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.
Plea From a Cat Named Virtue
The Weakerthans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm tired of this piece of string
You sleep as much as I do now
And you don't eat much of anything
I don't know who you're talking to
I made a search through every room
But all I found was dust that moved
In shadows of the afternoon
And listen
About those bitter songs you sing
They're not helping anything
They won't make you strong
So, we should open up the house
Invite the tabby two doors down
You could ask your sister
If she doesn't bring her Basset Hound
Ask the things you shouldn't miss
Tape hiss and the Modern Man
The Cold War and Card Catalogues
To come and join us if they can
For girly drinks and parlor games
We'll pass around the easy lie
Of absolutely no regrets
And later maybe you could try
To let your losses dangle off
The sharp edge of a century
We'll talk about the weather
Or how the weather used to be
And I'll cater with all the birds that I can kill
Let their tiny feathers fill disappointment
Lie down, lick the sorrow from your skin
Scratch the terror and begin
To believe you're strong
All you ever want to do is drink and watch TV
And frankly that thing doesn't really interest me
I swear I'm going to bite you hard and taste your tinny blood
If you don't stop the self-defeating lies
You've been repeating since the day you brought me home
I know you're strong
The song "Plea From a Cat Named Virtue" by The Weakerthans is a poignant commentary on depression and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life. The lyrics are from the perspective of a cat named Virtue who is frustrated with his owner's lack of engagement and motivation to do anything other than drink and watch TV. Virtue tries to encourage his owner to break out of their self-defeating habits and find joy in simple pleasures like inviting friends over or discussing the weather. He acknowledges the owner's pain and urges them to confront it head-on, even if it means experiencing discomfort or sadness.
The chorus of the song is particularly powerful, with Virtue addressing the owner's bitter songs that only serve to reinforce their negative self-image. He tells them that these songs won't make them stronger, and that they need to seek out positive experiences and relationships in order to move forward. Throughout the song, there is a sense of compassionate urgency and a desire to help the owner find a way out of their melancholy state.
Overall, "Plea From a Cat Named Virtue" is a moving and deeply empathetic portrayal of the struggle with depression and the need for connection and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you ever want to play
Why are you always so disinterested in doing anything fun?
I'm tired of this piece of string
Playing with the same old toy is boring and unfulfilling.
You sleep as much as I do now
You're so lazy, you sleep as much as a cat does.
And you don't eat much of anything
You hardly ever eat anything - what's the point of even having you around?
I don't know who you're talking to
I have no idea who or what you're communicating with.
I made a search through every room
I've looked everywhere for any clues or signs of what you're doing.
But all I found was dust that moved
All I found were traces of what might have been, or maybe just my imagination.
In shadows of the afternoon
This all happened in the vague and unspecific time frame of afternoon shadows.
About those bitter songs you sing
I'm concerned about the negative and hopeless things you keep saying.
They're not helping anything
Your self-destructive thoughts and words aren't solving anything.
They won't make you strong
In fact, they're making you weaker and less able to handle life's challenges.
So, we should open up the house
Let's make some changes and invite some new things into our lives.
Invite the tabby two doors down
Let's socialize and connect with our neighbors.
You could ask your sister
Let's involve family and loved ones in our activities.
If she doesn't bring her Basset Hound
But let's leave behind any toxic or disruptive influences that might be harmful.
Ask the things you shouldn't miss
Let's explore and appreciate the good things in life.
Tape hiss and the Modern Man
Let's appreciate the raw, authentic sounds and art of old recordings and other cultural artifacts.
The Cold War and Card Catalogues
And let's appreciate the historical significance and human stories behind outdated technologies and bygone events.
To come and join us if they can
Let's welcome anyone who wants to be a part of our community and share in our activities.
For girly drinks and parlor games
Let's indulge in some fun and frivolous activities that allow us to let our guards down.
We'll pass around the easy lie
Let's be playful and lighthearted without worrying about being judged or scrutinized.
Of absolutely no regrets
We'll pretend that we have no worries or concerns about our past or future.
And later maybe you could try
In the future, maybe you'll be more open to this kind of fun and connection.
To let your losses dangle off
Let's learn to let go of the past and move forward.
The sharp edge of a century
Let's embrace the idea that every century presents new challenges and opportunities.
We'll talk about the weather
We'll engage in casual and easygoing conversations.
Or how the weather used to be
Or we could reminisce about the past, and how things have changed over time.
And I'll cater with all the birds that I can kill
I'll provide whatever I can to make this a fun and enjoyable experience for everyone.
Let their tiny feathers fill disappointment
Let's not dwell on the negative emotions or experiences that we may be feeling.
Lie down, lick the sorrow from your skin
Let's take a moment to relax and refresh ourselves from the inside out.
Scratch the terror and begin
Let's face our fears and move past them.
To believe you're strong
Let's focus on the positive and believe in our own strength and resilience.
All you ever want to do is drink and watch TV
You're stuck in a pattern of unhealthy and unproductive behavior.
And frankly that thing doesn't really interest me
I'm not interested in supporting or enabling that kind of behavior anymore.
I swear I'm going to bite you hard and taste your tinny blood
I'll do whatever it takes to snap you out of this negative and self-destructive mindset.
If you don't stop the self-defeating lies
If you don't start being more honest and positive about yourself and your life,
You've been repeating since the day you brought me home
You've been stuck in this pattern of negativity since the very beginning of our relationship.
I know you're strong
But I know that you have the strength and capability to overcome it all and be happy.
Lyrics © CCS RIGHTS MANAGEMENT CORP
Written by: John K Samson, Stephen Allan Carroll, John Paul Sutton, 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.