an electrical spark, and beating apart. He acknowledges that it is easy to make him fall and rise again, as falling in love and being hurt is a common cause.
In the second half of the song, the singer shifts to a more hopeful tone, suggesting that the moral of the story is to love and be loved in return. He alludes to the idea that love is the only antidote to the chemical burn of hurt caused by relationships. He proposes that driving all night and sleeping all day with someone may be a way to alleviate the pain. The song ends with an invitation to watch the northern lights, which is a symbol of beauty and wonder.
Line by Line Meaning
A common cause of feeling hurt
Feeling hurt is something that most people have in common
He spent all night - watched the northern lights
He spent the entire night gazing at the aurora borealis
Couldn't it, wouldn't it be easier
Wouldn't it be simpler if things were different?
To put the blame on the one
To solely blame one person for something
Point my finger and thumb and shoot the gun
To assign blame in a harsh and unforgiving way
I'm not here to be the one for you
I can't keep being the person you rely on
But it's getting closer to becoming the truth
I'm getting closer to realizing that I can't do this anymore
(She's come undone)
She has lost control or become unhinged
I've come undone
I am also losing control
(Point the finger and thumb and shoot the gun)
To harshly assign blame as a way of shifting responsibility
Another wire linked up to my heart
Another connection to my heart
An electrical spark
A sudden and powerful surge of emotion
I'm beating apart
I am gradually falling apart
I'm too young and foolish to refuse the bait
I am too inexperienced and naive to resist temptation
'Cause it's easy to bring me down
It's simple to make me feel negative emotions
And it's easy to bring me 'round again
It's easy to make me feel better again
A common cause to play the fool
Playing the fool is something that most people do
A gleam in her eye like the northern lights from my side
She has a look in her eye that is as captivating as the aurora borealis
And don't point the finger
We shouldn't assign blame recklessly
And don't pull the trigger
We shouldn't act recklessly or without considering the consequences
She had her heart on display in the purest of faith
She had complete trust and faith in what she was doing
A realisation that weapons are bad
A sudden realization that violence and aggression are harmful
And the effect that they had they threw the world back
Their actions had negative repercussions for the world
(She's come undone)
She has lost control or become unhinged
I've come undone
I am also losing control
(Point a finger and thumb and shoot the gun)
To harshly assign blame as a way of shifting responsibility
The moral is to love and be loved in return
The lesson is to show love and receive love in return
But the chemical burn - it's starting to hurt
The pain of a failed relationship is starting to set in
Drive all night with me and then sleep all day
Let's escape and spend time together
Might take the pain away
It might ease the pain
Come watch the northern lights with me
Come experience the wonder of the aurora borealis with me
Contributed by Aria T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.