The band, from Burlington, Ontario, consisted of Gordon Deppe (vocals and guitar), Sandy Horne (vocals and bass), Rob Preuss (keyboards and piano) and Derrick Ross (drums). Preuss also replaced Brett Wickens in 1980.
In the late eighties, Preuss went on to play with Honeymoon Suite and Ross left the band and were replaced by Scott MacDonald and Steve Kendry.
The band released five albums (and a soundtrack that was credited to Gordon Deppe but included a couple songs from the "Tell No Lies" ep).
Their most popular songs included " Romantic Traffic", "Nova Heart", "Old Emotions" and "Tell No Lies".
Gordon Deppe is currently a music programmer for one of the Galaxie Music Network (television) channels in Canada.
For more information, check out thespoons.ca.
Their latest album, Static in Transmission , was released in 2011. A single from the album, You Light Up is available on Youtube.
They should not be confused with Spoon (American band) or The Spoons (multiple artists).
Conventional Beliefs
Spoons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Remote control relay
Expecting nothing ordinary
Oh I got a message
A long distance telegram, I, I
Oh a parade on ice
Strangely warm
Turned upside down
When you receive these thoughts
There¹s no more ground for
Conventional Beliefs
Turned upside down
When you conceive these thoughts
Oh a caricature
Benign to open eyes
We play with loaded cartridges
Oh In all our private worlds
While an old invitation card
Oh awaits the guests
Patiently
Conventional Beliefs
Turned upside down
When you concieve these thoughts
There¹s no more ground for
Conventional Beliefs
Turned upside down
Whe you receive these thoughts
It¹s war tonight
With you here around me we¹re safe in this house
It¹s war tonight
With you here around me we¹re safe in this house
Like in a fortress
The lyrics to Spoons’ song Conventional Beliefs appear to be about breaking away from societal norms and embracing unconventional thoughts and ideas. The opening lines of “Eyes on the ceiling/Remote control relay/Expecting nothing ordinary” suggest a sense of boredom or apathy with everyday life, and “A long distance telegram/Oh a parade on ice/Strangely warm” suggests a mix of novelty, excitement and mystery.
The chorus of “Conventional Beliefs/Turned upside down/When you conceive these thoughts/There’s no more ground for/Conventional Beliefs/Turned upside down/When you receive these thoughts” reinforces the theme of challenging mainstream beliefs and ideas. The idea of “no more ground” is particularly interesting, as it suggests a sense of being unmoored from conventional realities and embarking on a new journey.
The second verse of “Oh a caricature/Benign to open eyes/We play with loaded cartridges/Oh In all our private worlds/While an old invitation card/Oh awaits the guests/Patiently” suggests the idea of playing with danger or covertly defying norms. The “old invitation card” and “waiting guests” add to the sense of forbidden excitement and anticipation.
The bridge of “It’s war tonight/With you here around me we’re safe in this house/Like in a fortress” suggests a sense of security found in the company of others who share similar beliefs and ideas. The metaphor of a fortress adds to the idea of being entrenched against societal norms and creates a sense of defiance and strength.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh Eyes on the ceiling
Looking up at the ceiling, lost in thought
Remote control relay
Switching between channels on the TV with the remote control
Expecting nothing ordinary
Not wanting to settle for normalcy
Oh I got a message
Receiving a message, perhaps a sign or inspiration
A long distance telegram, I, I
A metaphorical telegram, a sudden realization or insight that traveled a long distance to reach the person
Oh a parade on ice
Things seeming impossible, yet happening regardless
Strangely warm
A contradictory emotion, feeling warmth despite the odd situation
Conventional Beliefs
Traditional thoughts and beliefs
Turned upside down
Completely changed, flipped around
When you receive these thoughts
When new, out of the box thoughts and ideas come to you
There¹s no more ground for
Old beliefs and values no longer apply
Oh a caricature
A simplified version of something, perhaps to make it easier to understand
Benign to open eyes
Not causing harm, but still making people aware of something important
We play with loaded cartridges
Taking risks and playing dangerously
Oh In all our private worlds
In our own minds, alone with our thoughts
While an old invitation card
A symbol of the past, a reminder of how things used to be
Oh awaits the guests
The past lingers, waiting for someone to come back to it
It¹s war tonight
Feeling like everything is a struggle
With you here around me we¹re safe in this house
Having a sense of security and protection with someone we trust
Like in a fortress
Feeling as if we are in a safe and secure space
Contributed by Olivia M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.