Harmer gained her first exposure to the musician's lifestyle as a teenager, when her older sister Mary started taking her to concerts by the then-unknown The Tragically Hip. At the age of 17, she was invited to join a Toronto band, The Saddletramps. For three years, she juggled The Saddletramps with her studies in philosophy and women's studies at Queen's University.
After leaving The Saddletramps, Harmer put together a band of her own with several Kingston, Ontario musicians, and settled on the name Weeping Tile. The band released its first independent cassette in 1994. Soon afterward, they signed to a major label, and the cassette was re-released in 1995 as eepee. The band quickly became a popular draw on the rock club circuit and on campus radio with their subsequent albums, but never broke through to the mainstream, and broke up in 1998 after being dropped from their label.
Also in 1998, Harmer recorded a set of pop standards as a Christmas gift for her father. After hearing it, her friends and family convinced her to release it as an album, and in 1999 she released it independently as Songs for Clem. Harmer quickly began working on another album, and in 2000, she released You Were Here.
A poppier, more laid-back effort than her work with Weeping Tile, You Were Here became Harmer's mainstream breakthrough, spawning the hits "Basement Apartment" and "Don't Get Your Back Up". The album also appeared on many critics' year-end lists, including TIME magazine, which called it the year's best debut album. It was eventually certified platinum for sales of 100,000 copies in Canada. Almost half of the album (including both of its major hits) consisted of songs she had previously recorded with Weeping Tile or The Saddletramps.
In 2004, she released All of Our Names. The album included the singles "Almost", which made the top 20 on Canadian pop charts, and "Pendulums". The album has a rustic earthy live-of-the-floor sound with some of the instrumentation, programming pre-production recording conducted in her home Northeast of Kingston, Ontario. The album was co-produced by Gavin Brown [Metric, Billy Talent, The Tragically Hip,]
Her fourth album, I'm A Mountain, was released in Canada on November 8, 2005. Sarah has performed and canvased in support of the NDP and Marilyn Churley, her friend in the fight for the protection of the Niagara Escarpment. The album states that it has been: "Engineered, mixed and produced by Sarah Harmer and Martin Davis Kinack at her house."
In 2010, Sarah released her fifth release, Oh Little Fire, which was co-produced by Gavin Brown, who assisted with her earlier All Our Names and features Neko Case on guest vocals.
Sarah, during her five year break between her last two recordings, appeared as a guest vocalist on other artists' albums, including Blue Rodeo, Neko Case, Bruce Cockburn, Great Big Sea, Rheostatics, The Skydiggers and The Weakerthans.
Discography
1999 - Songs for Clem
2000 - You Were Here
2004 - All of Our Names
2005 - I'm A Mountain
2010 - Oh Little Fire
Oleander
Sarah Harmer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Will you bloom again this spring?
I adored you, then I ignored you
And now to me you're everything
And those white blossoms that you gave freely
Are now just twinkles in your eye
Oh beholder, Oleander
She will forgive me for I bring water
A sunny window to sit by
Oleander, I understand her
She's just waiting for the time
To say it's alright
Another season
Has brought us another chance
We're together, in this hot weather
To dance
Oleander
I think you'd better
I think you made it through another winter
Well nothing has ended, it's all been mended
It's the way that it should be
You're coming back, you're coming back
It was so lonely here just me
This time no promises of what's to come
We'll just live it for the day
Oleander, I see you stand there and I know you'll be okay
Oleander
I think you'd better
I think you made it through another winter
Oleander
I think you'd better
I think you made it trough another winter
The song "Oleander" by Sarah Harmer is a beautiful ode to a potted plant, and simultaneously a meditation on forgiveness and second chances. At the beginning of the song, Harmer wonders whether the plant will bloom again in the spring, having previously loved and then ignored it. As she gazes at the plant's white blossoms, she imagines that the Oleander is forgiving her for her neglect. She has brought water and sunlight to the plant, and imagines that it is just waiting for the right moment to tell her that everything is alright.
As the song continues, Harmer reflects on how she and the Oleander have been mended, and how they are together again after a lonely winter. She acknowledges that there are no promises for the future, yet she is content to be living in the present moment. The repetition of the line "I think you'd better / I think you made it through another winter" serves as a reminder that both Harmer and the Oleander have survived the harshness of winter and can look forward to new growth in the spring.
Line by Line Meaning
Oleander, Oleander
Addressing the plant Oleander twice as a means of establishing a connection to it.
Will you bloom again this spring?
Asking a question about the possibility of the Oleander plant blooming again in the upcoming season.
I adored you, then I ignored you
Acknowledging that the singer once loved and appreciated the Oleander plant, but over time stopped paying attention to it.
And now to me you're everything
Realizing the significance of the Oleander plant in the artist's life and how it has become an important part of their world.
And those white blossoms that you gave freely
Recalling the beauty of the Oleander plant's white flowers that were once abundant.
Are now just twinkles in your eye
Noticing that the flowers are now rare and scarce, signified by the twinkle in the Oleander plant's eye.
Oh beholder, Oleander
Addressing the plant again, but with the added title of 'beholder' to emphasize the importance and significance of the Oleander plant.
Grows on the inside
Implying that the Oleander plant's growth is not only physical, but also internal and emotional, growing in the artist's heart and mind.
She will forgive me for I bring water
Believing that the Oleander plant will forgive the artist for neglecting it, since they are now providing it with water and nutrients.
A sunny window to sit by
Providing a comfortable and warm environment for the Oleander plant to grow and thrive in.
Oleander, I understand her
Reinforcing the singer's emotional connection to the Oleander plant, and how they have come to understand it.
She's just waiting for the time
Personifying the Oleander plant, and believing that it is patiently waiting for the right moment to grow and bloom.
To say it's alright
Suggesting that once the Oleander plant blooms and thrives, it will signify that everything is alright.
Another season
Referring to the upcoming season, which will bring new growth and opportunities for the Oleander plant.
Has brought us another chance
Acknowledging that each new season brings a new opportunity for the Oleander plant to thrive and bloom.
We're together, in this hot weather
Expressing a sense of unity and togetherness between the artist and the Oleander plant during warm weather.
To dance
Metaphorically referring to the joy that comes from watching the Oleander plant grow and thrive.
I think you'd better
Believing that the Oleander plant has successfully made it through another winter.
I think you made it through another winter
Reaffirming the belief that the Oleander plant has successfully survived the harsh winter months and is ready to bloom again in the upcoming season.
Well nothing has ended, it's all been mended
Suggesting that despite the artist's neglect, nothing has been permanently damaged, and everything has been repaired and restored.
It's the way that it should be
Implying that the artist has come to accept that the growth of the Oleander plant is natural and follows its own course, and that the way things are is the way they should be.
You're coming back, you're coming back
Anticipating the return of the Oleander plant and its blooms in the near future.
It was so lonely here just me
Reflecting on the singer's experience of loneliness and longing for the company of the Oleander plant during its absence.
This time no promises of what's to come
Accepting that the growth and blooming of the Oleander plant is unpredictable and cannot be guaranteed.
We'll just live it for the day
Proposing a mindset of living in the present and taking things one day at a time, especially in relation to the Oleander plant's growth.
Oleander, I see you stand there and I know you'll be okay
Expressing a sense of reassurance and confidence in the Oleander plant's ability to survive and thrive, despite the challenges it may face.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Sarah Harmer
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind