He was a member of the London Town Criers during the 1960s and subsequently joined Montreal band The Prodigal Sons. Prior to beginning his solo career, he was based in Victoria working with various artists, including Blake Emmons.
Valdy is the winner of two Juno Awards for Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year, and has received seven additional Juno nominations. His fourteen albums have achieved sales of nearly half a million copies, four of which are certified gold. Of Canadian folk artists in the mid-1970s, only Gordon Lightfoot was more popular.
Valdy also appeared on the CBC TV show The Beachcombers as the environmental activist "Halibut" Stu.
Valdy lives on Saltspring Island in British Columbia with his wife Kathleen. His daughter, Chelah Horsdal, is an actress.
His live albums include 'Family Gathering' (A&M) recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto for 1974 release, and 2003's 'Viva Valdy: Live at Last (Rack-On-Tour)'.
Valdy is much in demand on the touring circuit and on any given night, is playing to a packed concert house somewhere - performing some 250 to 300 show dates a year - while he continues writing and recording.
"Few performers are capable of achieving the kind of energy he generates on stage." - Globe and Mail
".....name probably doesn't ring a bell with most Americans, but in Canada this singer and guitarist is a legend." - Anchorage Times
".....unquestionably the most public performer in Canada today, and the most loved." - Macleans
"Valdy is regarded as one of Canada's most distinctive and successful minstrels." - Humber Log
"One of the best evenings of entertainment Confederation Centre has ever seen....a man of formidable talents." Charlottetown Evening Patriot
"Valdy remains one of the country's purest and most credible storytellers." Toronto Star
"He's a master of country, folk, rock and blues, and the catch is that whatever the sound, people know that Valdy is sincere." Saskatoon Star Phoenix
"Valdy's show is a disarming and practical blend of respect for the audience and show business expertise." Edmonton Journal
"Valdy elicited a genuinely warm standing ovation, the real kind, where the applause continues long after the encore is assured." - Winnipeg Free Press
You can visit Valdy's website for more information at his official home page - www.valdy.com
Peter & Lou
Valdy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On winter's frozen lake
Circling around all their friends
Laughing wherever they went.
They're catching the mornin' plane
And sendin' the rest by train,
Hangin' their skates on the wall
Takin' their turn and that's all
With brushes & canvas & macrome handcrafts & Bessie
Smith singin' the blues...
A chorus for Peter & Lou.
Now loneliness has a way
Of hangin' around all day
I'm standing alone on the ice
I'm wonderin' if maybe they've been right
So I'll catch the mornin' plane
Send all the rest by train
Leavin' the ice there to thaw
I'm takin' my turn and that's all.
And if I should miss them,
I'll go back & listen to Bessie Smith singin' the blues
In a chorus for Peter & Lou
Oh, if I should miss them,
I'll go back & listen to Bessie Smith singin' the blues
In a chorus for Peter & Lou
Valdy's song "Peter & Lou" tells the story of two friends who used to skate on winter's frozen lake, enjoying the company of each other and their friends while laughing and having a good time. They are now catching the morning plane, leaving their skates on the wall and taking their turn at whatever life has in store for them. The lyrics suggest that the two friends are exploring new ventures, such as brushes & canvas & macrome handcrafts, while listening to Bessie Smith sing the blues. The chorus highlights their friendship, with Bessie Smith's voice singing in harmony for Peter & Lou.
The song then takes a melancholy turn as the singer admits to feeling alone on the ice, wondering if Peter & Lou had the right idea of moving on to new things. Ultimately, the singer decides to catch the morning plane as well, leaving the ice to thaw and taking their turn like Peter & Lou. The chorus offers comfort to the singer in case they miss their friends, reminding them to listen to Bessie Smith singing in a chorus for Peter & Lou.
The song is a reflection on the changes in life and the importance of friendship. It suggests that while it is natural to feel lonely and uncertain at times, music and memories of good times with friends can bring comfort.
Line by Line Meaning
Peter and Lou would skate
During winter, Peter and Lou used to skate on the frozen lake.
On winter's frozen lake
The lake was frozen during winter, which enabled Peter and Lou to skate.
Circling around all their friends
Peter and Lou used to skate in circles around their friends.
Laughing wherever they went.
Peter and Lou used to have a good time and laugh a lot while skating.
They're catching the mornin' plane
Peter and Lou are leaving by airplane.
And sendin' the rest by train,
They are sending the remaining things by train.
Hangin' their skates on the wall
Peter and Lou are hanging their skates on the wall as a remembrance.
Takin' their turn and that's all
They had their turn of skating, and they are leaving now.
With brushes & canvas & macrome handcrafts & Bessie
Peter and Lou's friends are involved in various artistic activities like painting, knitting, and singing Bessie Smith's blues.
Smith singin' the blues...
Bessie Smith's music is playing in the background.
A chorus for Peter & Lou.
Bessie Smith's music acts as a chorus for Peter and Lou's skating memories.
Now loneliness has a way
The artist is feeling lonely after Peter and Lou left.
Of hangin' around all day
The loneliness is persisting all day long.
I'm standing alone on the ice
The singer is standing alone on the frozen lake, missing Peter and Lou's company.
I'm wonderin' if maybe they've been right
The singer is contemplating whether Peter and Lou were right in leaving and if it's time for him to leave too.
So I'll catch the mornin' plane
The artist has decided to leave by catching the morning plane like Peter and Lou.
Send all the rest by train
The artist is sending the remaining things by train like Peter and Lou.
Leavin' the ice there to thaw
The singer is leaving the ice to thaw and melting all memories associated with it.
I'm takin' my turn and that's all.
The singer has also had his turn, and now it's time to move on.
And if I should miss them,
If the artist misses Peter and Lou, he will do something else.
I'll go back & listen to Bessie Smith singin' the blues
The artist will listen to Bessie Smith's blues, just like Peter and Lou's friends.
In a chorus for Peter & Lou
Bessie Smith's blues will act as a chorus for the memories of Peter and Lou's skating times.
Oh, if I should miss them,
The singer reiterates the possibility of him missing Peter and Lou.
I'll go back & listen to Bessie Smith singin' the blues
The artist, once again, confirms that he will listen to Bessie Smith's blues if he misses Peter and Lou.
In a chorus for Peter & Lou
Bessie Smith's blues will continue to act as a chorus for the memories of Peter and Lou's skating times.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brian B
on Hot Rocks
I can't find my earlier post so I'll say it again. The song is not about rocks that are hot. It is about radioactive materials being transported to a dump-site in the US. That is why he says, 'that was it for the fishermen there' or 'that was it for the farmers there' or 'the cows were lying all around' it is becuase the radioactive materials spilled and killed everything all around..
Brian B
on Hot Rocks
Boarded a boat on a border town
I had to take any job I could find, even one that involved running illegal hot rocks across the US border on a small boat.
It was the only job I found,
My need for work led me to take a job running hot rocks, even though it was risky and illegal.
Running hot rocks to the USA
I was smuggling hot rocks from Canada into the USA.
Can't tell you why, but the couples went weird
I don't know why, but something about the hot rocks made the people on the boat act strangely.
Up on a reef and over she veered
The boat hit a reef and capsized, spilling the hot rocks into the water.
Lying in a shallow resting place
The hot rocks came to rest in a shallow area of the water.
Now there's hot rocks filling the bay,
The bay is now filled with hot rocks that spilled from the boat.
That was it for the fisherman's say
The fishermen can no longer catch fish in the bay due to the hot rocks.
Laying in the stillness, the memory fades
As time passed, the memories of the hot rocks incident began to fade.
Stillness all around her, hot rocks filling the bay
The bay was now still and devoid of fish due to the hot rocks filling it.
The fisherman swear, as only fisherman can.
The fishermen were adamant that the hot rocks had ruined the fishing in the bay.
There's no fish here, ‘cause of the hot rocks.
According to the fishermen, the hot rocks had driven away all the fish in the bay.
Now I am a trucker, I'm a union man
I got a job as a truck driver and joined a union.
I've driven every road in this land.
I've covered the whole country in my truck driving career.
And I have had let a load get away.
I lost a load of hot rocks while transporting them in my truck.
Nobody wanted that job but me,
No one else was willing to take the job of transporting hot rocks, but I did it anyway for the money.
Running hot rocks for the AEC –
I was now transporting hot rocks to a facility belonging to the AEC (Atomic Energy Commission).
taking them to their resting place.
I was delivering the hot rocks to a place where they would be stored permanently.
But I never quite made it to hot rocks park,
I never reached the facility where I was supposed to deliver the hot rocks.
something happened out there in the dark.
Some unknown event occurred that caused me to lose control of the truck.
And the truck went off the road,
My truck went off the road and crashed.
and the trailer lost it's load
The hot rocks spilled from the trailer during the crash.
Now there's hot rocks, everywhere.
The hot rocks were now scattered all over the place due to the accident.
That was it for the farmin' there.
The hot rocks had contaminated the land, making it unsuitable for farming.
Lying in the stillness, Dairy Cattle all around
The cows in the area appeared calm, but the hot rocks still posed a danger to them.
Look like their sleeping, But hot rocks never break down.
The cows appeared to be sleeping but the hot rocks would never decompose and would always be dangerous.
Farmer's swear, as only farmer's can
The farmers were convinced that the hot rocks had permanently ruined their land.
You can't grow food here, 'cause of the hot rocks.
The hot rocks had made the land unsuitable for growing crops.
Now I am a father and I'm concerned,
As a father, I worry about the impact these hot rocks will have on future generations.
It seems the kids have already learned
The children already know about the dangers of hot rocks and the damage they can cause.
That if you don't play with fire,
The children understand that if they don't take risks, they won't get burned by things like hot rocks.
you won't get burned.
If you don't take risks or do things that are dangerous, you won't face negative consequences.
Now I'm concerned for what we leave,
As an adult, I worry about the legacy we're leaving behind for future generations.
Hot rocks up the dealer's sleeve.
People continue to deal and transport hot rocks, despite the danger they pose to the environment and people's health.
And the cards are passed around
People continue to take risks and handle hot rocks, even though they know the potential consequences.
Hot rocks never break down.
The hot rocks will never dissipate or decompose, meaning they will always pose a risk to the environment and people's health.
This man swears, as only this man can
The singer is convinced that the presence of hot rocks in the park is causing serious problems.
You can't play ball in hot rocks park
The hot rocks have made the park unsafe and unusable for activities like sports.
See that place glowing in the dark
The hot rocks emit radiation that causes them to glow in the dark.
Lock up the gates to hot rocks park.
The park should be closed off and prohibited from public access due to the danger posed by the hot rocks.
Brian
on Hot Rocks
The song is about transporting radioactive material, not rocks that were hot.
Brian
on Hot Rocks
Valdy's song "Hot Rocks" tells a tragic story of a trucker who took on the dangerous job of running hot rocks to its final destination. The song starts with the trucker losing his previous job and taking the only one he could find, which was to run hot rocks to the USA. The deliveries were causing problems for the sea creatures and fishermen as the hot rocks ended up in the water. At first, the memory of the incident may have faded away, but the impacts of the hot rocks were too severe. Eventually, the trucker left his job and became a father. He worries about the future generations and the threat of hot rocks that are still lying around. The song ends with a warning to everybody to lock up the gates to hot rocks park.
The message behind "Hot Rocks" is apparent, and the lyrics are filled with metaphors and symbolism. The song is an environmental protest highlighting harmful activities that people engage in without thinking about the long-term consequences. The hot rocks are a metaphor for a perilous substance or activity, which results in severe damage to the environment. The fishermen and farmers represent the people affected by such activities.