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Canary in the Coal Mine

by Dave Robertson & The Kiss List

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about

What do Greta Thunberg, Scott Morrison, Tom Robbins, Prince and Stevie Nicks have in common? They’ve all influenced Dave Robertson & The Kiss List’s new single.

Canary in the Coal Mine is a thought-provoking tale of our apocalyptic times. It traverses our changing climate, Australia’s fossil-fool leadership and beliefs that may not be compatible with actually wanting to save the living world. This idea was explored in Tom Robbin’s novel Skinny Legs and All, published in 1990 but sadly as relevant today.

The “purple rain” lyric is a nod to the Prince song, about which he said "When there's blood in the sky – red and blue = purple... purple rain pertains to the end of the world". He originally wrote it as a country song to perform with Stevie Nicks, and Dave was incidentally going for a 1970s Fleetwood Mac vibe with this single. The understated sonics of Canary in the Coal Mine mirror the dream-like state we’re in, with the swelling drums at the end symbolising hope that the school strike for climate movement will help shake us to our senses.

lyrics

Lyrics:
Jacaranda leaves a pretty mess
In November, blooming at its best
Now emerging early, pre-emptive purple rain
The bookends of its glory are starting now to change
It doesn’t help that...

There’s a happy clapper on the hill
Who waves a lump around his head
While the canary in the coal mine where it came from
Is well and truly dead

Would I be forgiven to think he has a plan
To bring on Armageddon as soon as he can?
Can he value living if he thinks he’ll never die?
That this life's just a trial. A resort’s waiting in the sky
Meanwhile down here…

He’s a happy clapper on the hill
Who waves a lump around his head
While the canary in the coal mine where it came from
Is well and truly dead

To focus on heaven is to create a hell
For the meek to inherit unless they rebel

There’s children chanting on the hill
With placards raised above their heads
While the silence in the classroom they all came from
Echoes their inheritance
While the silence in the classroom they all came from
Echoes their inheritance
Echoes their inheritance
Echoes their inheritance

Happy clapper leaves an awful mess

credits

released October 23, 2020
Musician credits:
Dave Robertson – lead vocals & acoustic guitars
Rob Findlay – electric guitar
Rachel Armstrong - violin & backing vocals
Tore Pedersen – bass guitar
Merle Fyshwick – drums

Sound credits:
Drums, bass and initial acoustic guitar were recorded at Hopping Mouse Studios. The remainder of the song was recorded and mixed by Dave in his home studio. Mastered by William Bowden @ King Willy Sound.

Other credits:
Donald Viol sketched the canary in the cage. Cath Viol provided all round support. This song was produced on Noongar land.

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Dave Robertson & The Kiss List Fremantle, Australia

Dave Robertson loves concocting lyrics that are cheeky and deadly serious in equal measures. The Kiss List bring a playful element to his songs. Rachel Armstrong warms the cockles with violin and mandolin, Tore Pedersen slips in some seriously slinky bass lines, Merle “alt-folk professor” Fyshwick gets behind the skins and Rob Findlay adds a pop/rock sensibility with tasty licks of electric guitar ... more

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