The band was formed in 1991, when Chris Murphy and Andrew Scott met at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD) in Halifax. Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson joined soon after. In 1992, the band created their own record label, called Murderecords, for themselves and other Halifax area bands, and the outfit released the 'Peppermint EP' (the release also known as just 'Peppermint').
According to Sloan's official website, the band's name refers to a friend's nickname. Their friend, Jason Larsen, was called 'Slow One' by his French-speaking boss, which with the French accent sounded more like 'Sloan'. The original agreement was that they could name the band after their friend's nickname as long as he was on the cover of their first album. As a result, it is Larsen who appears on the cover of the 'Peppermint EP'.
Later in 1992, Sloan released their full-length debut, titled 'Smeared', on Geffen Records. Like many indie rock groups before them, the band found that major label dealings were basically as much trouble as they were worth. In 1994, Geffen did not promote their second album, called 'Twice Removed', due to artistic disputes, although it sold well in Canada. Spin named the album one of the "Best Albums You Didn't Hear" in 1994. A 1996 reader poll by Canadian music magazine Chart! ranked it as the best Canadian album of all time only two years after its release. The same poll in 2000 ranked the album third, behind Joni Mitchell's 'Blue' and Neil Young's 'Harvest', while the 2005 poll once again ranked the album first.
After the release of Twice Removed, the band went on hiatus and were rumoured to have broken up, as they had rejected Geffen's offer for their next album. In 1996, however, they released the widely praised One Chord to Another on their own Murderecords label. Following 1998's Navy Blues album, Sloan released their first live album 4 Nights at the Palais Royale in 1999. Those albums were followed by Between the Bridges in 1999, and Pretty Together in 2001.
Sloan made a concerted effort to break into the US market on their 2003 release Action Pact. Songs were recorded in L.A. with Tom Rothrock producing. The glossier, radio-ready sound failed to raise Sloan's profile in the US, though they continued to be highly popular in Canada.
Sloan's first compilation album A Sides Win: Singles 1992-2005, included two new songs, "All Used Up" and "Try to Make It". The Japanese release included two additional new tracks.
Now signed to Yep Roc Records for their US releases, they put out their eighth disc, Never Hear the End of It in 2006. The album contained 30 tracks with all the members of the band contributing new songs. It was met with widespread critical acclaim and became the highest charting Sloan album in the US up to that point.
In 2008, Sloan followed up their longest album with their shortest release Parallel Play.
In November 2009 Sloan added a digital music store to their website. The band released an online-only EP called Hit & Run to promote the store. The EP featured two songs by Chris Murphy, and one by each of the other band members. Murphy's Take It Upon Yourself was released as a free single. In February 2010, the band released another online exclusive, the compilation album B-Sides Win: Extras, Bonus Tracks and B-Sides 1992 - 2008.
In 2013, the band revealed plans for a double album, with each of the four sides featuring a solo suite by a different band member. In May 2014, it was announced that the new album would be titled "Commonwealth" and would be released in September 2014. On July 14, 2014, the band announced the official release date for the album (September 9, which turned out to be accurate) and the release of the album's first single, "Keep Swinging (Downtown)". The album cover portrays the band members as four-of-a-kind kings. The suits of these playing cards correspond to the titles of their solo sides: Jay Ferguson's side is called Diamond, Chris Murphy's is Heart, Patrick Pentland's is Shamrock, and Andrew Scott's is Spade.
Another Way I Could Do It
Sloan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I know I never will
There's people living their whole lives here
And having problems still
Fingers pointing — I'll take the bullet
Anybody mind if we share
No, their names are not important
Is it another failure to mention
Or just there wasn't much to tell
We tried to define intervention
To try to break the spell
I asked the man with all the answers
Give me some good news but don't lie
He said, I'd like to but I can't sir
You know why
If there's another way I could do it
If there's another way I could do it
If there's another way to do it
You think I'd know by now
There's another way to blow it all
There's another way to blow it
Yeah, yeah — better yet
Blow it
You know I've been there
Yeah — better yet
Hey, la la la la
Hey, la la la la
Hey, la la la la la la
Hey, la la la la
Hey, la la la la
Hey, la la la la la la
The song "Another Way I Could Do It" by Sloan reflects the struggle and frustration of feeling lost and helpless in a big city. The lyrics express a sense of confusion and uncertainty about one's place in the world. The singer acknowledges that even people who have lived in the city their whole lives are not immune to problems and challenges. The line "Fingers pointing — I'll take the bullet" suggests a willingness to take responsibility and accept blame, but also implies a sense of victimization. The unnamed people who are causing problems are not important, indicating that the singer feels powerless to affect change.
The song also touches on the theme of intervention and the desire to break free from a negative cycle. The line "We tried to define intervention to try to break the spell" suggests that the singer and others have attempted to make positive changes, but have been unsuccessful. The encounter with the "man with all the answers" further emphasizes the sense of hopelessness and desperation felt by the singer. The "good news" the singer is seeking is elusive and unattainable, leaving him or her feeling even more adrift.
The repeated refrain of "If there's another way I could do it" highlights the singer's desire for a different path or solution, but also suggests a feeling of resignation or defeat. The final lines of the song, which alternate between "There's another way to blow it all" and "Blow it," suggest a self-destructive impulse or a desire to escape. The repetition of "Hey, la la la la" further emphasizes the feeling of drifting aimlessly and being lost in a city full of strangers.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know my way through this city
I'm lost in this city and I don't think I'll ever be able to find my way
And I know I never will
I've given up hope of ever finding my way around here
There's people living their whole lives here
There are people who have lived here their whole lives and still face problems
And having problems still
Despite living here for so long, they still have issues to deal with
Fingers pointing — I'll take the bullet
People are blaming me, but I'm willing to accept responsibility for my actions
Anybody mind if we share
Do you mind if we share the blame?
No, their names are not important
The people responsible for the situation don't matter
That's half the problem there
The inability to identify the people responsible is a major part of the problem
Is it another failure to mention
Is there something else we've missed or failed to mention?
Or just there wasn't much to tell
Perhaps there wasn't anything significant to say
We tried to define intervention
We tried to come up with a way to solve the problem
To try to break the spell
To try and find a way to overcome the challenge we are facing
I asked the man with all the answers
I sought the advice of someone with more experience and knowledge than me
Give me some good news but don't lie
I asked for some positive news, but I don't want to be given false hope
He said, I'd like to but I can't sir
The man with the answers wanted to help, but it was beyond his control
You know why
And you know the reason why
If there's another way I could do it
If there's another approach to solving this problem
If there's another way to do it
If there's an alternate method of achieving our objective
You think I'd know by now
At this point, I should have already figured it out
There's another way to blow it all
There's a different way to mess everything up
There's another way to blow it
There's another way to fail
Yeah, yeah — better yet
Actually, never mind
Blow it
Just forget it, let it fall apart
You know I've been there
I've experienced failure before
Hey, la la la la
Nonsensical filler
Hey, la la la la la la
Nonsensical filler
Contributed by Jayden G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
rileena peacecraft
Sloan is awesome I love this band it helped me survive life from homeless to jail to married with a home... finally