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.
This Is a Fire Door Never Leave Open
The Weakerthans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And half illuminate a face before they disappear
You breathe in forty years of failing to describe a feeling
I breathe out smoke against a window
Trace the letters in your name
Our letters sound the same
Full of all our changing
That isn't change at all
All straight lines circle sometime
You said, "Somewhere, there's a box full of replacement parts
To all the tenderness we've broken or let rust away"
Somewhere, sympathy is more than just a way of leaving
Somewhere, someone says, "I'm sorry"
Someone's making plans to stay
So tell me it's okay
Tell me anything or
Show me there's a pull
Unassailable
That will lead you there from the dark alone
To benevolence that you've never known
Or you knew when you were four and can't remember
Where a small knife tears out those sloppy seams
And the silence knows what your silence means
And your metaphors, as mixed as you can make them
Are linked like days, together
I still hear trains at night, when the wind is right
I remember everything
Lick and thread this string
That will never mend you or tailor more
Than a memory of a kitchen floor
Or the fire door that we kept propping open
And I love this place, the enormous sky
And the faces, hands that I'm haunted by
So why can't I forgive these buildings
These frameworks labeled home?
Headlights race towards the corner of the dining room
And half illuminate a face before they disappear
The Weakerthans’ “This Is a Fire Door Never Leave Open” is a song full of poetic imagery and introspection. The lyrics tell the story of two people whose lives have been defined by failures and missed opportunities, but who still cling to hope and the possibility of change. The first verse describes a scene where headlights race towards the corner of a dining room, casting light on a face before disappearing. This imagery is a metaphor for the fleeting moments of clarity and understanding that come to people in life before they fade into obscurity. The second verse muses on the idea of change, or rather the lack of it, and the way that people’s lives are shaped by circumstances outside their control. The chorus appeals for some kind of reassurance or sign that things will be alright, and that there are ways to move forward into something better. The final verse brings the song full circle, with the image of the headlights once again illuminating the face in the dining room. This time, however, the tone is different, with a sense of resolve and acceptance that wasn’t present before.
Overall, “This Is a Fire Door Never Leave Open” is a song that speaks to the human experience of loss, regret, and the hope for something better. It’s a song about the ways in which we’re all haunted by the past, but also about the possibilities for growth and change that exist in every moment. The lyrics are full of rich, evocative imagery, and the musical accompaniment provides a perfect backdrop for the emotional weight of the words.
Line by Line Meaning
Headlights race towards the corner of the dining room
The arrival of something new and possibly dangerous is approaching
And half illuminate a face before they disappear
The face, which is only partially seen, adds a layer of mystery to the arrival
You breathe in forty years of failing to describe a feeling
Years of attempts to articulate complex emotions have ultimately led to failure
I breathe out smoke against a window
Exhaling smoke against a window shows a sense of longing and isolation
Trace the letters in your name
The artist is reminiscing about someone from their past
Our letters sound the same
The emotions behind both the singer and the person they are thinking of are similar
Full of all our changing
Both people have gone through significant changes, as reflected in their emotions
That isn't change at all
Despite the changes they have gone through, there is an underlying similarity between them
All straight lines circle sometime
Things that seem simple at first can become complicated in time
You said, "Somewhere, there's a box full of replacement parts
Someone has the ability to fix things that have been broken or lost
To all the tenderness we've broken or let rust away"
The people involved in the situation were once gentle and tender but that has since been lost
Somewhere, sympathy is more than just a way of leaving
Sympathy can be more than just parting ways, it's a form of healing
Somewhere, someone says, "I'm sorry"
Apologies can lead to forgiveness and closure
Someone's making plans to stay
Someone is committed to being present and invested in a situation
So tell me it's okay
The singer is seeking reassurance
Tell me anything or
The artist is open to any form of support or validation
Show me there's a pull
The artist wants to be shown that things will work out in the end
Unassailable
This pull needs to be strong and unwavering
That will lead you there from the dark alone
The pull will provide guidance in moments of darkness and loneliness
To benevolence that you've never known
This pull will lead to a type of kindness the artist has not previously experienced
Or you knew when you were four and can't remember
This kindness may be reminiscent of childhood memories that are hard to recall
Where a small knife tears out those sloppy seams
The artist is undergoing some form of transformation that is painful yet necessary
And the silence knows what your silence means
The power of silence can be a form of communication and understanding
And your metaphors, as mixed as you can make them
The artist's words and expressions are complex and layered
Are linked like days, together
All the complexities and layers ultimately come together to represent a single moment in time
I still hear trains at night, when the wind is right
Past experiences can still be heard and felt, even as time passes
I remember everything
Memories can be both beautiful and painful but they remain with us always
Lick and thread this string
Continuing to hold onto the past can be a form of comfort and closure
That will never mend you or tailor more
While holding onto the past can bring comfort, it will never fully heal the artist
Than a memory of a kitchen floor
Memories can be comforting and provide a sense of stability
Or the fire door that we kept propping open
Holding onto memories of places and things that were once familiar can provide a sense of continuity
And I love this place, the enormous sky
There is an appreciation for the beauty of the present
And the faces, hands that I'm haunted by
Memories of people from the past continue to shape the present
So why can't I forgive these buildings
Despite the beauty of the present, there are things from the past that continue to hold the artist back
These frameworks labeled home?
The singer is grappling with what home truly means and how it influences their emotions
Headlights race towards the corner of the dining room
The arrival of something new and possibly dangerous is approaching (repeated for emphasis)
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.