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.
Uncorrected Proofs
The Weakerthans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dial tones and license plates
The words you didn't choose
Everything the day's too small to hold
Spills on to the dusk
And shorts the evening's fuse
And sing "Happy Birthday"
Read it to yourself again
The stories always end the same
He can't stay and she won't run
And fear is where they're calling from
Staunch the blood from countless tiny cuts
We're all out of bandages
The heaters' rattle, taunt
Sifting through translucent shards of glass
Looking for the filament
That lit the life you want
So you stumble for the phone
Grasp the cord and pull
Will your readership complain the stories always end the same?
She can't stay and he won't run, and fear is where they're calling from
Afraid is where you're calling from
Afraid is where we've lived for far too long
In the song Uncorrected Proofs by The Weakerthans, the lyrics paint a picture of someone who is questioning the monotony of life. The first verse describes mundane and repetitive actions such as acknowledging nods and dial tones. The second stanza describes the feeling of restlessness that comes with feeling like the day is too small to contain everything that one wants to accomplish. The chorus describes the fear and indecisiveness that leads to relationships ending the same way over and over again.
The third verse compares the feeling of small cuts to the feeling of small disappointments, and describes the frustration of not being able to fix them. The fourth verse describes searching for meaning in something that is broken or shattered, likening it to a lit filament that illuminates the life that one truly wants. However, the last chorus highlights that fear has kept them from pursuing the life they want, and they have lived in a state of afraid for far too long, never taking the necessary risks.
Overall, the song speaks to the ennui and fear that can come with life's monotony and highlights the importance of taking risks in pursuit of fulfilling one's true desires.
Line by Line Meaning
The mirrors and the unacknowledged nods
The subtle reflections in mirrors and unnoticed gestures of approval
Dial tones and license plates
The sounds of phone calls and glimpses of vehicles used for escape and anonymity
The words you didn't choose
The phrases unsaid because of indecision or fear of consequences
Everything the day's too small to hold
The multitude of emotions and events that cannot fit into a single day
Spills on to the dusk
Carry over into the end of the day
And shorts the evening's fuse
Causes a sudden and explosive end to the day
So you fumble for a voice
Struggling to express oneself
And sing 'Happy Birthday'
Attempt at a happy facade over the pain and darkness
Read it to yourself again
Repeat and internalize the message
The stories always end the same
The cyclical and predictable nature of tragic outcomes
He can't stay and she won't run
Inability to break from unhealthy patterns and relationships
And fear is where they're calling from
Motivated by anxiety and the unknown
Staunch the blood from countless tiny cuts
Attempt to heal from numerous small wounds
We're all out of bandages
Lack of resources and assistance
The heaters' rattle, taunt
Constant and annoying reminder of the present
Sifting through translucent shards of glass
Searching through fragments of a broken past
Looking for the filament
Striving to find the source of happiness and warmth
That lit the life you want
Symbolic of a happier and more fulfilling life
So you stumble for the phone
Desperation to connect with someone
Grasp the cord and pull
Vigorously take action
Will your readership complain the stories always end the same?
Wondering if others will be critical and dismissive of the repetition in one's life choices
She can't stay and he won't run, and fear is where they're calling from
Fear and apprehension influencing decisions and actions
Afraid is where you're calling from
Recognizing that fear is the root and cause of one's struggles and hardships
Afraid is where we've lived for far too long
Fear being the default and persistent state of existence
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: John K Samson, Jason Tait, Stephen Allan Carroll, John Paul Sutton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jonmozola3300
One of the greatest song's of all time!
@lhommedapresdemain2033
i prefer your song !
@lhommedapresdemain2033
xoxo
@RooAcademy
the picture is awesome..
@lhommedapresdemain2033
yours too
@toddlangstaff5298
Remember 2020?
@lhommedapresdemain2033
what was this shit>?
@shoresofpatmos
NICE
@lhommedapresdemain2033
single ? ;)
@eeeevaaannn
the weakerthans are a blillion times better than ice cream for breakfast