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.
Tree Of Knowledge
The Pursuit Of Happiness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a vision appears
He follows the light until the image is clear
He sees her porcelain beauty
He hears her moaning
A way she hadn't for him
With grotesque fascination
He watches until they fall still
He burns with the knowledge of good and evil
He feels like he's falling, falling
Out of grace and into knowledge
He watches with dry eyes
Eyes that have changed
One final memory of the vision remains
Her playful body enjoying the sweet taste of sin
The dance of love that's now foreign to him
Day turns to night and night turns to day
He puts the illusions of his childhood away
With the new understanding, he builds a world of his own
Outside the garden, he finds the will to go on
The lyrics to "Tree Of Knowledge" by The Pursuit Of Happiness are a vivid exploration of the consequences of gaining knowledge and the end of childhood innocence. The song's narrative follows a person who takes a bite of the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge, leading to the revelation of a harsh truth about a lover. The singer first has a vision that unveils the lover's betrayal, and is shocked by the sensual pleasure their partner is experiencing with someone else. The singer then remains a silent observer, watching the lovers until their passion is extinguished.
The singer then experiences a shift in their perception of the world, highlighted by the line "One final memory of the vision remains." The singer acknowledges that their view of the world has been permanently altered by the revelation of this betrayal. The singer feels as though they have fallen out of grace and into knowledge, recognizing the capacity for their own darker thoughts and impulses. The song concludes with the singer stepping outside of the garden and "finding the will to go on," building a world separate from the Edenic innocence of their youth.
The song's poignant lyrics are complemented by the soft, melodic instrumentation. The slow-building bridge and chorus help create an ethereal atmosphere, while the introspective verses challenge listeners to reflect on the nature of innocence and the consequences of knowledge. Furthermore, the song's idiosyncratic structure - which includes verses that lack a traditional rhyme scheme and a chorus marked by repetition - helps to emphasize the singular journey of the singer.
Line by Line Meaning
He takes a bite of the apple
He indulges in something that's forbidden
And a vision appears
He experiences a revelation
He follows the light until the image is clear
He becomes fixated on something until he understands it thoroughly
He sees her porcelain beauty
He admires her flawless appearance
Against another man's skin
While being intimate with someone else
He hears her moaning
He hears her expressing pleasure
A way she hadn't for him
In a manner that she never has with him
With grotesque fascination
With a disturbing interest
He watches until they fall still
He watches until they are done
He burns with the knowledge of good and evil
He is consumed by newfound knowledge
He feels like he's falling, falling
He feels like he's losing control
Out of grace and into knowledge
Out of blissful ignorance and into awareness
He watches with dry eyes
He watches without emotion
Eyes that have changed
Eyes that see things differently
One final memory of the vision remains
He can't forget what he saw
Her playful body enjoying the sweet taste of sin
She is enjoying something that is considered sinful
The dance of love that's now foreign to him
He has lost touch with the passionate feelings associated with intimacy
Day turns to night and night turns to day
Time passes
He puts the illusions of his childhood away
He abandons his childish beliefs
With the new understanding, he builds a world of his own
He creates a new reality based on his newfound knowledge
Outside the garden, he finds the will to go on
He discovers the motivation to keep living beyond the confines of his past
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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