Metric is a Canadian indie rock and New Wave band founded in 1998 in Toronto.^[1] The band has also at various times been based in Montreal, London, New York City and for a short time Los Angeles. Metric consists of vocalist Emily Haines (who also plays the synthesizer and guitar), guitarist James Shaw (who also plays the synthesizer and theremin), bassist Joshua Winstead and drummer Joules Scott-Key.

Their first full-length album, Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?, was released in 2003 and earned a Juno Award nomination for Best Alternative Album. Live It Out was released on October 4, 2005 and was nominated for the 2006 Polaris Music Prize for the Canadian Album of The Year and once again the Juno Award nomination for Best Alternative Album.

The first album the band recorded, Grow Up and Blow Away, was finally released on June 26, 2007 by Last Gang Records. The album was originally recorded for Restless Records, but got neglected when the label was bought out by Rykodisc.

Haines and Shaw also perform with Broken Social Scene, and Haines has been a guest on albums by Stars, KC Accidental, The Stills, Jason Collett and Tiësto. Scott-Key and Winstead have their own side project, Bang Lime, and Haines has released a solo album and companion EP, Knives Don't Have Your Back and What Is Free to a Good Home?, respectively, under the name Emily Haines and the Soft Skeleton.

Their fourth studio album Fantasies was released in Canada and the United States on April 7, 2009.^[2] It was shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize for Canadian Album of the Year, and won the Alternative Album of the Year at the 2010 Juno Awards. Metric won as well in 2010 Group of the Year.

The fifth Metric album, Synthetica, was released on June 12, 2012.^[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_band

Emily Haines (born 25 January 1974 in New Delhi, India)^{[citation needed]} is a Canadian indie rock singer-songwriter. She is the lead singer, keyboardist and co-songwriter of the band Metric and a member of Broken Social Scene. As a solo artist, she performed with her own name and under the moniker Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton.

Born in New Delhi, India,^[1] and raised in Cache Bay, Ontario, Emily Haines grew up as a dual citizen of Canada and United States, the latter after her American-born parents.^[2] She is the daughter of Canadian poet Paul Haines. Her sister is the Canadian television journalist Avery Haines and her brother is Tim Haines, owner of Bluestreak Records in Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.

After settling in Peterborough at the age of three, she grew up in a house rich with experimental art and musical expression. Paul would often make cassettes of rare and eclectic music for his daughter to listen to and her early influences included Carla Bley, Robert Wyatt, and later PJ Harvey. By her teens she followed her parents' footsteps by attending the Etobicoke School of the Arts (ESA) to study drama. There she met Amy Millan and Kevin Drew, with whom she would later collaborate in hHead. Emily also briefly dated Kevin Drew.^[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Haines

I either admire idolize &/or hate Kevin Drew...Who hasn't he focked in BSS..? Goddess bless him. I guess women can just tell he worships them & reward him accordingly.That twinkle in his eye...

He gets what he wants & he gets what he needs. What's good for Em is good for Kev. No?

Live it up or...get thee to a monkerie...!!! [?]

"Help I'm Alive" is the lead single from Canadian rock group Metric's fourth studio album Fantasies. The song was released digitally on December 23, 2008.

***

The song was written by Emily Haines and produced by John O'Mahony. The song was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, being one of the first songs Haines had written in months.

On November 5, 2008, Metric updated their website with a video on how Haines writes a song. The video follows Haines through Argentina on a soul searching journey to find creativity and herself. "The songs that I wrote here were the simplest and clearest writing that I've done in I think in my whole life", said Haines. "Help I'm Alive" was one of the first songs Haines had written in Buenos Aires.^[3]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help_I%27m_Alive

The message? Don't die without having a lot of sex. There's not too much sex when yer dead. Or so I've been led to understand...(Nor is there any really good Chinese food, so...belly up. Life is a cabaret, old or young ...or Jung...comrade...)

PURGE THE PURITAN!!!

Something we've had enough of. Something we don't need anymore. Was it ever really functional to begin with? I'm willing to be flexible here. But unless you are thoroughly sex-aversive for excellent reasons, like having been raped, dosed with some horrible STD, or just find "the act" completely disgusting (& why would you, but for THE PURITAN!!!) just get back way out there, on to yer saddle & into the fray!

Help, I'm Alive

I tremble
They're going to eat me alive
If I stumble
They're going to eat me alive

Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer?
Beating like a hammer? [x2]
Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender

Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Beating like a hammer [x4]

If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart still beats . . .
Beating like a hammer [x2]

Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer
Hard to be soft
Tough to be tender

Come take my pulse, the pace is on a runaway train
Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps
Beating like a hammer [x4]

If you're still alive
My regrets are few
If my life is mine
What shouldn't I do?
I get wherever I'm going
I get whatever I need
While my blood's still flowing
And my heart still beats . . .
Beating like a hammer [x4]

I tremble
They're gonna eat me alive
If I stumble
They're gonna eat me alive

Can you hear my heart beating like a hammer?
Beating like a hammer? [x3]

Help, I'm alive, my heart keeps beating like a hammer . . .

--song written by Emily Haines