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.
Phone Call
The Watchmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I looked all day Sunday for a motto, again
I should have known better
I should have called you
Pretend only good days were to follow, from here
I held you up close you were the model, the friend
I should of known better
I could have called you
I hope I don't need Cus D'amato again
Lead me around my will to follow
I hate the games we play
There's nothing in it
I'm older every day
I hope we win it
I should have called
I should have known better
I should have called you
The Watchmen's song "Phone Call" is a reflective and introspective piece that explores the consequences of not reaching out to friends when they need our support. The song talks about the regret of not picking up the phone and calling a friend during a trying time, when we should have. The first verse starts off with the lyrics, "The gray pages tell me it's tomorrow, again. I looked all day Sunday for a motto, again" which suggests a sense of loss and uncertainty about the future. The singer of the song acknowledges they should have reached out to their friend but didn't, and now they are stuck in a cycle of regret.
The second verse seems to be a reflection of a time when things were good between the singer and the friend they should have called. They talk about holding their friend close, and how they were a model and a friend. The singer acknowledges that they had a chance to reach out to their friend during a time when things were good, but they didn't. This highlights the theme of missed opportunities to connect with someone important.
The chorus builds on the sense of regret and the desire to have done things differently. The lines "I should have known better, I should have called you" are repeated multiple times, emphasizing the weight of the regret that the singer feels. In the final verse, the singer hopes that they do not need to turn to the former boxing trainer Cus D'Amato again. This line seems to acknowledge a darker moment in their past when they hadn't connected with someone they needed to as they turned to boxing, and the emotional turmoil that might come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
The gray pages tell me it's tomorrow, again
The calendar informs me that time moves forward, once again. It feels like nothing has changed, though.
I looked all day Sunday for a motto, again
I spent all day searching for a new purpose or source of inspiration, but it never came.
I should have known better
I realize now that I made a mistake and should have acted differently.
I should have called you
I regret not reaching out to you when I had the chance.
Pretend only good days were to follow, from here
I try to convince myself that everything will be alright and that only positive events lie ahead.
I held you up close you were the model, the friend
I cherished our relationship and looked up to you as a role model and trusted friend.
I hope I don't need Cus D'amato again
I hope I won't require the guidance and assistance of a mentor like Cus D'amato again.
Lead me around my will to follow
I need someone to guide me and help me stay on the right path.
I hate the games we play
I despise the manipulation and deception that often comes with social interaction.
There's nothing in it
There is no substance or meaning to these superficial games we play.
I'm older every day
Time continues to pass and I am growing older with each passing day.
I hope we win it
I hope to emerge victorious in whatever challenge or competition we are facing.
I should have called
I regret not reaching out to you and wish I had done so.
I should have known better
I realize now that I made a mistake and should have acted differently.
I should have called you
I regret not reaching out to you when I had the chance.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Goddess
on Zoom
I would love to know the interpretation of this song.
I’m thinking it starts with his birth but now he is dying and he recalls how safe he was with his mother and she is smiling through the lights(in the starlight in heavens) and will carry him home because as he is on the earth her voice is a voice that he doesn’t love more(being the first loving voice he heard and will be the one that calls him to the other side or calls him home) .... calling to the other side of the river evokes the ferryman to me .....mid lyrics he said he’s done all he can met all he can and he is ready to let go