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."
Mass Romantic
The New Pornographers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mass romantic fool wears Foster Grants
His books on tape ring true
Like everyone wants to say, "I love you"
To someone on the radio, radio
His choice of the hollowed stars
"My Life Among the Kids Who Go to Shows"
This is not the way
In the streetlight dawn
In the streetlight dawn
This beat turns on
Mass romantic fool, separated by sheets
When the curtain calls you speaking
On the themes of stolen virtue
Missing from the radio, radio
Now this romantic duel's into the streets
Bon appetit, you've eaten me alive you realize
This is not the way
In the streetlight dawn
In the streetlight dawn
This beat turns on
Mass romantic fool, separated by sheets
When the curtain calls you speaking
On the themes of stolen virtue
Missing from the radio, radio
Now this romantic duel's into the streets
Bon appetit, you've eaten me alive you realize
This is not the way
In the streetlight dawn
In the streetlight dawn
This beat turns on
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
The New Pornographers’ song “Mass Romantic” is a playful and upbeat pop rock tune with a rather complex and ambiguous lyrics. The song centers around a “mass romantic fool” who wears Foster Grants, listens to books on tape and yearns to hear someone say “I love you” on the radio. However, the object of his affections is missing from the airwaves, and he finds himself separated by sheets from his would-be lover. Despite this, the beat of the streetlight dawn continues to turn on.
The lyrics seem to suggest a longing for a deeper connection, both emotionally and musically. The mention of “books on tape” indicates a desire to learn and improve oneself, while the references to stolen virtue and a romantic duel suggest a struggle between purity and indulgence. The repetition of the phrase “this boy's life among the electrical lights” implies a sense of detachment from reality and perhaps a need for something more real and raw.
Overall, the song invites the listener to engage with their own desires and emotions, and to question what they truly want from their own romantic lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Mass romantic fool wears Foster Grants
The naive and romantic person wears trendy sunglasses.
His books on tape ring true
The audio books he listens to are authentic and genuine.
Like everyone wants to say, "I love you"
To someone on the radio, radio
It's like everyone desires to express their love on the radio to someone they admire.
His choice of the hollowed stars
Now the one true loves, and author of
"My Life Among the Kids Who Go to Shows"
This is not the way
The person's affection for celebrities is misguided, and his love for the author of a book about concert-goers isn't the right approach.
Mass romantic fool, separated by sheets
When the curtain calls you speaking
On the themes of stolen virtue
Missing from the radio, radio
The foolish romantic is lonely and talks about stolen morals, but it's not something you hear on the radio.
Now this romantic duel's into the streets
Bon appetit, you've eaten me alive you realize
This is not the way
Their passionate conflict has spilled into the public, and one has been emotionally consumed by the other. It's not a healthy or sustainable relationship.
In the streetlight dawn
In the streetlight dawn
This beat turns on
In the early morning light, the rhythm and energy of their city come alive.
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life among the electrical lights
This boy's life is lived in the bright and buzzing world of technology and electricity.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Carl Allan Newman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind