It is said that the Weather Station was born in a closet. One day, Tamara Lindeman sat down to make music she had never heard. Using her banjo, her voice, a borrowed microphone, and a selection of percussive household items, Tamara taught herself to write, then to record. Slowly she cut together her musical exploration of loss and everything that comes along with it.
The urgings of friends led to the assembly of a five piece band. With banjo, mandolin, violin, and other wooden wonders, they re-interpreted her music, both broadening it and strengthening it as they brought it out into the world of live performance.
This is music about landscapes, both broad and cramped; the running away and the running to; high winds and crushing distance; bracken and tundra and bush. This is music for the east coast, for urban confusion and rural absolutes. It began as music about sadness, but it has always been propelled by fierce determination.
This is music that Tamara Lindeman can no longer contain.
Trying
The Weather Station Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They would slip and be gone like minnows.
Just a silvery flash in the shadows.
I would be blank like an unlit street sign.
On the bank just waiting on my line.
Words would go and then I'd just be sitting there on your floor.
Loving everything I see and no way to tell you what to look for.
Then I'd forget – or have I already forgotten – all that I love as all the strings that pull me start to tauten.
I am trying for some kind of grace.
In the song "Trying" by The Weather Station, the lyrics suggest an internal struggle of the singer as they try to resist the power of words that have affected them. The narrative is an attempt to avoid being shaken off by words that cause negative feelings, hurt or pain. The words they are trying to avoid are like minnows, which slip away quickly in the shadows. They suggest that the negative words will not stick to them, but rather be forgotten. The third line, "Just a silvery flash in the shadows," implies that the words are just a fleeting moment, leaving no lasting impact.
Furthermore, the line, "I would be blank like an unlit street sign," suggests a lack of direction or purpose, possibly a feeling of being lost or confused. However, the singer is waiting on something to happen, waiting for change or for something to pull them in a direction. The line "On the bank just waiting on my line" evokes the image of someone fishing, waiting for something to take the bait, as if waiting for an answer, solution, or direction.
The chorus, "I am trying for what – I can't place. I am trying for some kind of grace," implies that the singer is personally seeking something, perhaps forgiveness, enlightenment, or understanding in a chaotic and difficult world. The song's lyrics are poetically presented and have a melancholic but hopeful feel.
Line by Line Meaning
I am trying… I am trying not to let words just shake me off.
I am endeavoring to not let words affect me abruptly.
They would slip and be gone like minnows.
The words would disappear rapidly like minnows.
Just a silvery flash in the shadows.
They would be a momentary memory shining for a second and then disappearing like a reflection in the shadows.
I would be blank like an unlit street sign.
I would become an empty vessel, like an unlit sign with no message to convey.
On the bank just waiting on my line.
I'd be standing by the river with the hope of catching something.
Words would go and then I'd just be sitting there on your floor.
Words would dissipate, and I would be left there sitting on the floor.
Loving everything I see and no way to tell you what to look for.
I would cherish everything I am observing, but would not be able to communicate to you what it is that I truly appreciate.
Then I'd forget – or have I already forgotten – all that I love as all the strings that pull me start to tauten.
Then I'd begin to forget, or perhaps I've already lost what I adore as all the competing demands weighing on me increase in intensity.
I am trying – for what – I can't place.
I'm making an effort to achieve something, but I'm not certain what it is that I'm striving for.
I am trying for some kind of grace.
I don't know precisely what it is that I'm seeking but I'm making an effort to obtain some kind of serenity or heavenly favor.
Contributed by Aaliyah E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Justin Price
"I'll feel as useless
As a tree in a city park
Standing as a symbol of
What we have blown apart"
Oof, right in the feels
Geoffrey Betts
I am 68 and the last time I looked forward to the release of an album this much was Floyd's DSOTM. This band are so good I weep in disbelief
Martin Powell
Really!!
c_casa
I was stopped in my tracks by this today. Such a beautiful song. The Weather Station does it again.
Benoit Guillet
What a masterpiece. Song of the year so far.
Thomas Marvin
I am so happy that she is much more forward in the mix. She is a brilliant writer, lets hear those words! She and Basia are the comforting soundtrack to this damn pandemic.
bigpine
This is a very underated comment - definitely the best mix.
Rob Wilcox
I love this video and this song... choose happiness, choose what's real over what's virtual, embrace the beauty around you.
Alex Manchester
Choosing happiness and choosing what's real feel mutually exclusive sometimes...
Caleb Drew
Heard on CBC Radio on the way to work one morning when I was feeling sad and didn't know why. Something about her voice told me it was okay to feel whatever I was feeling. Turned my day around, I'm grateful. I recommend this song all the time now.