Section 4: The Songs - References

4.1 - What city is Hello City about?
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (The Palace and The Warehouse are bars in Halifax; Barrington Street is one of the main downtown streets.) The first time they played Halifax, the band had a bad time, saying that there was nothing to do there but drink. They no longer hate the city. It's well explained in PSPS.

4.2 - Who is Enid?
"Enid" was inspired by Enid Leger, a former waitress at Spanky's Pub in Moncton, NB. While visiting the pub, BNL thought it interesting that "Enid" spelled backwards was "dine". The song is not about her in any way. She simply inspired the song title.
(Thanx to Enid Leger for the update... [on the original FAQ])

4.3 - Who is Jane Saint Clair?
Once, when Stephen Duffy was looking at a map of Toronto, he said that the corner of Jane and St. Clair (an intersection in Toronto) must be the most beautiful street corner, and Steve didn't have the heart to tell him his wasn't, so they decided to write their next song about Jane St. Clair.

4.4 - Who is Brian Wilson?
Brian Wilson is a song about a member of the classic rock and roll group, the Beach Boys. Wilson had an emotional breakdown. Dr. Eugene Landy was his psychiatrist who took advantage of him. He indeed had a sandbox in his living room (though I believe he played piano in it, not guitar). Fun, Fun, Fun is a Beach Boys song, and Smiley Smile is a Beach Boys Album.

4.5 - Is Straw Hat and Old Dirty Hank about Anne Murray?
Not quite. The song tells the story of a man stalking a singer, told from the stalker's point of view. BNL says that the song was inspired by a similar event that happened to Canadian singer Anne Murray, though the song is not specifically about her. Note that one of the verses contains lyrics based on Anne Murray's songs You Needed Me and Snowbird.

4.6 - What are the specific references in One Week?
"[Chickity China the Chinese Chicken] is a reference to Chickity Chaco, the Chocolate chicken as said by Busta Rhymes in the Tribe Called Quest song "Scenario" But it is also a reference to the Hong Kong Chickens which were contaminated and all had to be killed." - Steve, yahoo chat, 1999

"Birchmont Stadium, home of the Robbie" refers to a soccer stadium in Toronto home of the 'Toronto Robbie' soccer tournament. The line previous to this one states "It'll still be two days till we say wasabi" contrary to what is commonly believed to be a repeat of 'we're sorry' from the previous line.

This site contains a relatively complete list of all the slang and pop culture references in One Week, so I won't go into them all.

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