About This Song
I almost didn’t release Silence. I worried it didn’t “sound” like my usual songs. But I needed a song for the 2017 CBC Searchlight competition and Silence was just sitting on my hard drive, alone and unreleased. I didn’t have time to record anything new so I decided to release Silence and submit it to the contest.
CBC Searchlight required a music video with the artist showing their face— which gave me the idea of dancing in the winter along the Beltline Trail (you wouldn’t know it— but this is just a few blocks away from downtown Toronto). It was in the middle of winter and freezing— between each take I would throw on my winter jacket and hat to warm up :)
I didn’t win the contest but Silence did turn out to be one of my most popular songs— with over 500,000 plays since it’s release. It’s taught me that I can’t predict which songs people will like. It’s better if I just make the music, release it and see what happens.
Silence was written while I was dating my now-wife. At the time we were trying to figure out what we wanted our relationship to be and the song is meant to be encouraging— trying to reassure and fortify my wife and myself.
Lyrics
Whatever makes you hopeful
Whatever keeps you fine
Stow it away in boxes
In the basement of your mind
Whatever holds you upright
Whatever keeps you fine
Stow it away in boxes
In the forest of your heart
Time is meant to be spent
Not stored or slept away
So give up on your silence
Don’t hold it to yourself
Whatever makes you hopeful
Whatever keeps you fine
Stow it away in boxes
In the forest of your heart
I got a room full of your love
I got a heart that won’t go
You got soul in your eyes
That no else knows
The worlds gonna talk
Run mouths like they do
But we’re quiet spring
Before summer’s change
I wanna hallucinate
I wanna put anchors down
I wanna swim in your shores
Raise a love from sacred souls
You got a light that won’t dim
Though it flickers in the wind
And if you need time to think
We can always start again
When we say silence grows
It’s got a life of its own
It fills up the world
Until there’s no place called home
We could fly if you wanted to we could go
If you need me to go
Whatever makes you hopeful
Whatever keeps you fine
Stow it away in boxes
In the forest of your heart
Whatever makes you hopeful
Whatever keeps you fine
Stow it away in boxes
In the forest of your heart