They were a self-proclaimed supergroup made up of members that hardly any music fans really knew. The New Pornographers came of age in a time when word-of-mouth, critical darlings could eventually reach a wide audience. Which is a wonderful thing, because it meant wondrous songs like “The Laws Have Changed” received the exposure they deserved.
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Found on their 2003 album Electric Version, “The Laws Have Changed” is as much of a signature song as you can find from this shapeshifting, somewhat loose collective of like-minded musicians. It contains powerfully catchy music, elusive yet unforgettable lyrics, and an undefinable yet unmistakable quality that makes this New Pornographers track so special.
A Slow-Build Band
The members of The New Pornographers mostly came from Canada. Carl Newman essentially founded the band, although fellow songwriter Dan Bejar was also involved in the project from the beginning. Other band members at the start of it all were bassist John Collins and keyboardist Blake Thurier. Their opening album, Mass Romantic, featured two different drummers.
Their secret weapon was American Neko Case, who, at the time of the band’s formation, had already built something of a following in the States as an alt-country singer/songwriter. The band took several years to put together that debut album and drum up enough interest to get it released. When it was unleashed, hardly anyone took notice, at least at first.
But patience paid off. Critics started to rave about the record throughout 2001, to the point where it made several year-end lists and started earning the band bigger exposure through touring and television appearances. By the time they came back for their 2003 record Electric Version, there was a considerable amount of hype for its release.
For the most part, Newman and Bejar (who has since left the band to concentrate on his other project Destroyer) wrote all the material for the New Pornographers separately and without help from co-writers. “The Laws Have Changed” is an exception, as Case received a songwriting credit along with Newman. The way the two trade off on vocals is a big part of the song’s appeal.
While the power pop label has always been a bit too snug to actually contain the breadth of what TNP do as a band, “The Laws Have Changed” certainly fits well into that genre. The crashing hooks are irresistible. The song also reflects Newman’s approach to lyric writing in terms of being concerned about the sound of the words almost as much as the meaning, as he explained to Songwriters on Process:
“Lyrics are the most punishing for me because I always start with the music. It’s very important that the lyrics fit around the melody in a certain way. And that makes lyric writing difficult because I can’t always say what I want to say, or at least it’s very hard to. I have to reword things all the time. It’s like writing haiku. The line has to start with a certain syllable and has to have a certain number of syllables. The last word has to sound a certain way.”
What is the Meaning of “The Laws Have Changed”?
It was crime at the time / But the laws, we changed ’em, Newman begins on “The Laws Have Changed.” The song as a whole seems to reflect the slippery nature of norms and accepted modes of behavior in society, while also taking aim at leaders who can’t quite be trusted. The chanted chorus (Form a line to the throne) suggests a kind of blind devotion to a somewhat questionable head of state or cultural guru.
The Pharaoh on the microphone could be anyone from a president to a pop singer. Those in the huddled masses face their fates blindly: What’ll be revealed today / When we peer into the great unknown / From the line to the throne? As the song progresses, Newman suggests the last shall be first sooner than later: It remains to be seen / How well you can play / When the pawn takes a queen now.
“The Laws Have Changed” delivered the same kind of invigorating jolt as the songs on Mass Romantic, proving The New Pornographers’ formula was indeed repeatable and not just a one-time thing. Now nine albums into their career, this somewhat loose project has solidified into one of the best bands of the era.
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