Pamphleteer
The Weakerthans Lyrics

I'm standing on this corner, can't get their attention
I'm trying to get people to listen to my cause, but they are too busy with their daily routines to notice me standing here.

Facing rush hour faces turned around
People's faces are turned away from me and towards their work, and they are so caught up in their own lives that they do not notice me.

I clutch my stack of paper, press one to a chest
I am holding papers with important information on them, and I try to pass them along to a passerby, hoping it'll catch their attention.

Then watch it swoop and stutter to the ground
The paper falls to the ground in rejection and disappointment, without being of any use or catching the attention of a passerby.

I'm weary with right-angles, abbreviated daylight
I am tired of the monotonous routine and daily grind that comes with modern, busy life, which is full of straight angles and a lack of time for activities and leisure.

Waiting for a winter to be done
I am waiting for this metaphorical 'winter' of life to be over, so that I can move on to something better.

Why do I still see you in every mirrored window
I still obsess over you, even after all this time, and I can't seem to stop thinking about you, to the point where you show up everywhere, even in my reflections.

In all that I could never overcome?
I am struggling to move on from this relationship or situation and feeling helpless to improve it, no matter what I try to do.

How I don't know what I should do
I am unsure of how to proceed in this relationship or situation.

With my hands when I talk to you
I am fidgety and nervous when talking to you, and I don't know how to express myself properly.

How you don't know where you should look
You are also uncomfortable in this situation and don't know where to look or how to proceed.

So you look at my hands
You fixate on my hands, which are moving around nervously, looking for a way to express myself.

How movements rise and then dissolve
My movements and actions seem to not get me anywhere, and they quickly disappear or fizzle out without making any progress.

Melted by our shallow breath
Our breath resonates poorly, implying that our conversations and communication with one another are shallow and meaningless.

How causes dance away from me
The causes that I believe in seem to elude me and dance away, mocking my inability to make any difference.

I am your pamphleteer
I am your messenger, and I am trying to communicate an important message or idea to you through these pamphlets and papers.

I walk this room in time to the beat of the Gestetner
I move around in circles in this room while listening to the sound of a printing machine, indicating that I am printing and distributing pamphlets and flyers to people.

Contemplate my next communique
I am thinking about what to write or say next in order to communicate my message more effectively.

The rhetoric and treason of saying that I'll miss you
I might have to say that I miss you even though, deep down, I know that you are not good for me, which might be seen as a form of dishonesty or betrayal to myself.

Of saying "Hey, well maybe you should stay"
I am tempted to ask you to stay, despite knowing that it is not the best path forward and might not help me.

Sing, Oh what force on earth could be
The singer is questioning if there is anything stronger than his current situation or feelings, and how they can overcome them.

Weaker than the feeble strength
The singer feels that their strength and agency are limited and weak compared to the challenges they face and what they want to achieve.

Of one, like me remembering
The singer feels alone and isolated in their struggle and will only find support in their own memory.

The way it could have been
The singer is looking back nostalgically at how things could have been, and wondering how they can move past disappointing circumstances.

So, help me with this barricade
The singer is looking for help to overcome physical and emotional barriers and obstacles that are hindering their progress.

No surrender, no defeat
The singer will keep fighting and won't back down, no matter how difficult their situation becomes.

A specter's haunting Albert Street
A ghost or apparition is lurking around the city street of Albert Street, representing a symbol of the past and the memory of what could have been if things had gone differently.

I am your pamphleteer
The singer is representing themselves as a voice of the people, communicating messages through pamphlets and literature to share their beliefs and motivations.

I am your pamphleteer
The singer reiterates that they are the voice of the people and that they feel a responsibility to communicate their thoughts and ideas through whatever means necessary.