![]() Disc One (2001) [ larger cover art ] |
When I was born, they looked at me and said,
"What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy."
And when you were born, they looked at you and said,
"What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl."
We've got these chains hanging around our necks
People wanna strangle us with them before we take our first breath
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same
When temptation calls, we just look away
This name is the hairshirt I wear
And this hairshirt is woven from your brown hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight
I know that it isn't right...
But be with me tonight
I go to school, I write exams
If I pass, if I fail, if I drop out does anyone give a damn?
And if they do, they'll soon forget
'Cause it won't take much from me to show my life ain't over yet
I wake up scared, I wake up strange
I wake up wondering if anything in my life is ever gonna change
I wake up scared, I wake up strange
And everything around me stays the same
It's the hairshirt I wear
And this hairshirt is woven from, it's woven from, your brown hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight
I know that it isn't right...
But be with me tonight
I couldn't tell you that I was wrong
Chickened out, grabbed a pen and a paper, sat down and I wrote this song
I couldn't tell you that you were right
So instead I looked in the mirror, I watched TV, laid awake all night
We've got these chains hanging around our necks
People wanna strangle us with them before we take our first breath
Afraid of change, afraid of staying the same
When temptation calls...
This name is the hairshirt I wear
And this hairshirt is woven from, it's woven from, it's woven from hair
This song is the cross that I bear
Bear with me, bear with me, bear with me
Be with me tonight
And when I was born, they looked at me and said,
"What a good boy, what a smart boy, what a strong boy."
When you were born, they looked at you and said,
"What a good girl, what a smart girl, what a pretty girl."
| drekar (The United Republic of Boulder, CO) | Posted: Jul 26, 2010 - 13:16 Wow. that was painful. |
| Photo-John (Nor Cal to SLC) | Posted: Jul 26, 2010 - 13:16 mattcol99 wrote: The best live band Ive seen - they are really good fun That's sad. |
| Photo-John (Nor Cal to SLC) | Posted: Jul 26, 2010 - 13:15 Mute |
| (former member) | Posted: Jul 26, 2010 - 13:13 You want to team this up with Liz Phair's "Canary" |
| calypsus_1 | Posted: May 25, 2010 - 18:34 ![]() Play It Kevin by ~TraCooCoo Tracy ©2005-2010 ~TraCooCoo Steve, Kevin, Ed and Jim in London, Ontario - November 26, 2005. Picture taken from the first row. |
| phineas | Posted: Nov 15, 2009 - 17:25 Very talented musicians, actually — sadly 'misunderstood' by many who see them only as a goofball band. And even something like 1,000,000 Dollars is a bit of social commentary. They're a great band live, as well. |
| Hannio (Austin, TX) | Posted: Oct 15, 2009 - 06:09 Geecheeboy wrote: Probably the false advertising. That is exactly right. So much promised in the name, so little delivered. |
| blackdogsailing (Portland, Maine) | Posted: Sep 13, 2009 - 16:58 I can't believe you guys! This song made my hair stand on end and I had to comment for the first time in over a year. More BNL! |
| wrangler (swamps of jersey) | Posted: Apr 08, 2009 - 10:58 this is terrible. bad bad bad |
| lovemydog | Posted: Apr 08, 2009 - 10:58 Everyone can shut up-the band is fantastic and great fun live. It's refreshing to hear intelligent lyrics and fine intrument playing in this day of Auto-tune. Love them. |
| bcdawgfather (Paradise North, Vancouver, BC) | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 09:01 daveesh wrote: last night eric gagne surpassed this band as the worst canadian export ever. i personally believe it is toss up between Brian Adams or Celine Dion. |
| aelfheld | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 09:00 Except for one or two songs - I'm sure they'll come to me in a moment - Barenaked Ladies is an exemplar of mediocrity. |
| SuzenJueL (Minneapolis) | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 08:59 he really sounds like he's STRAINING on this song.....no likey ![]() |
| thatch (Shhh....at work....) | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 08:58 I cannot get past the thought that something needs to be extracted from his throat to make his voice sound normal again. |
| coolpeople_rule | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 08:56 Papernapkin wrote: While I'm a fan of naked ladies, I find this band unbearable. I agree! |
| randomprime | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 08:56 Their live album Rock Spectacle is awesome. I'm not so fond of their studio albums. I'm pretty sure this version of this song is on Rock Spectacle. |
| mattcol99 (Bath, England, beneath Solsbury Hill) | Posted: Feb 04, 2009 - 08:55 The best live band Ive seen - they are really good fun |
| rtrudeau (Bay Area, California) | Posted: Nov 01, 2008 - 16:50 This is kind of ... dated. For me anyway. I thought BNL were the coolest 'bout four years ago; now not so much. |
| Papernapkin (Mountain View, CA) | Posted: Nov 01, 2008 - 16:49 While I'm a fan of naked ladies, I find this band unbearable. |
| smadanayr (Anglesey U.K.) | Posted: Oct 01, 2008 - 02:05 This is bloody awful |
| Neil66 | Posted: Jun 28, 2008 - 07:59 |
| Baby_M (a 100-year old building in downtown Akron, Ohio) | Posted: Jun 28, 2008 - 07:59 This name is the hairshirt I wear, And this hairshirt is woven from your brown hair. These lyrics are just phenomenal. |
| big_gare (Cloverdale, BeeCee, Canada) | Posted: May 27, 2008 - 21:25 Steve Paige is surely the most unlikely of performers. But OMFG, what a voice and what a great live performer he is. The BNLs are a Canadian treasure, for sure! Love the BNLs! |
| FlatCat (Chicago) | Posted: Feb 23, 2008 - 10:06 Somebody with my password rated this song a 1 some time ago. I changed it. I kinda like it now. |
| planet_lizard (Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy) | Posted: Feb 23, 2008 - 10:01 ouch - please stop... |
| coolpeople_rule | Posted: Jan 22, 2008 - 23:57 Bill would not play this song if he did not know what he is doing. It actually is a good song...as it stands, alone. |
| Arowana | Posted: Dec 22, 2007 - 12:47 This song do not belong to RP |
| agnes (the land of bourbon and horses) | Posted: Dec 22, 2007 - 12:46 Wow. Dude's REALLY flat. |
| dogpound (the island on which I belong) | Posted: Oct 20, 2007 - 17:20 mongoose01ca wrote: BNL = 1
That is all. fixed |
| Geecheeboy (under a crescent moon and palmetto tree) | Posted: Oct 20, 2007 - 17:19 Photo-John wrote: Why do I dislike this band so much? I can't figure it out. But they annoy the hell out of me. Probably the false advertising. |
| crinky (New England) | Posted: Sep 19, 2007 - 07:52 daveesh wrote: last night eric gagne surpassed this band as the worst canadian export ever.
|
| EssexTex (London) | Posted: Sep 19, 2007 - 07:49 me no like |
| daveesh (birthplace of the american revolution) | Posted: Sep 19, 2007 - 07:48 last night eric gagne surpassed this band as the worst canadian export ever. |
| gabbadar | Posted: Jul 18, 2007 - 10:02 These guys are so much better when they're not doing One Week, It's All Been Done, or If I Had $1,000,000 (Brian Wilson almost makes that list). |
| 300BaudAcoustic (Wet Coast of Canada) | Posted: Jul 18, 2007 - 10:01 Decent song in its original album version, but this slowed-down version just sucks all the life and energy out of it. |
| wally42 (Between a Rock and a Hard Place) | Posted: Jul 18, 2007 - 10:00 mongoose01ca wrote: BNL = 10
That is all. YUP You really have to listen to this band deeper to see why they have to been around so long. |
| On_The_Beach (Vancouver, Canada) | Posted: May 16, 2007 - 16:19 Never understood the popularity (or longevity) of this band. Just not my cuppa tea, I guess. |
| mongoose01ca (Terminal City, BC) | Posted: May 16, 2007 - 16:18 BNL = 10 That is all. |
| Photo-John (Nor Cal to SLC) | Posted: May 16, 2007 - 16:15 Hannio wrote: You're telling me this was before they sold out? They must really suck now. That's funny. |
| Photo-John (Nor Cal to SLC) | Posted: May 16, 2007 - 16:14 Why do I dislike this band so much? I can't figure it out. But they annoy the hell out of me. |
| TH | Posted: Apr 15, 2007 - 04:20 Great song... Heard it the first time when a student colleague of mine (a Canadian lady, fully dressed, though) sang it with guitar accompaniment. It takes a strong song to work well in such intimate and "bare" circumstances. The "original" is of course great, too. |
| wishlist (NC) | Posted: Mar 14, 2007 - 22:15 If these lyrics don't do anything for you other than say "bar band" and "what an annoying voice" I think you may be too hip and sarcastic for the world. |
| helene | Posted: Feb 27, 2007 - 06:29 daveesh wrote: dork rock
Yeah -- love it! |
| Ag3nt0rang3 | Posted: Feb 27, 2007 - 06:21 nuggler wrote: First time I'm hearing these chicks. Thought they'd be Chicks but they're not...?
Here, fixed that for ya. |
| Hannio (Austin, TX) | Posted: Feb 27, 2007 - 06:15 LorraineV1 wrote: LOVE this song. I agree that the BNL were so much better before they sold out to Americans. Canadian artists need to stick with their quirkiness and realness- it works!
You're telling me this was before they sold out? They must really suck now. |
| theridgeweb (Magalia, CA ------ Just above Paradise) | Posted: Feb 11, 2007 - 16:41 Great naked Ladies ! |
| Uncle_Remus (Hobart, Indiana) | Posted: Dec 15, 2006 - 09:30 I once had the pleasure of seeing this band live. We were about center stage, maybe 5 rows back in an open air venue on a warm summer night. It might of been the best night of my life. They really do play to the crowd. |
| LorraineV1 | Posted: Dec 15, 2006 - 09:16 LOVE this song. I agree that the BNL were so much better before they sold out to Americans. Canadian artists need to stick with their quirkiness and realness- it works! |
| nuggler (Oz via Good Hope) | Posted: Dec 15, 2006 - 09:07 First time I'm hearing these chicks. Thought they'd be Hot but they're not...? |
| enidualc (NY) | Posted: Nov 30, 2006 - 18:50 not really a fan of BNL, but holy crap this song is really good, glad i actually listened to the words, love those desperate lyrics. |



ouch - please stop...