If we spend so much of our youth fighting for our rights, we don’t get a ch… Read Full Bio ↴If we spend so much of our youth fighting for our rights, we don’t get a chance to party until we’re older.

Canadian hip-hop heavyweights Sweatshop Union, one of the hardest working ensembles to ever emerge from British Columbia, have been making righteous, politically charged music for over a decade but on their newest album Infinite (summer 2013), they’re ready to really enjoy themselves.

The 6-member crew took their time with this album, spending a year to gather sounds and lyrics, whereas previous records have been completed in mere months. It bridges the gap between conscious music and fun party jams, exploring heavy themes but it’s also built for kicking back and vibing. The group believes that the record’s strength lies in this dichotomy.

Infinite (nominated 2014 WCMA) follows 2011’s Bill Murray EP, which won the Western Canadian Music Award for Hip-Hop Album of the Year, and raised their profile beyond their grassroots following, some time after pair of Juno nominations from their previous work together (Natural Progression & United We Fall | 2004 & 2006).

The new LP contains a range of sounds, combining old-school hip-hop with futuristic, electro headbangers, not to mention some ballads and spoken word interludes. It accomplishes the tricky task of reflecting the outfit’s individual tastes, as they inform SSU’s collective vision.

The group is prolific and moves quickly but as of this moment, Infinite stands as the most eclectic record in the Sweatshop Union catalogue. Listeners will find it tricky to categorize but it’s clear the collective had a lot of fun making this music and they hope it’s contagious. After all, despite its title, Infinite reflects a group of men who know that life is short and that they need to savor all the joyful moments that making music together provides.

Discography

* Sweatshop Union 2001
* Local 604 2002
* Natural Progression 2004
* United We Fall 2005
* Water Street 2008
* Bill Murray EP 2011
* Infinite 2013

Said and Done
Sweatshop Union Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

meiko - said and done
this song's going out to you
the one who's so confused
the one who feels so used
you don't have to wait
for all this silly fate
for things you cannot make
hey!

what are you going to say?
what are you going to do?
when it's all said and done
i watched you from afar
wishing on every star
see them every pinning
and i used to feel the same
like everything's a game
but all i kept doing was losing
so hey!
what are you going to say?
what are you going to do?
when it's all said and done
hey!
what are you going to say?

what are you going to do?
when it's all said and done

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sweatshop Union's song "Said and Done" are addressed to someone who is feeling confused and used. The singer is offering encouragement, telling the listener that they do not need to wait for fate or rely on circumstances they cannot control. The song is a call to take action, to decide what to say and do when everything is said and done.

The singer confesses to having felt the same way as the listener: hopeless and defeated. He has watched the listener from afar, seeing them pinning their hopes on everything and feeling like they are losing the game. But he is now urging them to take control of their own fate and determine their actions and words when it's all said and done.

Overall, the song is a message of hope and empowerment. It acknowledges the struggles and pain that the listener may be feeling, but it also offers a path forward. By taking responsibility for one's own fate and actions, it suggests that it is possible to overcome adversity and come out stronger on the other side.

Line by Line Meaning

this song's going out to you
This song is dedicated to you.

the one who's so confused
To the one who is unable to understand or clearly think.

the one who feels so used
To the one who feels like they have been taken advantage of.

you don't have to wait
There is no need to delay.

for all this silly fate
For trivial or foolish destiny.

for things you cannot make
Regarding things you do not have control or influence over.

hey!
An attention-getting interjection.

what are you going to say?
What are your thoughts or opinions?

what are you going to do?
What actions will you take?

when it's all said and done
When everything is finished and completed.

i watched you from afar
I observed you from a distance.