Formed in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, the Planet Smashers’ infectious pop inf… Read Full Bio ↴Formed in 1994 in Montreal, Quebec, the Planet Smashers’ infectious pop infused melodies, rippin’ horn licks and killer live shows, quickly established them as the city’s “Kings of Ska”. They released their first album (“Self-Titled”) on Planet Smasher’s founder Matt Collyer’s own label STOMP Records and hit the road. By 1997 they were no longer a local band, but a national phenomenon, headlining shows across Canada and pushing their second record, “Atttack of The Planet Smashers” which reached 2 on the national college radio charts for 2 months straight. Their third album “Life of The Party” took the continent by storm, “Life of the Party”, The Planet Smashers won the Montreal Independent Music Award for best ska band and drew attention from major labels, bands, publishers and booking agents all over the world.

Although the band received much commercial attention during the ska wave, they decided to continue down the independent road with STOMP Records, which had become and remains a major player in the international independent music scene. Their fourth release, “No Self Control” (2001) was produced by Steven Drake (Tragically Hip, Barenaked Ladies, The Odds etc.) and was also well received by national college radio and spawned hit videos such as the animated “Blind” and the tongue in cheek “Wish I Were American”.

“Mighty”, the Planet Smashers’ fifth full length, was produced/engineered by Rod Shearer (Bran Van 3000, Bionic, Corey Hart) and co-produced by The Planet Smashers (not to mention mixed on the same board as Madonna’s “Like a Virgin”!). Having moved past the dark and critical themes of “No Self Control”, “Mighty” became the band’s most success record internationally after being licensed by labels in Japan, Europe, Russia, Brazil and Australia.
The Planet Smashers released their first and only DVD “10” in 2004, commemorating the last 10 years of the band. Countless tours all over the world, 12 videos, 5 full length releases and a ton of good times. The Planet Smashers celebrated their 10th by joining the Vans Warped 2004 which also entered it’s 10th year. In 2005, the Smashers released “Unstoppable” their sixth and most recent commercial offering. The album was licensed in Japan by Sky/Sony, in the UK by Household Name Records/Plastic Head, in Europe by Leechredda/Cargo and in Russia by AudioFind. In 2006 the band played over 60 shows in Europe including Moscow, London, Vienna, Berlin, Zurich, Amsterdam, Dublin and many more.

In terms of touring, not many indie Canadian bands come close. They have headlined countless tours in North America, 8 European tours, been included on 5 Vans Warped Tour as well as a Japanese tour in 2002. They have toured with such acts as AFI, the Toasters, Sick of it All, Billy Talent, Rancid, Mustard Plug, Simple Plan, Samiam, The Aquabats, Mighty Mighty Bosstones and countless others.

Direction
The Planet Smashers Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Direction, I lost my way
Away from this mess I've made
Help me out, I need a friend
To set me straight, to start again
Direction, out of here
Decisions made were misguided
Can't see right in this haze
Need a hand to escape this daze

Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
It takes time
It takes time

Direction, I accept
Your words unwind and help reflect
In action I will correct
To set things straight, to rise again

Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
It takes time
It takes time
Direction, direction
Direction, direction

Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh
Light's out, oh oh oh

Direction, direction
Direction, direction

Overall Meaning

The song "Direction" by The Planet Smashers is a plea for help and guidance from someone who has lost their way. The lyrics suggest that the person has made a mess of their life and they need a friend to help them get back on track. They feel lost and trapped in a decision that they made, and they can't see their situation clearly. The repeated "light's out" chorus emphasizes the despair and confusion the person feels.

The lyrics then shift to a more hopeful tone as the person accepts the need for guidance and reflects on their actions. They want to correct their mistakes and start fresh. The repetition of "direction" in the final chorus emphasizes the importance of guidance and setting things straight.

Overall, the song is a message of hope for anyone who has lost their way and needs help finding their direction again. It acknowledges the struggle of making mistakes and feeling lost, but also emphasizes the importance of accepting guidance and taking action to improve one's situation.

Line by Line Meaning

Direction, I lost my way
I am lost and don't know which way to go.

Away from this mess I've made
I need to get away from this situation that I created.

Help me out, I need a friend
I need someone to help me,

To set me straight, to start again
to give me direction and help me start over.

Direction, out of here
I need to leave this place, it's not good for me.

Decisions made were misguided
I made bad choices and I need to fix them.

Can't see right in this haze
I am confused and don't have a clear vision of what to do.

Need a hand to escape this daze
I need someone's help to get out of this state of confusion.

Light's out, oh oh oh
Things are not going well.

It takes time
I need patience, things won't change overnight.

Direction, I accept
I am willing to listen to helpful advice.