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."
The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism
The New Pornographers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into alcoholism, it went
To my head, where I really need it
With the views that remain untreated
I say my, my, my, my slow descent
Into alcoholism, it went
Something like this song
Something like this song
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
I say my ever loosening grip
On the commonest courtesies slipped
From my hands, when I really need her
When I need change for the parking meters
I say my, my, my, my slow descent
Into alcoholism it went
Something like this song
Something like this song
Something like this song
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Salvation holdout central
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh, uh-huh
Uh-huh, uh-huh
The New Pornographers's song The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism is a metaphorical exploration of the singer's seeming resignation to a life of alcoholism. The lyrics are somewhat cryptic and defies a straightforward interpretation, but they appear to convey a sense of hopelessness and despair. The opening lines "I say, my, my slow descent / Into alcoholism, it went" gives a sense of inevitability and acceptance of the singer's addiction.
The lyric "To my head where I really need it / With the views that remain untreated" suggests that the singer is using alcohol as a form of escapism to cope with the disappointments and frustrations of life. The central image of "Salvation holdout central" appears to represent an internal struggle between the singer's desire for redemption and his or her inability to resist the temptation of alcohol. The repetition of this phrase throughout the song illustrates the futility of trying to hold onto hope while spiraling down into addiction.
In many ways, the lyrics of The Slow Descent Into Alcoholism is an indictment of our society's moral decay, the self-centeredness of the individual, and the lack of empathy shown by people towards others in need. It represents the consequences of giving into our weaknesses, the destruction of our own lives, and indifference to the suffering of others.
Line by Line Meaning
I say, my, my slow descent
I acknowledge my gradual decline
Into alcoholism, it went
My addiction took over
To my head, where I really need it
I sought relief in alcohol to numb my thoughts
With the views that remain untreated
Ignoring my problems and refusing to face reality
Something like this song
My life feels like a hopeless cycle
Salvation holdout central
Desperation for a way out
I say my ever loosening grip
I'm losing control of myself
On the commonest courtesies slipped
Even basic decency is slipping away
From my hands, when I really need her
My relationships are suffering due to my addiction
When I need change for the parking meters
Can't even function in mundane tasks, like getting change for parking
Uh-huh, uh-huh
A resigned acknowledgement of my situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Carl Allan Newman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind