The group was formed in 1988 in Winnipeg, Manitoba by vocalist Daniel Greaves, guitarist Joey Serlin, bassist Pete Loewen and drummer Sammy Kohn. Serlin was a comic fan and named the group after the DC comic. They released their debut album, McLaren Furnace Room, in 1992. (The album was named for one of the band's rehearsal spaces, the furnace room of the McLaren Hotel in Winnipeg.) The single "Cracked" garnered the band significant airplay on rock stations, but was quickly eclipsed by the anti-spousal abuse anthem "Run and Hide", which became the band's breakthrough hit.
Loewen left the band, and was replaced by Ken Tizzard. The band's 1994 album In the Trees confirmed their place in Canadian rock with the hit singles "Boneyard Tree", "All Uncovered" and "Lusitana".
Their 1996 album Brand New Day was not as well-received by critics or audiences -- "Zoom", "Incarnate" and "Shut Up" were moderately successful singles, but none achieved the kind of success that the band's earlier singles had. 1998's Silent Radar was the band's return to commercial success, with the hit singles "Stereo", "Any Day Now" and "Brighter Hell".
Their 2001 album Slomotion saw the exit of Sammy Kohn and the remaining members experimenting with more industrial textures. As if prepared for a bad reception, the band also packaged the album with a second greatest hits disc. The album was, indeed, poorly received by fans and critics, with only the single "Absolutely Anytime" gaining any radio airplay.
The band subsequently broke up. Greaves went on to form Doctor with Rob Higgins, Tizzard joined Thornley, and Serlin appeared on Ryan Malcolm's debut album before forming his own new band, Redline.
In 2009, the band reformed and started touring again.
Brighter Hell
The Watchmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not thinking like that at all
Smiley faces are my dionosis
I'm not thinking clear at all (step off)
Hold up crazy one I know what your thinking 'cause
It's not looking great right now so what's this talk
About planning for the crisis I don't feel like that right now
For all and everyone to see
What would you say falling from a building
So far so free, So far so free, Who are you
As much as I can say it's hard for me to
Stay away ever and ever
As far as any eye can see you're looking
Pretty fine to me better and better
As far as I can tell we're on the road to brighter hell
The lyrics of "Brighter Hell" by The Watchmen speak of a person who is not concerned with planning for a crisis and is unable to think clearly due to their addiction to social media where they seek validation through smiley faces. The person they are speaking to seems to be worried about the current state of the world and the need to plan ahead but the singer is not interested in that. They are more interested in the perception of their life as happy and fulfilling, even if it may not be so in reality. As the lyrics continue, they become more ambiguous and take on a philosophical tone. The line "What would you say falling from a building, so far so free, who are you?" is a metaphor for life and its meaning, and asks the listener to contemplate their existence when faced with the possibility of an imminent death.
The next verse continues this line of thought as the singer admits that they cannot stay away from their addiction to social media even though they know it is not good for them. They see things getting better as far as they can tell, but the road they are on is leading them to a brighter hell. This line may be interpreted as a commentary on modern society and how we are consumed by social media and personal validation at the expense of authentic connection and genuine happiness. The song ultimately leaves the listener with a sense of ambiguity and contemplation.
Line by Line Meaning
what's all this talk about planning for the crisis
Why do we keep discussing ways to handle a disaster that may or may not happen?
I'm not thinking like that at all
I prefer not to dwell on potential disasters and instead focus on positivity.
Smiley faces are my dionosis
Happiness is the cure to my ailments.
I'm not thinking clear at all (step off)
I am currently feeling confused and overwhelmed, so please give me some space.
Hold up crazy one I know what your thinking 'cause
I understand your concerns and where you're coming from.
It's not looking great right now so what's this talk
The current situation may not be ideal, but we should not focus solely on the negative.
About planning for the crisis I don't feel like that right now
At the moment, I do not believe it is necessary to focus on disaster planning.
Fade in turn me up wrap your mind around me
Focus your thoughts on me and let me uplift your mood.
For all and everyone to see
Let my positivity radiate to others and inspire them as well.
What would you say falling from a building
If you were in a precarious situation, how would you choose to view it?
So far so free, So far so free, Who are you
Even though life may come crashing down around us, we can still choose to be free and ourselves.
As much as I can say it's hard for me to
Although it may be difficult for me to articulate, I feel strongly about this.
Stay away ever and ever
I cannot bear the thought of being apart from you.
As far as any eye can see you're looking
From my perspective, you appear to be doing well.
Pretty fine to me better and better
In fact, I believe you are improving and growing stronger.
As far as I can tell we're on the road to brighter hell
Although life may have its challenges, we are headed towards a better future.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Celtic Halo
What's all this talk about
Planning for the crisis
I'm not thinking like that at all
Smiling faces are my Dionysis
I'm not thinking clear at all
Hold on crazy one
I know what you're thinking
'Cause it's not looking great right now
So what's this talk about
Planning for the crisis
I'm not thinking like that at all
Yeah as much as I can say
It's hard for me to stay away
Ever and ever
Yeah as far as any eye can see
You're looking pretty fine to me
Better and better
Yeah as far as I can tell
We're on the road to brighter hell
Over and over
Yeah as far as I can tell
We're on the road to brighter hell
Fade out turn me up
Wrap your mind around me
For all and every one to see
What would you say falling from a building
So far so free
So far so free
Terry Clayton
This band is so much underappreciated.
T T
just wrong timing for certain genres. but i agree
Purple.Budgie
This is my favorite Watchmen tune. Such emotion.
Smrtazu
A perfect example of why the term "art" is applied to music. Thank you for posting.
Tasha-Dawn Doucette
<3 Watchmen. Always will. Saved me from my youthful insanity. Grounded me. Thank you always and forever.
Andy Jackson photography
watchmen bring back so many memories. great band, glad to hear they are still goin.
RobHabsFan
GREATEST CANADIAN BAND EVER!
12321Walrus
They opened up for Thornley 2 years ago. For some reason, that was one of the best shows ive ever seen. And ive seen Bob Dylan, Elton John, Neil Young, Fleetwood Mac, Eagles, Pearl Jam, Iron Maiden, Dire Straits, Matt Good and so on
Jennifer Maychak
So underrated. Absolutely love these guys ❤
Chris O'Neill
Used to love this song, first time I've seen the video! Great job!