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.
Watermark
The Weakerthans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We sit and watch the wall you painted purple
Speech will spill on space, our little cups of grace
But pauses rattle on about the way
That you cut the snow-fence, braved the blood, the metal of those hearts
That you always end up pressing your tongue to
How your body still remembers things you told it to forget
I've got this store-bought way of saying I'm okay
And you've learned how to cry in total silence
We're talented and bright, we're lonely and uptight
We've found some lovely ways to disappoint
But the airport's always almost empty this time of the year
So let's go play on a baggage carousel
And set our watches forward like we're just arriving here
From a past we left in a place we knew too well
We knew too well
Knew too well
Hold on to the corners of today
And we'll fold it up to save until it's needed
Stand still, let me scrub that brackish line
That you got when something rose and then receded
Hold on
The Weakerthans' song "Watermark" is a reflection on the complexities of human relationships and the struggles that come with trying to communicate our deepest thoughts and emotions to one another. The first verse sets the scene: the singer and their partner sit together, but struggle to find the right words to say. They try to connect through speech - "our little cups of grace" - but ultimately, the pauses and silences between them say more. The second verse delves deeper into the struggles that the singer's partner has faced - enduring pain, trauma, and heartbreak - but ultimately, learning to carry on.
The chorus is a reflection on the ways that the two individuals cope with their own struggles and their relationship. The singer admits to having a "store-bought way" of presenting themselves as okay when they're really not, while their partner has learned to cry silently. In spite of this, the two are "talented and bright," but sometimes "lonely and uptight." They typically find "lovely ways to disappoint" one another, but despite their struggles, they still love each other.
The song closes with the image of the two at an airport, standing on a baggage carousel and "set[ting] their watches forward" as if trying to leave their past behind. The repetition of the phrase "knew too well" suggests that they are leaving something behind that is painful but familiar. The final lines capture the essence of the song: "Hold on to the corners of today / And we'll fold it up to save until it's needed." The two individuals remain committed to one another, even in the midst of their struggles, and will hold onto the moments they share until they need them again.
Line by Line Meaning
I count to three and grin, you smile and let me in
We use humor to diffuse tension, and you allow me to enter your emotional space.
We sit and watch the wall you painted purple
We're stuck and unable to communicate, so we focus on something else.
Speech will spill on space, our little cups of grace
Words can bring us temporary relief and hope.
But pauses rattle on about the way
Our inability to communicate effectively keeps interrupting and hindering us.
That you cut the snow-fence, braved the blood, the metal of those hearts
You've endured hurtful experiences that required courage and perseverance.
That you always end up pressing your tongue to
You suppress your emotions and don't express yourself honestly.
How your body still remembers things you told it to forget
You carry emotional scars that continue to affect you.
How those furious affections followed you
The intensity of your past feelings still haunts you.
I've got this store-bought way of saying I'm okay
We resort to superficiality as a way to cope and avoid confronting our problems.
And you've learned how to cry in total silence
You've become adept at hiding your emotions, even from yourself.
We're talented and bright, we're lonely and uptight
We possess qualities that other people admire, but we also suffer from isolation and anxiety.
We've found some lovely ways to disappoint
We keep repeating the same mistakes and perpetuating our own misery.
But the airport's always almost empty this time of the year
We're feeling disconnected from our environment and in need of change.
So let's go play on a baggage carousel
Let's act out of character and take a risk for once.
And set our watches forward like we're just arriving here
Let's start fresh and embrace the novelty of the moment.
From a past we left in a place we knew too well
We need to leave behind our old habits and thinking patterns to move forward.
Hold on to the corners of today
Let's focus on the present and hold onto it tightly.
And we'll fold it up to save until it's needed
We'll cherish the good moments and rely on them when things get tough.
Stand still, let me scrub that brackish line
Let's take a moment to cleanse ourselves of the negative emotions and start anew.
That you got when something rose and then receded
The residual pain from a past experience is still affecting you.
Lyrics © MOTHERSHIP MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: John K Samson, Stephen Carroll, John P. Sutton, Jason Tait
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
_BRCooper
This song is so old now but I still listen to it all the time. I just love the frantic pace that picks up at the end.
Mike Marino
This song has been, since high school, the anthem of all my major life transitions. Thanks for putting it out there.
Ken Martin
I love this song. The lyrics are so encapsulating and familiar. This song would have been huge in 1994.
Poster Child
Not just 1994, I think this band in general would be huge also in the modern pop punk scene 2011 and beyond. Their sound was so ahead of its time.
Wibbs Yoga
How does this song have 6 comments?!? What a fucking banger. As much as I enjoy johns solo work I really miss the rocking weakerthans
Crossark1
That second verse and bridge always hits so hard -- and just where it was aiming, at that.
Jack Turner
I love seeing all these comments about people loving this song for years, and now I’ve just discovered it a few months ago and I listen to it all the time
KyOzalynn M
i listen to this whole album every night on repeat during my pregnancy and that's because my good friend Alex play it for me every time we hang out and I wanting my child to have some pretty decent music to listen to I still can't let go of this album I love it even ten years after he's been born and three years prior to it it's still the greatest
Bill Brasky
It's one of the greats that no one knows about!
krauser rourke
god i love this song, remember it like over 10 years ago back in highschool