When the colour of the night
and all the smoke for one life
gives way to shaky movements,
improvisational skills,
a forest of whispering speakers
let's swear that we will
get with the times,
in a current health to stay
let's get friendship right
get life day-to-day
in the forget-yer-skates dream
full of countervailing woes
in diverse-as-ever scenes
proceeding on a need-to-know
in a face so full of meaning
as to almost make it glow

O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken

and find somewhere to go
go somewhere we're needed
find somewhere to grow
grow somewhere were needed.

When the colour of the night
and all the smoke for one life
gives way to shaky movements,
improvisational skills,
a forest of whispering speakers
let's swear that we will
get with the times,
in a current health to stay
let's get friendship right
get life day-to-day
in the forget-yer-skates dream
full of countervailing woes
in diverse-as-ever scenes
proceeding on a need-to-know
in a face so full of meaning
as to almost make it glow

O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken

and find somewhere to go
go somewhere we're needed
find somewhere to grow
grow somewhere we're needed
find somewhere to go
let's go somewhere we're needed
find somewhere to grow
We grow where we are needed.



Lyrics submitted by narte31

Track duration: 04:27


Its A Good Life If You Don't Weaken song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment:A) This song is gorgeous.
    B) I agree with wackakapow that it seems to be from a musician's viewpoint - resorting to "shaky movements and improvisational skills" makes me think Gord is talking about himself on stage, kind of being self-effacing.
    C) I'm glad that I'm not the only one who gets kinda choked up when I hear this one... man, it's powerful.
    D) Greatest. Band. Ever.
    Flag WishIWasCanadianon August 28, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think this song's beautiful.
    Flag TheWrongGirlon September 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:The first five lines strike me as a song for performing musicians, particularly while choking onstage. Sometimes, all the practice you put into something simply puffs away the moment you're in the spotlight before a "forest of whispering speakers". I especially like this phrase for the double entendre it presents: it can mean both audio speakers and critics in the audience. When you're screwing up on stage all your past mistakes come flooding back--all the way to hockey practice as a kid. All you have left are your "improvisational skills".
    Flag wackakapowon June 12, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:just an FYI:

    the reason why it's in quotations is because it's a graphic novel.

    en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…

    Canadian, no less.
    Flag caleion March 20, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:To me, this song is about individuality in a relationship.

    When the colour of the night
    and all the smoke for one life

    This line just reminds me of standing by yourself, out in the country side, at the dusk of a winter´s day. You know when you turn around to go back to the city, that you´ll have to deal with friends and family and work and life, but for now, you are the only life.

    gives way to shaky movements,
    improvisational skills,
    a forest of whispering speakers

    When you go back to ´life´, you find yourself woefully unprepared. So you fake it, just trying to do the best that you can. I think the forest of whispering speakers are those little voices you hear around you. Your friends and family, who think they know what you should do, your intuition, the voice of God.

    let's swear that we will
    get with the times,
    in a current health to stay
    let's get friendship right
    get life day-to-day

    I think these lines deal with a relationship. It´s like ´Things aren´t perfect, and I don´t know what the hell I´m doing, but I just want a simple, strong relationship with someone I love. Let´s be healthy, let´s be friends again, let´s just live life day to day without worrying about the future and all those things that don´t really matter.


    in the forget-yer-skates dream
    full of countervailing woes

    I think this once again refers to the sense of inadequacy. You´ve shown up at the rink without your skates. Therefore, you can´t play in the game. I think this might refer to a break in the relationship. And I think countervailing woes is sort of the idea that, on one hand, you really want to get on the ice. But on the other hand, it´s overwhelming you, and you´re glad to be able to sit this one out.

    in diverse-as-ever scenes
    proceeding on a need-to-know

    I think this line is just going with the flow of life. Go on a need to know basis.

    in a face so full of meaning
    as to almost make it glow

    This refers to a partner, that feels some strong emotion.

    O' for a good life, we just might have to weaken

    and find somewhere to go
    go somewhere we're needed
    find somewhere to grow
    grow somewhere were needed.

    To me, those lines mean that to really live life, and feel good, you need to weaken. To let down those defenses, and put yourself in a space where you can grow. In the sense of the relationship, I think it means two people finding their own separate paths, because they were stifling each other. Growing up and growing apart.
    Flag _biggreenmonkey_on September 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:just a comment.. the forget-your-skates dream is a terrible event. there are few worse things that can happen to a hockey player then get to the rink and not have your skates. it has happened to me for real and i had those dreams as a kid. you wake up and you think, oh fuck good thing that was a dream because what was happining to me in that story was pretty shitty. nice, back to sleep, skates are on the rack.
    Flag bostonbruinson August 08, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:a face so full of meaning as to almost make it glow

    :D
    Flag LittleUnicornBoyon February 26, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This is a great song, one of the best off "In Violet Light".
    Flag OpinionHeadon June 19, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Fuckin awsome track. The Hip will remain Canadian legends forever.

    i think this song is about people who are in a bit of trouble but know that they must stay strong and move on. they're willing to face unknown challenges instead of being defeated because life is too good to waste even if its hard at times
    Flag River Wolfon February 27, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the lyric of the song is actually an argument AGAINST the title. Something Gord probably heard before, and decided he didn't agree with.

    It seems that this song is about choice. And how we're forced to make these choices that affect our life, even when we are not "ready" to make these choices. "shaky movements", "improvisational skills", speak about someone who is unsure of themselves. the smoke is clearing and the paths are coming clearer, and he/she must decide.

    gord seems to also be speaking of keeping to the essentials.. "a current health to stay, let's get friendship right, get life day-to-day".. and this might also be about that too "forget yer-skates-dream full of countervailing woes".. and the rest of it.. the next four lines are actually my favorite in the song..

    I think it's all about choice, based on limited information, and made with limited experience.

    kind of reminds of the bridge in "Courage".
    Flag oxejinon February 21, 2006   Link

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