Sun in an Empty Room

sun in an empty room is also a painting by edward hopper, who jks seems to be into on given his reference to him in hospital vespers.

the painting is a really great image to go with the song.

I think that the first verse is all about returning furniture, packing up dishes, last week's paper, and packing up their unending wars because they're done with eachother. Their fingerprints smeared on all the doors they slammed shut when they were mad at each other, or leaving angry. The line "Last month's rent is scheming with the damage deposit," I think, is about getting their damage deposit back because they are, in fact, moving out.

"Take this moment to decide, if we were meant to if we tried, felt around for far too much, from things that accidentally touch", to me, seems to mean that they were looking for too much in a relationship that they got into out of random chance, and that they were feeling around for far too much, or far more than was possible between them.

The second verse, I think, is about things we as humans do by accident, and are way more awkward to us than they should be for some reason. Bumping shoulders with someone on the subway or bus, kicking them under the table, or your eyes meeting in public when they catch you staring (The faces we meet in one awkward beat too long and terrified).

And I think the second chorus is all about running out of things to say to the person you're dating. I know I've been there before, having nothing left to say but small talk because you've already said everything. "Know the things we need to say are already said anyway." I think the other two lines in it are in reference to the painting by Edward Hopper, look it up on Google image search.

And, on the last chorus, you're right. The Earth is, at its closest, 91 million miles from the Sun, at its furthest 94.5 million miles. It takes a time of 8.3 minutes for light from the Sun to reach us here at the Earth, and I think the line is referring to him watching the shadow slowly move across the floor as, every 8.3 minutes, new light hits the floor and moves it slightly, across a room that's been left empty of furniture and memories, as no one lives there anymore.

This song is inspired by an edward hopper painting (there's a reference to hopper in the song hospital vespers off reconstruction site). Hopper often claimed he loved to paint shadows and the reflection of sunlight on buildings. Check google images for a picture of the painting of the same name as this song - some of the references, such as those to parralelograms (sic) make more sense. Hopper liked to convey the loneliness and impersonal sense of urban scenes, and this song has remained true to the feeling of the painting. Samson is a welcome anomaly in modern music! Love it!

Just to expand on that, Night Windows is also an Edward Hopper painting :)

I skipped a few posts. So will say "sorry" if I am echoing another's comments. BUT; I always thought it said "dishes in last week's paper...". Everybody else seems to think if is "and" rather than "in". Also, I think other people may be reading too much into the following line about prints on the door pulled shut.

To me it is saying packing up their dishes in last week's paper (as to not break them when moving). And their prints are smeared on the doors due to the ink smudges on their hands from handling the newpaper.

The funny thing is that the lyrics to all weakerthans songs are on their website, and the lyrics here have several mistakes in them. These are the official lyrics: Now that the furniture's returning to its Goodwill home, with dishes in last week's papers–rumours and elections, crosswords, an unending war–that blacken our fingers, smear their prints on every door pulled shut. Now that the last month's rent is scheming with the damage deposit, take this moment to decide if we meant it, if we tried, or felt around for far too much from things that accidentally touched. The hands that we nearly hold with pennies for the GST, the shoulders we lean our shoulders into on the subway, mutter an apology. The shins that we kick beneath the table, that reflexive cry. The faces we meet one awkward beat too long and terrify, know that the things we need to say have been said already anyway, by parallelograms of light on walls that we repainted white. So take eight minutes and divide by ninety million lonely miles, and watch a shadow cross the floor. We don't live here anymore.

Now that the furniture's returning to its goodwill home, With dishes in last week's paper, Rumors and elections, Crosswords, an unending war- That blacken our fingers, smear their prints on every door pulled shut; Now that the last month's rent is scheming with the damage deposit

Take this moment to decide (sun in an empty room) If we meant it, if we tried (sun in an empty room) Or felt around for far too much (sun in an empty room) From things that accidentally touched (sun in an empty room)

Hands that we nearly hold with pennies for the GST, The shoulders we lean our shoulders into on the subway, mutter an apology, The shins that we kick beneath the table, that reflexive cry, The faces we meet one awkward beat too long and terrify,

Know that the things we need to say (sun in an empty room) Have been said already anyway (sun in an empty room) By parallelograms of light (sun in an empty room) On walls that we repainted white (sun in an empty room)

Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room Sun in an empty room

So take eight minutes and divide (sun in an empty room) By ninety million lonely miles (sun in an empty room) And watch a shadow cross the floor (sun in an empty room) We don't live here anymore (sun in an empty room)

cannot wait for the new album, this song "night windows" and "civil twilight" all sound incredible

i think this is my favorite of the new weakerthans songs. i just moved from my apartment so i can relate to the mood of this song. it's such a weird feeling to just up and leave a place that you've made so many memories.

the one line that just captures it for me is "watch the shadow cross the floor, we don't live here anymore". i don't know why, but the way he sings the words, they just sound so tragic and moving.

The (????) line should be: "The black on our fingers smeared the ink on every door pulled shut" I think it ties in with the crosswords line above it. When you are mad at the person you live with, there is not much to do. You don't want to watch TV. You'd be in the same room. So you do crosswords.
At first, I thought this song was about moving homes, but now I think its more about breaking up with a live-in girlfriend/boyfriend. The first verse I think has to do with the living stituation, where things are going downhill and they are deciding to end it or whatever "we were meant to if we tried". And I think the second verse describes how lonely the speaker is once they have moved out, seeing people on the subway, and seeing their ex breifly in a public place.
In the rooms that used to be full of life, there is only sun. Maybe it takes like eight minutes for the sunlight to reach earth from ninety million miles away?