WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread

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WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - SoylentGreg - 04-08-2009

Hey, I wanted to get a thread to throw out our crazy ideas about what the songs and Gord's lyrics mean, and to discuss the unifying theme of "We Are The Same." I know screw_ball has a really good analysis of The Depression Suite and Gord's relationship to the listener that is clever and (gasp) coherent, but i'll let him post it.

As for me, my non-Canadian self needs to ask a couple questions:

-Who is "Honey Watson," and does she have any relation to the other 'honey's throughout the record. Someone mentioned that they explained in the Bathouse vid what NTSHAN means, does it tie into that?

-What the hell does "and Athalasca depends" mean? Is this some Canadian place full of meaning I don't get?

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - Gusthepolarbear12 - 04-08-2009

He gave a little background info before each song at the Bathhouse show...
A major theme in all the songs seemed to be conversations happening either between two people or in ones head (Love is a First). That whole rant about how someone cand just blurt.. love is a curse, is the musicians conscience.

Im wondering if inside the booklets lyrics, the italisized verses are the other person talking.

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - BIGVDOGG - 04-08-2009

This could very well be the Honey Watson mentioned in Struggle.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.tcharmed.org.uk/">http://www.tcharmed.org.uk/</a>

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - Great Waiting List - 04-08-2009

I also think I remember Gord saying something like, "All the songs are about love".

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - daylight - 04-08-2009

SoylentGreg Wrote:-What the hell does "and Athalasca depends" mean? Is this some Canadian place full of meaning I don't get?

Could refer to a number of things. I'd guess it's tar sands related given the band's environmentalist tendencies (don't you want to see if we can avoid further ruining the environment), but you never know!

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - sherpahigh - 04-08-2009

The first time I heard "Go to be a man of the boom, to Florida without the ocean" I thought of Fort McMurray in Northern Alberta. Athabasca river runs through there and the Athabasca Oil sands are just North of there.

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - Dark Canuck17 - 04-08-2009

SoylentGreg Wrote:Hey, I wanted to get a thread to throw out our crazy ideas about what the songs and Gord's lyrics mean, and to discuss the unifying theme of "We Are The Same." I know screw_ball has a really good analysis of The Depression Suite and Gord's relationship to the listener that is clever and (gasp) coherent, but i'll let him post it.

As for me, my non-Canadian self needs to ask a couple questions:

-Who is "Honey Watson," and does she have any relation to the other 'honey's throughout the record. Someone mentioned that they explained in the Bathouse vid what NTSHAN means, does it tie into that?

-What the hell does "and Athalasca depends" mean? Is this some Canadian place full of meaning I don't get?

As for an explanation for Now The Struggle Has A Name it is regarding an apology our Canadian government gave to former students of Indian residential schools.

Here is a link to read <a class="postlink" href="http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/11/pm-statement.html">http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2008/06/ ... ement.html</a>

When Gord talked about what this song was written about I think it jumped to close to one of my favorites on the album and really made sense after hearing it.

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - Gusthepolarbear12 - 04-08-2009

Great Waiting List Wrote:I also think I remember Gord saying something like, "All the songs are about love".

He said All songs are about love.. as in every song in existance. Then laughed, thats what I got out of it

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - dirtyepic - 04-08-2009

I've been doing a bit of research the last week or so:

Don't You Want to See How It Ends

* Lost in the Barrens is an award winning children's novel written by Canadian author Farley Mowat. It tells the story of two boys who get trapped in the Barren Lands, the vast expanse of arctic tundra above the tree line in Canada's northwest, while hunting deer for a starving Chipewyan village.

* The Athabasca Oil Sands, located in northeastern Alberta, is the largest reservoir of heavy crude oil in the world. Until the last five years, the development of the sands was generally not considered to be cost effective. However, steadily rising oil prices have dramatically improved the economic viability. A $100 billion industry sprang up seemingly overnight and was willing to pay anything for skilled labour. The promise of being set for life in exchange for a few years of hard work saw tens of thousands migrate to Fort McMurray, the new heart of the Alberta oil boom. As can be characteristic of boomtowns, and perhaps moreso due to its extreme isolation in the Boreal forest, drugs and alcohol are easy to get in abundance and more than a few going in with the intention of making some quick money to bring back to their families have ended up lost in the Barrens.

(ie. both looking to provide for their families)

Now the Struggle Has a Name

(possible)
* Tiana Honey Watson died on May 9th, 2006 from Mitochondria Complex One which affected her muscles, heart, lactic acid leels and respiratory system. She was 2 years and 7 days old. Her parents set up the Tiana Honey Watson Fund for children with rare and metabolic disorders to finance research and develop a cure.

(The residential schools apology was the first thing that popped into my head, but I can't tie them together. Maybe the Honey Watson thing is a coincidence and it's another person he's talking about.)

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - senrab - 04-08-2009

I like the line "the last Canada goose" and have no idea why

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - jordancohen43 - 04-09-2009

BIGVDOGG Wrote:This could very well be the Honey Watson mentioned in Struggle.

<a class="postlink" href="http://www.tcharmed.org.uk/">http://www.tcharmed.org.uk/</a>

i cant find a single similarity between the "honey watson" in NTSHAN and the TIANA honey watson.
what i found (and seems to fit better to me) is <a class="postlink" href="http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8463015">http://www.wbtv.com/Global/story.asp?S=8463015</a>
this honey watson was arrested on murder charges. this helps justify gord saying "honey watson, we were born to sin", as well as struggling on like honey watson.

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - screw_ball - 04-09-2009

Thanks for the namedrop, bro. I'm gonna get on writing this ASAP.

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - Stephen Dame - 04-11-2009

Coming soon, I promise. Teaching full time now and trying to squeeze in the time. Have the research done. Up by Easter Monday

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - 50bones420 - 04-11-2009

watch the dvd that night in toronto befor he goes into fully. he does a little rant and it happens to be a verse from love is a first no bull shit listen real carefully

Re: WATS Lyric Analysis/Questions Thread - fingernailsonhull - 04-11-2009

50bones420 Wrote:watch the dvd that night in toronto befor he goes into fully. he does a little rant and it happens to be a verse from love is a first no bull shit listen real carefully

Yeah, it's common place for Gord to whip out stuff he's currently writing during other songs. Locked In The Trunk Of A Car, Nautical Disaster, Poets, No Threat, and Love Is A First, among others, have started that way.