Story Behind The Song
This song was written at the beginning of a love relationship, when you're going through your history for the benefit of your new love, and you begin to take stock, and gain perspective. The hook came first, and there happened to be a four track lying around that I could play off the hook with.
Song Description
St. Malo, France is the port from which Jacques Cartier sailed to discover Canada - so the song becomes a metaphor for Canadian unity.
Song Length |
3:56 |
Genre |
Pop - Alternative, Folk - Rock |
Tempo |
Fast (151 - 170) |
Lead Vocal |
Male Vocal |
Mood |
Cheerful, Affable |
Subject |
Regret, Country, Nation |
Similar Artists |
Barenaked Ladies, Crowded House |
Language |
English |
Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
Back when I was a naïve fifteen,
I set sail for a town but a swim from the Queen.
Tell me who coulda known on the train from Paris,
What a fool one could seem to put milk in their tea.
I said, ?Why can?t I seem to get it right?
Oh, and I invite pain - I?ll wait ?til dawn again.?
Well it was twenty odd days when I found me a girl,
But my pride would not let me subscribe to her curls.
When I saw my mistake I?d awoke much too late,
For the girl had too much of my pride and my hate.
I?m goin? on back to St. Malo,
I?m gonna stand on the beach and cleanse my soul,
While I think of the days when I was so cold,
Yeah but those days are gone, and so I wrote you a song-
Oh St. Malo.
Before long I could see that my boat had been sunk,
I got drunk I got tired I got sick I got punched.
All the hate I?d acquired that seemed right was insane,
And I almost jumped out of my window in shame.
Well I started to smoke, before long I was hooked,
And there?s a girl named Sandrine I just plain overlooked.
I was home in my bed when I saw what I?d done,
But a few thousand miles shouldn?t stop anyone.