blathering nonsense (about) lyrics

Today is the first Tuesday in more than a decade and a half  that the Barenaked Ladies have released a new album and I don't have it added to my collection before day's end.  Seriously, new-album-release-days have always been marked in my calendar and counted down to for days ahead of time.  This time?  Meh.  I knew the now-downsized BNL quartet was releasing All in Good Time in the U.S. today, but I've had a nagging feeling about buying it.  Well, besides the nagging feeling that without the vocal stylings of Steven Page, the songs would be sorely lacking for my taste, was also the uncomfortable sensation that came over me when I heard the song that they chose as the album's first solo release.  "You Run Away" appears to be a not-at-all-veiled ode to the departure of Mr. Page from the group, and while it is musically beautiful, I can't help but feel dirty listening to it.

Album: All in Good Time
Year of Release: 2010
Song: You Run Away
Words and Music by: Ed Robertson

You run away
You could turn and stay
But you run away from me


I tried to be your brother
You cried and ran for cover
I made a mess, who doesn’t
I did my best but it wasn’t enough


You run away
You could turn and stay
But you run away from me


I’ll give you something can cry about
One thing you should try it out
Hold a mirror shoulder high
When you’re older look you in the eye
When you’re older look you in the eye


I tried but you tried harder
I lied but you lied smarter
You made me guess who was it
I did my best but it wasn’t enough


OOOOHHHHHHHOOOHHH


You run away
You could turn and stay
But you run away from me


You run away (I tried to be your brother)
You could turn and stay (You cried and ran for cover)
But you run away from me (I made a mess, who doesn’t, I did my best but it wasn’t enough)


But that’s not something to cry about (crrryyyy!)
It’s not something to lie about


You run away (I tried to be your brother)
You could turn and stay (You cried and ran for cover)
But you run away from me (I made a mess, who doesn’t, I did my best but it wasn’t enough)

Okay.  I get it.  You're artists and you've apparently had a rough few years and you express yourselves through your music, but I'm a fan and I feel like a big old traitor to my favorite individual singer in the world if I enjoy this song, or hell if I even listen to it.   I don't know.  Only the five of them know the true story of their decades as a group and their ups and downs and the eventual downfall of that relationship, so it's pointless to speculate what happened and yada yada yada.

But really?  This is the song that they opted to make their first release off their first album since they became a foursome.  REALLY?  It's hard to read the online chatter about things that have been said in interviews and shows from either side- because really, that's how it feels now, like my friends have gotten a divorce and I need to choose a side.  (My they-don't-know-me-but-I-love-them musical friends.  Sure, I'm a dork.)  Steven Page tweeted about how the song hurt him, and I just feel like there must have been a better song choice on the album for a first release.  Or like hubby said, "They should have done like Metallica and gone into therapy."  My hubby is so very wise, even if his musical taste is abhorrent. 


Not ordering any albums today,