The Pursuit of Happiness are a Canadian band. Led by Edmonton, Alberta sing… Read Full Bio ↴The Pursuit of Happiness are a Canadian band. Led by Edmonton, Alberta singer/songwriter Moe Berg, The Pursuit of Happiness (TPOH) were launched in 1985 when Berg and drummer Dave Gilby moved to Toronto, Ontario. They soon met bassist Johnny Sinclair and formed the band, adding twins Tam and Tasha Amabile as backing vocalists.

Their debut single, I'm an Adult Now, quickly became a hit across Canada in 1986, sparked by a low-budget video which made it onto the Canadian music video channel MuchMusic. However, the band did not immediately sign to a record label, and released another independent single, Killed by Love, in 1988. The Amabile twins left the band that year, and were replaced by Kris Abbott and Leslie Stanwyck.

Also in 1988, they signed to Chrysalis Records. Their debut album, Love Junk, was produced by Todd Rundgren and released that year. "I'm an Adult Now" was re-recorded and released as a single again, making it to the charts a second time. The album sold over 100,000 copies in Canada, and was certified platinum, and is considered one of the classics of Canadian rock.

Stanwyck and Sinclair left, going on to form Universal Honey, after completing the band's follow-up with Rundgren, 1990's One-Sided Story.

Starting with the tour for the album, Brad Barker and Susan Murumets joined the lineup. Rachel Oldfield replaced Murumets in 1992. The band then went through difficulties with their record label, but signed to Mercury Records for 1993's The Downward Road.

Label troubles continued, and the band recorded their next two albums for the now-defunct Canadian label Iron Music. Oldfield left the band in 1995, and was replaced by Jennifer Foster, who in turn left the following year and was replaced by Renee Suchy.

Although the group never officially disbanded, after 1996 they did not record as a unit until 2005, when they recorded two new tracks for a greatest hits compilation.

The Downward Road
The Pursuit Of Happiness Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The world out there is like a hornets' nest
It draws the life out of the good and feeds their blood to the rest
You'll be a memory soon baby, and so will I
So kiss me open-mouthed, 'cause we're too young to die
We're on the downroad road
We're on the downroad road
We're on the downroad road
Crawling towareds the bitter end

Things are going fine now, but your luck could change
You could find yourself the victim of someone's unholy rage
So put your pretty lips where they can do some good
You might think that you shouldn't
But I really wish you would
[chorus]
Yeah we're so close now, I'm in as deep as I'll get
Your hair is soaked, your skin is slippery wet
The world outside our window is about to explode

Well, so am I sugar, so baby save my soul
[chorus]

Overall Meaning

The song "The Downward Road" by The Pursuit of Happiness starts with the lyrics that symbolize how the world is like a hornet's nest that feeds on the good and leaves them with nothing. The singer emphasizes that life is limited, and people are mere memories after they die. He urges his lover to kiss him, signaling that they should live in the moment for they are too young to die. As the chorus comes in, the theme of the song - the Downward Road - means that everything is slipping away, and things are falling apart. Life is at the peak now, but it could change at any moment.

As the song continues, the singer highlights the dangers of the world outside and how one could easily become a victim of someone's unholy rage. However, the intrigue in his voice becomes clear when he asks his lover to put her pretty lips to good use. The song concludes by depicting the closeness of the lovers and how the world outside is about to explode. The singer asks his partner to save his soul in a world that is most likely to consume him.

In summary, The Downward Road conveys a message where everything is falling apart, and life is slipping away, and one must live in the present because the future is uncertain. The singer urges his lover to save him from the world that could consume him.

Line by Line Meaning

The world out there is like a hornets' nest
The world is a dangerous place and it attracts the worst kind of people who destroy the lives of the better ones

It draws the life out of the good and feeds their blood to the rest
The world takes away the happiness of good people and give it to the wicked ones

You'll be a memory soon baby, and so will I
We're all going to die someday and the only thing that will remain of us is a memory

So kiss me open-mouthed, 'cause we're too young to die
Let's enjoy the moment and live life to the fullest because we're still young and we don't know what the future holds

We're on the downward road
Our lives are heading towards a tragic end

Crawling towards the bitter end
We're slowly approaching our doom

Things are going fine now, but your luck could change
Although things may seem good at the moment, they can change for the worse in an instant

You could find yourself the victim of someone's unholy rage
You could become the target of someone's violent and immoral behavior

So put your pretty lips where they can do some good
Let's make the most of the time we have by expressing our love for each other

You might think that you shouldn't
You may be hesitant to show affection, but it's important to do so

But I really wish you would
I truly want us to cherish this moment and show our love for each other

Yeah we're so close now, I'm in as deep as I'll get
We've come so far in our relationship and I'm fully committed to it

Your hair is soaked, your skin is slippery wet
We're both physically and emotionally intimate in this moment

The world outside our window is about to explode
The outside world is chaotic and dangerous

Well, so am I sugar, so baby save my soul
I'm just as troubled and in need of saving as anyone else, and I'm asking you to help me

We're on the downward road
Our lives are heading towards a tragic end

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Antonio Jose Silva

3y↑1

The Downward Road (Intro) 0:27
Cigarette Dangles 2:33
Nobody But Me 3:21
I'm Ashamed Of Myself 3:48
Pressing Lips 3:33
In Her Dreams 3:18
The Downward Road (Revisited) 3:13
Heavy Metal Tears 2:32
Bored Of You 3:19
Love Theme From TPOH 3:30
Forbidden World 4:04
But I Do 4:24
Crashing Down 3:47
Honeytime 3:09
A Villa In Portugal 3:29
Terrified 3:16

All comments from YouTube:

Geoff Paterson

4y↑16

Couldn't get enough of "Cigarette Dangles" when it came out. TPOH was a huge part of my early twenties soundtrack. Great band, great sound. Very underrated.