During the summer of 2010, Steph Macpherson found herself with a performanc… Read Full Bio ↴During the summer of 2010, Steph Macpherson found herself with a performance schedule that included Vancouver’s Lilith Fair, Victoria’s Blue Sky Festival, Rifflandia Festival, and The Peak 100.5 FM & Music BC’s Peak Performance Project Showcase.

Since releasing her first EP less than a year ago she has added opening for Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow, Sugarland, Colbie Caillat, Erykah Badu, Tom Cochrane, Colin James, and Men Without Hats to her repertoire of performances.

Steph recently completed an October tour of BC & Alberta and performed at the 2010 Western Canadian Music Awards Showcase – BreakOutWest to promote her EP To You. Steph’s folk/pop album “To You” has had airplay on CBC Radio One, CBC Radio 3, Vancouver’s Peak 100.5 FM, Alberta’s CKUA, Evolution 107.9 (BCIT), CJSF (SFU) and CJUM (UofM); she has also received interviews and/or on-air performances with CTV News, eTalk Daily, The Peak 100.5, CBC Radio 3 and Calgary’s Mix 97.7.

The BC born Kiwi-Canadian singer-songwriter began her endeavor into the world of music at the early age of four. After seeing The Little Mermaid for the first time, she knew she wanted to be a singing mermaid. When she failed to grow a fin, she picked up a guitar, turned to songwriting, and began pursuing music as a human in her hometown of Victoria, B.C. She has since showcased on stages along side the likes of Jesse Winchester, Leeroy Stagger, Greg Macpherson, Kinnie Starr, Raising the Fawn, and Yukon Blonde (formerly Alphababy), as well as local loves Aidan Knight, Vince Vaccaro, Maurice, and Acres of Lions. She also sang backing vocals on friend and fellow Peak Performance Project musician Vince Vaccaro's album, Animals.

Steph has toured from the West Coast of Canada, to Montreal and written/recorded two E.P.'s: To You (2009), recorded at Infinity Studios Victoria, B.C. with friend and producer Jason Cook (also produced or engineered: Tal Bachman, Wil & Theset) and "Shapes Only You Can Make" (2005) recorded/produced by Ryan Hauschild (Hannah Georgas, Hey Ocean!, Elias) of Vancouver B.C.

Steph now calls Vancouver home.

Listen
Steph Macpherson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It rains and rains
In the city these days
Must be winter again
And so it begins
You take and take
All the magic away
Just preparing for change
Never letting it.

Ah, listen, there are parts you're missing
If you're always talking over everything.

These are the stakes

For my sanity's sake
Before everything breaks
Get ahold of yourself

Ah, listen, there are parts you're missing
If you're always talking over everything.
Over everything
Over everything

Over everything
Ah, listen.

Overall Meaning

The song "Listen" by Steph Macpherson seems to be about feeling overwhelmed and overlooked in a city that is constantly changing. The opening lines set the tone for the entire song, depicting a never-ending rain that seems to represent the struggle the singer is going through. The next lines suggest that the changes happening around her are taking away the magic she once felt, and that she's constantly preparing herself for more changes. It feels like she's unable to keep up with the never-ending transformations around her, and she's tired of it. The lyrics "Just preparing for change, never letting it" indicate that the singer is constantly bracing herself for what's to come but is never able to fully process or accept those changes.

The chorus of the song is the most powerful part, with its repetition of the command to "listen." This seems like the singer's plea to the people around her to stop talking over her and to hear what she has to say. She believes that there are certain parts that people are missing in their conversations and that those parts might be essential for her sanity's sake. The lyrics "These are the stakes/ For my sanity's sake/ Before everything breaks/ Get ahold of yourself" are especially poignant as they suggest that the singer is on the verge of breaking down, and the people around her need to listen before it's too late.

Overall, the song feels like a heartfelt cry for help, with the singer desperately urging the people around her to pay more attention and to be more empathetic.

Line by Line Meaning

It rains and rains
The city experiences constant rainfall.

In the city these days
Currently, the city is experiencing the rainy season.

Must be winter again
The rain is a marker for the winter season.

And so it begins
The rain is the starting point for the winter season.

You take and take
The conditions take away the joy from life.

All the magic away
The constant rainfall erodes the beauty and enchantment of life.

Just preparing for change
The city's climate anticipates a shift from rain to dry weather.

Never letting it.
The constant rain never stops even though it is expected to change soon.

Ah, listen, there are parts you're missing
The artist is trying to create awareness about the effects of not paying attention.

If you're always talking over everything.
Talking over things makes it harder to understand the full picture.

These are the stakes
The artist is trying to create a sense of urgency.