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.
If It Feels Good Do It
Sloan Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fall under attack
The only time you cross the line
Is when you're crossing back
Have you changed the song we were singing
Or have I just lost the air?
If I said your behavior suffocates
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't
You found the perfect spot
For Jimmy's wicked thoughts
It's in my permanent collection
Now like it or not
Wishing away that the legacy left
Came in a frame and was the victim of theft
It adds more worth to work I've done
But as long as you've had fun
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't
I didn't get your revisions
But sometimes life's not fair
To think you almost apologized
Put her there, there, there
Don't be sad at all
I'm about to get killed off
The writing's on the wall
If you believe everything that you read
Turn to the only thing that you ever need
It says to do unto others
But the thing is you do
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't
Don't stop
Don't stop
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't
The lyrics of Sloan's song "If It Feels Good Do It" seem to be a message about individualism and not being afraid to do what makes you happy. The first verse might be a reference to someone who has a tendency to criticize or judge the singer's actions, but ultimately doesn't do it out of malice or a desire to control them. If the singer confronts this person about their suffocating behavior, they wonder if they would care or change. The chorus reinforces the idea that if something feels good, one should do it regardless of the opinions of others.
In the second verse, the lyrics seem to refer to a person who has a talent for finding the most twisted and dark content to enjoy. The singer seems to be expressing disdain at the fact that this person's twisted tastes have made it into their "permanent collection." However, they still acknowledge that this has added value to the work they've done, regardless of how disturbing it may be. The line "It adds more worth to work I've done, but as long as you've had fun" could be interpreted as an acknowledgment that sometimes we have to do things we don't like to please others.
The final verse seems to be a commentary on the way people are portrayed in the media, with negative stories and rumors taking center stage over positive ones. The line "Turn to the only thing that you ever need, It says to do unto others But the thing is you do" could be a call for people to focus on positive actions rather than scandalous news. Throughout the song, the message remains clear: don't let the opinions of others stop you from doing what makes you happy.
Line by Line Meaning
Your sight-specific knack
Your unique talent for finding faults with me
I fall under attack
I feel like I'm constantly being criticized by you
The only time you cross the line
The only time you show any affection towards me
Is when you're crossing back
Is when you're leaving me again
Have you changed the song we were singing
Have you changed your attitude towards me?
Or have I just lost the air?
Or have I just become too sensitive to your criticism?
If I said your behavior suffocates
If I told you that your behavior is smothering me
Would you care?
Would you even bother to care?
Don't stop, if it feels good do it
Don't hold back, if it makes you happy, go for it
You found the perfect spot
You found the perfect way to hurt me
For Jimmy's wicked thoughts
To satisfy your own twisted desires
It's in my permanent collection
It's a permanent reminder of the pain you've caused me
Now like it or not
Whether I like it or not
Wishing away that the legacy left
Wishing the pain you've caused could be erased
Came in a frame and was the victim of theft
As if the pain you've caused was stolen from me
It adds more worth to work I've done
It makes me feel like all the pain I've been through was worth it
But as long as you've had fun
But as long as you're happy, right?
I didn't get your revisions
I didn't understand your criticisms
But sometimes life's not fair
But sometimes things just don't go as planned
To think you almost apologized
It's surprising to think you almost said sorry
Put her there, there, there
Don't worry about it, let's just forget it ever happened
Don't be sad at all
Don't feel bad about what you've done
I'm about to get killed off
I'm about to give up on this relationship
The writing's on the wall
It's obvious how this is going to end
If you believe everything that you read
If you take everything at face value
Turn to the only thing that you ever need
Turn to the one thing that will always be there for you
It says to do unto others
It says to treat others the way you want to be treated
But the thing is you do
But you don't follow that rule
Don't stop
Don't hold back
Don't
Just keep going
Lyrics © Songtrust Ave
Written by: Chris Murphy
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Maiden's World of Wax
Those vocal harmonies with Chris and Patrick are flawless.
Hmbldzy99
It's taken me 20 years to realize these guys are masterful songwriters who write deceptively simple catchy rock and roll. This song is a perfect example of how there are all kinds of riffs, breaks, changes and vocal exchanges going on, but it still rocks like a runaway train. Learn it and the details and attention to arrangement become clear. Great stuff!!!
Damien Ashor
These guys are so insanely underrated. The Canadian Beatles!!
Jordan Young
Literally the comment I was here to make 👌🏻
Shane Pettman
I concur !
Shane Pettman
I could sing almost every album verbatim.
O U
Agree 1000%
dave desrochers
Uh ... no.
John Haenggi
Watching Girl Next Door, Shazaming a catchy song brought me here. Three hours later I’m down a Sloan rabbit hole. How have I never heard of these guys? How were they not bigger? We need more rock songs like this!
P. Convenience
They got a lot of play on Canadian radio but never really broke into the U.S. Same with The Tragically Hip, Matt Good, Big Wreck, etc. It is what it is, I guess