Carl Newman, who writes most of the band's material, has said, "When I seriously started to try to write songs, my main influences were, like, Burt Bacharach, Jim Webb, and Brian Wilson. Those were the guys I kinda looked at their music and went, 'What the hell are they doing here?' I was just fascinated by the structures and the harmonics."
The melody of the first and eponymous track on their second album Electric Version, for instance, begins with an arpeggiated diminished triad --- a rare and strange opening flourish for a pop song.
The band have released a series of well-received albums: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), Together (2010), Brill Bruisers (2014) and Whiteout Conditions (2017). In 2019 they released In the Morse Code of Brake Lights.
The band members include:
- Carl Newman - vocals, guitar, ebow, synthesizer, harmonica, pump organ, xylophone
- Dan Bejar - vocals, guitar, synthesizer, melodion
- Kathryn Calder - vocals, piano
- Neko Case - vocals, tambourine
- John Collins - bass, guitar, synthesizer, ebow, vocals
- Kurt Dahle - drums, percussion, vocals
- Todd Fancey - guitar
- Blaine Thurier - synthesizer
The New Pornographers are frequently referred to as an indie supergroup because of the following members' associations:
- Carl Newman, solo artist (as A.C. Newman), also of Superconductor and Zumpano
- Dan Bejar of Destroyer,Swan Lake and Vancouver Nights.
- Kathryn Calder of Immaculate Machine.
- Neko Case, solo artist, also of Maow and cub
- John Collins of The Evaporators
- Kurt Dahle of Limblifter and Age of Electric
- Todd Fancey of Fancey
- Blaine Thurier, independent filmmaker
Newman, however, doesn't care for the term: "I'm really tired of that supergroup label, and I wish people would stop using it. None of us were known at all outside of Canada --- I just don't think it's accurate."
Adventures In Solitude
The New Pornographers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Circling the edge of the never ending
The best of the vanished marvels
Have gathered inside your door
More than begin but less than forget
But spirits born from the not happened yet
Gathering there to pay off a debt
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
Welcome back
Sleeping for years, pick through what is left
Through the pieces that fell and rose from the depth
From the rainwater well deep as a secret nobody knows
Less than forget but more than begun
These adventures in solitude never done
To the names of our wounds
We send the same blood back from the wars
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
It will all come back
I know you want to run far away
From one more and that it's comin' at a bad time
Some cold place heartless ways for all we know
I know you need to breathe through
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Tangled day, for all we know
I know you want to run far away from one more
And that's comin' at a bad time
Some cold race heartless ways for all we know
I know you want to breathe through
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Old scarred face survivor's guilt, for all we know
The lyrics of The New Pornographers’ “Adventures In Solitude” can be interpreted as a contemplative meditation on trauma, loss, and survival. The song seems to be addressed to a person who has experienced a great struggle, perhaps in the form of a war or a serious illness. The singer uses vivid imagery, such as “balancing on one wounded wing” and “circlying the edge of the never ending,” to convey the sense of precariousness and isolation that comes with being a survivor. However, the song also suggests that there is a community of other survivors who have come to welcome the person back from their isolation. This community is made up of “spirits born from the not happened yet” who have gathered together to pay off a debt.
The lyrics also touch on the theme of memory and how it can both heal and haunt us. The person who has survived has been “sleeping for years” and is now trying to “pick through what is left” of their memories. They are trying to make sense of the pieces of their past, which have fallen and rose from the depths of their mind like “pieces from a rainwater well deep as a secret nobody knows.” However, the person acknowledges that they are not alone in their struggle, for they share the same blood and wounds as their fellow survivors. The refrain of “We thought, we lost you” can be interpreted as both a lament for those who didn’t make it through and a celebration of those who did.
Line by Line Meaning
Balancing on one wounded wing
Struggling and trying to stay upright despite being hurt
Circling the edge of the never ending
Stuck in a cycle that feels never-ending and constantly repeating
The best of the vanished marvels
The greatest wonders of the past that are no longer present
Have gathered inside your door
Have come together in one place, possibly seeking refuge or solace
More than begin but less than forget
Something that has happened that is significant, but not significant enough to be remembered forever
But spirits born from the not happened yet
Hope or optimism for the future, things that have not yet happened
Gathering there to pay off a debt
Coming together as a way of clearing up past obligations
Brought back from the wars
Returning from difficult experiences, possibly involving trauma or conflict
We thought, we lost you
A sense of relief that someone has returned after it seemed like they might not have survived
Welcome back
A joyful greeting to someone who has returned after a difficult time
Sleeping for years, pick through what is left
Taking stock of what remains after a long period of disuse or neglect
Through the pieces that fell and rose from the depth
Examining the various remnants of the past, both good and bad
From the rainwater well deep as a secret nobody knows
From a source of knowledge or insight that is hidden and not readily apparent
Less than forget but more than begun
A significant and ongoing experience that is not easily forgotten or dismissed
These adventures in solitude never done
Continuing to journey alone, possibly in search of something that can only be found internally
To the names of our wounds
Acknowledging the pain or trauma that we have experienced
We send the same blood back from the wars
Returning to the same type of difficult or traumatic experiences that caused pain in the past
It will all come back
A sense of inevitability or recurrence, that the past will always return
I know you want to run far away
Feeling a strong desire to escape from a difficult situation
From one more and that it's comin' at a bad time
Being overwhelmed by multiple challenges or problems that are happening all at once
Some cold place heartless ways for all we know
The possibility that there are people or situations that are unfeeling or cruel
I know you need to breathe through
Feeling the need to take a moment to gather oneself and find inner strength
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Returning to a difficult situation, even though it may be challenging or uncomfortable
Tangled day, for all we know
A day that is confusing or uncertain, with many unknown factors
Old scarred face survivor's guilt, for all we know
The continuing emotional burden of having survived a traumatic event or experience
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: CARL ALLAN NEWMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devi Devila
12:55 Asi con toy y sus mañas no se la Fuckaef.Uno
12:55 Megan: "Hotter"
12:55 Hopi: "Sweeter"
12:55 Joonie: "Cooler"
12:55 Yoongi: "Butter"
15:55 Son unos de los mejores conciertos
, no puede ir pero de tan solo verlos desde pantalla, se que est💕.401...
Ben Sands
Balancing on one wounded wing
Circling the edge of the never ending
The best of the vanished marvels
Have gathered inside your door
More than begin but less than forget
But spirits born from the not happened yet
Gathering there to pay off a debt
Brought back from the wars
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
Welcome back
Sleeping for years, pick through what is left
Through the pieces that fell and rose from the depth
From the rainwater well deep as a secret nobody knows
Less than forget but more than begun
These adventures in solitude never done
To the names of our wounds
We send the same blood back from the wars
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
It will all come back
I know you want to run far away
From one more and that it's comin' at a bad time
Some cold place heartless ways for all we know
I know you need to breathe through
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Tangled day, for all we know
I know you want to run far away from one more
And that's comin' at a bad time
Some cold race heartless ways for all we know
I know you want to breathe through
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Old scarred face survivor's guilt, for all we know
temaniss
Adventures In Solitude
The New Pornographers
*
Lyrics
Balancing on one wounded wing
Circling the edge of the never ending
The best of the vanished marvels
Have gathered inside your door
More than begin but less than forget
But spirits born from the not happened yet
Gathering there to pay off a debt
Brought back from the wars
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
Welcome back
Sleeping for years, pick through what is left
Through the pieces that fell and rose from the depth
From the rainwater well deep as a secret nobody knows
Less than forget but more than begun
These adventures in solitude never done
To the names of our wounds
We send the same blood back from the wars
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
We thought, we lost you
It will all come back
I know you want to run far away
From one more and that it's comin' at a bad time
Some cold place heartless ways for all we know
I know you need to breathe through
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Tangled day for all we know
I know you want to run far away from one more
And that's comin' at a bad time
Some cold race heartless ways for all we know
I know you want to breathe through
Come back, come too but it's comin' at a bad time
Old scarred face survivor's guilt, for all we know
Hope Lines
If you listen to this song twice, it will enter your heart forever. What a treasure.
Mohibullah Khan
Totally agree.
Mihael Fitz
You can feel the pureness and the beauty of the song, such a treasure.
J C
I still remember the first time I heard this... Aside from the fact that it's so beautiful and evocative, it was also the first time we heard Katherine sing lead on an album. Her voice was a revelation. When it opened up into that bridge/coda and she started singing, I remember just being floored at how beautiful it was.
Devi Devila
12:55 Asi con toy y sus mañas no se la Fuckaef.Uno
12:55 Megan: "Hotter"
12:55 Hopi: "Sweeter"
12:55 Joonie: "Cooler"
12:55 Yoongi: "Butter"
15:55 Son unos de los mejores conciertos
, no puede ir pero de tan solo verlos desde pantalla, se que est💕.401...
starryeyed
this song holds such a tender place in my heart and to listen to it again after years just blows my mind.
welcome back
CarlLazlo
i love that this song is in a movie, seems to have found a new fanbase. I was obsessed with these guys like 10 years ago, and i love that they keep it alive.
Mag Ramirez
That little welcome back just makes me tear up
Ethan Wright
Same
Absaar.
i know its been 3 years since you commented this, but same. <3