Today’s song about writing comes from my favorite Canadian band, The Weakerthans. Anchorless is off of their debut record, Fallow, which came out in 1997. Actually, it was originally on Propagandhi’s Less Talk, More Rock record, but John K. Samson re-recorded it with the Weakerthans, which I like better. Samson, by the way, is one of the best lyricists out there right now. This song references English writer P.G. Wodehouse, best known for his Jeeves and Wooster stories. To be completely honest, I’ve never read any of his works, although I absolutely loved the television adaptation of J&W starring the genius team of Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie.

They called here to tell me that your’re finally dying, through a veil of childish cries.
Southern Manitoba prairie’s pulling at the pant leg of your bad disguise.
So why were you so anchorless?
Shoebox full of photos; found a grainy mirror.
Sunken cheeks and slender hands.
Grocery lists and carbon-copied letters offer silence for my small demands.
Hey how’d you get so anchorless?
Got an armchair from your family home.
Got your P.G. Wodehouse novels, and your telephone.
Got your plates and stainless steel.
Got that way of never saying what you really feel: so anchorless.
A boat abandoned in some backyard.
Anchorless in the small town that you lived and died in.