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.
Tumbleweed
The Watchmen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Only hearing my hair grow and hit the ground
They've all grown or they just packed up and left
Left me with these years unfortunate
Like on my tv I will find the words that bring you back around
But this scene is full of twisted irony
Considering my tv has no sound
I can't take this shit lying down no I won't
Kick all in my way to the ground
And fill this house again with the sounds
Voices singing laughter ringing and you
Look in my yard dog's not there
Gone like all the rest of them without a care
Just a well that everyone sucks dry
Dry up as the tumbleweeds are rolling by
I can finally speak the kind of words that lift you from the ground
I can still smell your sweetness in the air
And I'm dying slow from you not being around
I can't take this shit lying down no I won't
Kick all in my way to the ground
And fill this house again with the sounds
Voices singing laughter ringing and you
Who's bedtime it's empty who can I phone
And I can't sleep just yet here by my own
And what about you guess I'll watch one more show
I can't take this shit lying down no I won't
Kick all in my way to the ground
And fill this house again with the sounds
Voices singing laughter ringing and you
The Watchmen's song Tumbleweed is a melancholic ballad that describes the loneliness of a man who finds himself alone in a deserted house. The lyrics describe his struggle to cope with the silence and the absence of the people who used to be around him. He wonders why everyone has left and why his life has turned out this way. He speaks of his frustration and his desire to take action and fill the house with the sounds of laughter and singing once again.
The man finds solace in his memories and in the hope that he might be able to bring back the people he has lost. He watches TV, trying to find the words that will bring them back, but the irony is that his TV has no sound. He talks about his dog being gone and the dry well that everyone sucks dry. However, he also speaks of his love and the longing he has for the person he has lost. He hopes that he might be able to lift himself up and find a way to move on.
The song is a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of the people we love. It is a reminder that we should cherish those around us and not take them for granted. It is also a haunting and beautiful ode to the power of memories and the human spirit to persevere in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The house is silent I can't hear a sound
The singer feels alone in their home since there is no sound around them
Only hearing my hair grow and hit the ground
The singer feels extremely alone since they can hear their hair growing and falling
They've all grown or they just packed up and left
The singer is unsure if their loved ones have moved on and abandoned them
Left me with these years unfortunate
The artist is left with memories of unfortunate years without any positive experiences
Like on my tv I will find the words that bring you back around
The artist tries to find solace by watching TV, hoping to hear something that reminds them of their loved ones
But this scene is full of twisted irony
The fact that the singer is watching TV in silence, hoping to hear sounds that remind them of their loved ones, is ironically twisted
Considering my tv has no sound
The singer's TV is not working, making them feel even more isolated and alone
I can't take this shit lying down no I won't
The artist is determined to not let their situation defeat them
Kick all in my way to the ground
The artist is determined to fight for what they want and not let anyone stand in their way
And fill this house again with the sounds
The artist wants to bring music and laughter back into their home
Voices singing laughter ringing and you
The singer wants to hear the voices of their loved ones again
Look in my yard dog's not there
The artist's dog is missing, adding to their loneliness
Gone like all the rest of them without a care
The singer's loved ones have left them, seemingly without any concern for the singer's feelings
Just a well that everyone sucks dry
The singer feels drained, as everyone around them has taken what they needed and left
Dry up as the tumbleweeds are rolling by
The singer's situation is like the tumbleweeds moving through a dry desert, where everything seems empty and lifeless
I can finally speak the kind of words that lift you from the ground
The artist is no longer afraid to reach out and express their feelings
I can still smell your sweetness in the air
The artist still remembers the sweetness of their loved one's presence
And I'm dying slow from you not being around
The singer is slowly being consumed by their loneliness and desire for their loved ones to return
Who's bedtime it's empty who can I phone
The singer is struggling with insomnia and has no one to talk to
And I can't sleep just yet here by my own
The artist cannot fall asleep since they are feeling isolated and alone
And what about you guess I'll watch one more show
The artist continues to watch TV, hoping to distract themselves from their loneliness
And fill this house again with the sounds
The artist wants to bring music and laughter back into their home
Voices singing laughter ringing and you
The singer wants to hear the voices of their loved ones again
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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