The band's blend of punk-inflected folk rock with literate, witty, introspective lyrics have made them one of the most popular bands on the Canadian music scene.
Hailing from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, The Weakerthans have produced four full albums with a variety of unusual subjects; a couple of songs are sung from the point of view of John's cat Virtute (Ver-tu-tay). The Weakerthans are popular in their home city of Winnipeg; their song "One Great City!" expresses their love/hate relationship with the problems and attitude of Winnipeg. No matter their methods, though, one thing is clear: The Weakerthans are not afraid to venture into lyrical styles uncharted by their contemporaries. On their third album, Reconstruction Site, Samson penned three songs, "(Manifest)", "(Hospital Vespers)", and "(Past Due)", in Shakespearean sonnet form.
One origin story for the band's name, as quoted in the liner notes of Fallow, is a line from the 1992 film The Lover: "Go ahead, I'm weaker than you can possibly imagine." The band's name may also refer to a Ralph Chaplin quote from "Solidarity Forever": "What force on Earth can be weaker than the feeble strength of one?" The band alludes to this line in the song "Pamphleteer" from the album Left and Leaving.
The band last released an album, Live at the Burton Cummings Theatre, in 2010.
Since 2015, the band has been on hiatus.
Aside
The Weakerthans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And one decisive stare
The time it takes to get from here to there
My ribs that show through t-shirts
And these shoes I got for free
I'm unconsoled
I'm lonely
I am so much better than I used to be
Terrified of telephones
And shopping malls and knives
We're drowning in the pools of other lives
Rely a bit too heavily
On alcohol and irony
Get clobbered on by courtesy
In love with love and lousy poetry
And I'm leaning on this broken fence
Between past and present tense
And I'm losing all those stupid games
That I swore I'd never play
But it almost feels okay
Circumnavigate this body
Of wonder and uncertainty
Armed with every precious failure
And amateur cartography
I breath in deep before
I spread those maps out on my bedroom floor
And I'm leaning on this broken fence
Between past and present tense
And I'm losing all those stupid games
That I swore I'd never play
But it feels okay
And I'm leaving, wave goodbye
And I'm losing but I'll try
With the last ways left
To remember, sing
My imperfect offering
The Weakerthans's song "Aside" is a contemplative reflection on the passage of time and the struggles of personal growth. The song begins with the singer measuring themselves in "metered lines" and a "decisive stare," representing the need for structure and control in a chaotic world. They acknowledge their physical imperfections, including visible ribs and free shoes, while expressing a sense of being unconsoled and lonely.
The second verse delves into the singer's fears, such as telephones, shopping malls, and knives, which represent the pressures and potential dangers of modern society. They describe feeling overwhelmed by the "pools of other lives" surrounding them, turning to alcohol and irony as coping mechanisms. The singer recognizes the pitfalls of being "in love with love and lousy poetry," suggesting a rejection of shallow and insincere romanticism.
The chorus acts as a sort of bridge between the verses, with the singer "leaning on this broken fence between past and present tense" and acknowledging their struggles to grow beyond their past mistakes and avoid taking part in "stupid games." Despite this, they find some comfort in the process, feeling that it "almost feels okay."
The final verse brings the song full circle, with the singer circling back to the idea of measuring themselves in "metered lines" and embracing their past failures as tools for growth. The use of "amateur cartography" suggests a willingness to explore and navigate one's own flaws and uncertainties. The final lines express a desire to make a sincere effort, even if it is imperfect, to offer something of themselves in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Measure me in metered lines
Ask me to quantify myself with consistent and rhythmic phrases
And one decisive stare
And one firm look to convey intent
The time it takes to get from here to there
The duration required to traverse this distance
My ribs that show through t-shirts
My protruding bones visible through thin garments
And these shoes I got for free
And these footwear that I acquired without payment
I'm unconsoled
I'm not comforted or reassured
I'm lonely
I'm experiencing solitude or a lack of companionship
I am so much better than I used to be
I have improved significantly from my past self
Terrified of telephones
Afraid of devices for communicating with others remotely
And shopping malls and knives
As well as large retail centers and sharp cutting utensils
We're drowning in the pools of other lives
We're overwhelmed by the experiences and expectations of others
Rely a bit too heavily
Depend too much on something
On alcohol and irony
On drinking and the use of witty and sarcastic remarks
Get clobbered on by courtesy
Be overwhelmed or knocked out by politeness or civility
In love with love and lousy poetry
Very fond of romance and poor quality verses
And I'm losing all those stupid games
And I'm failing at all those foolish competitions
That I swore I'd never play
That I promised myself I would never partake in
But it almost feels okay
But the situation is almost satisfactory
Circumnavigate this body
Travel around this physical form
Of wonder and uncertainty
Full of awe and unpredictability
Armed with every precious failure
Equipped with knowledge gained from every valuable mistake
And amateur cartography
And mapmaking done without formal training
I breath in deep before
I inhale deeply prior to
I spread those maps out on my bedroom floor
I lay those charts out on the surface of my bedroom
And I'm leaving, wave goodbye
And I'm departing, waving farewell
And I'm losing but I'll try
And I'm being defeated but I'll attempt again
With the last ways left
With the remaining options available
To remember, sing
To recall through song
My imperfect offering
My flawed but genuine gift
Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: John K Samson, John P. Sutton, Stephen Carroll, Jason Tait
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gryffin
on Virtute the Cat Explains Her Departure
It had something to do with the rain
It was a rainy day when Virtute left
Leaching loamy dirt
The dirt becoming muddy and wet due to the rain.
And the way the back lane came alive
The rain bringing life to the back alley and making it more vibrant.
Half moon whispered go
Personification of the half-moon; Virtute believed it told her to leave
For a while I heard you
The cat heard its owner's footsteps for a brief period.
Missing steps in the street
The owner was upset and confused, stumbling while walking in the street, looking for her.
And your anger pleading
The owner's anger begging for something; perhaps Virtute's return
In an uncertain key
The owner's tone being unsure and lacking confidence.
Singing the sound that you found for me
Virtute's owner is calling out her name in an attempt to find her
When the winter took the tips of my ears
In winter, Virtute lost the tips of her ears to the cold
Found this noisy home
The cat found a new place to live.
Full of pigeons and places to hide
The new place was abundant in pigeons and had many good hiding spots.
And when the voices died
When everything became silent.
I emerged to watch abandoned machines
The cat came out of hiding to look at the machines that had been abandoned.
Waiting for their men
The machines were waiting for someone to come and use them.
To return, I remember the way
The cat remembers how the owner would look for her and she misses him.
I would wait for you
The cat used to wait for her owner to come back.
To arrive with kibble
The owner used to bring kibble for the cat to eat.
And a box full of beer
The owner used to have beer with him when he came back home.
How I'd scratch the empties
The cat remembers how she used to scratch the empty beer cans and bottles for hours to entertain herself.
Desperate to hear
The cat was desperate to hear the familiar sounds of her owner's presence.
You make the sound that you found for me
Virtute longed to hear her owner say her name, to be acknowledged by the person who left her alone for so long.
After scrapping with the ferals and the tabby
After fighting with other cats in the area.
Let you brush my matted fur
Allowed the owner to groom her matted fur.
How I'd knead into your chest while you were sleeping
The cat remembers how she used to knead into her owner's chest while he slept.
Shallow breathing made me purr
The cat would purr while feeling her owner's shallow breathing and being comforted by it.
But I can't remember the sound that you found for me
The cat can no longer remember the name her owner gave her, and it makes her sad and confused.
I can't remember the sound that you found for me
Reinforcing the fact that the cat can no longer remember her name.
I can't remember the sound
The cat can't seem to remember anything about the owner's voice and it vexes her.