Best known as founding members of the spirited and unpredictable rock trio The Slip, brothers Andrew and Brad Barr had spent most of the 90s criss-crossing North America. In the spring of 2004, the band was playing a small club in Montreal, QC when a fire broke out in the venue. They grabbed a few guitars/drums and rushed out onto the rainy street with the rest of the concert goers. As the club's mezzanine was swallowed by flames, Andrew offered his coat to one of the waitresses from the bar. One year later, Brad and Andrew Barr were living in Montreal. That waitress is now one of their managers.
In his first apartment in the new city, Brad shared an adjoining wall with Sarah Page, a classically-trained harpist from Montreal, whose melodies would seep through the cracks of the wall and into the music Brad was writing. From this nebulous relationship, a friendship developed and the brothers, with Sarah, began recording and performing around Montreal. Soon, their friend and multi-instrumentalist Andres Vial was brought in to lend his wide array of expertise to the outfit, playing keyboards, bass, vibes, percussion, and singing. In 2006 they began to call themselves The Barr Brothers.
Deacon's Son
The Barr Brothers Lyrics
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Lazy as the day is long
Could be anyone,
But I′m a deacon's son
Have a one eyed dog
Scaring up the hens and hogs
Scaring up the hens and hogs
Have a one-eyed dog
Buried in the rocks and sands
Buried in the rocks and sand
Found a little friend
I'm a deacon′s son
Lazy as the day is long
Lazy as the day is long
I′m a deacons son
Gonna see if you wanna
Go look at the fauna
Walking in the moonlight
Something's has really chilled ya
I just wanna thrill ya
And nothing more
Have a one eyed dog
Scaring up the hens and hogs
Scaring up the hens and hogs
Have a one-eyed dog
I′m a deacon's son
Lazy as the day is long
As the day is long
I′m a deacon's son
Gonna see if you wanna
Go look at the fauna
Walking in the moonlight
Something′s has really chilled ya
I just wanna thrill ya
And nothing more
Funny we really thought is
To be so hypnotic
With the lights on the water
The lyrics of The Barr Brothers' "Deacon's Son" is a portrait of a lazy and aimless person who is aware of his identity, but struggles to move beyond it. The singer identifies himself as the son of a deacon, but it is clear that he is not living up to any kind of expectation that his religious background carries with it. He spends his days doing nothing and has no ambition to be anyone other than what he is. The mention of his one-eyed dog creates an image of a solitary and unproductive existence, where even his company is not that of a healthy animal. The singer's discovery of a buried object leaves a possibility of something that could add meaning to his routine, but the lyrics don't reveal what the object is or whether the singer does anything with it.
The second half of the song becomes a form of a seduction where the singer invites someone to join him in an adventure in the moonlight, and yet it is evident that his intentions are not entirely pure. He desires to thrill the person he is inviting, but there is an ambiguity as to what this thrill consists of. Perhaps it is to create excitement, or maybe it is to find someone else to share his boredom with. There is also a mention of lights on the water that add an extra layer of mystery and intrigue, but the song ends by reinforcing the singer's indolence, "Lazy as the day is long."
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a deacon's son
I am the offspring of a deacon, a religious leader.
Lazy as the day is long
I am very lazy, so much so that I can remain idle throughout the day.
Could be anyone,
But I'm a deacon's son
I am no different from anyone else, but being a deacon's son defines a part of my identity.
Have a one eyed dog
Scaring up the hens and hogs
Scaring up the hens and hogs
Have a one-eyed dog
I have a dog with just one eye, who likes to chase and frighten my family's chickens and pigs.
Found a little friend
Buried in the rocks and sands
Buried in the rocks and sand
Found a little friend
I discovered a small companion buried in the sand and rocks.
Gonna see if you wanna
Go look at the fauna
Walking in the moonlight
Something's has really chilled ya
I just wanna thrill ya
And nothing more
I propose we check out the animals in the night, and if you're already scared, I'd like to give you a thrill.
As the day is long
I'm a deacon's son
I am the son of a deacon, and just as lethargic as the day itself.
Funny we really thought is
To be so hypnotic
With the lights on the water
It's amusing how we envisioned being mesmerized by the reflections of light on the water.
Writer(s): Philip Bradford Barr, Andrew Gilmore Barr
Contributed by Katherine J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.