Canadian Whisky
Tom Russell Lyrics

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In the hills of Montana
There's a timber wolf howlin'
The rangers are prowlin'
For a woman alone
She'd run away from an Indian lover
He'll never recover
She turned him to stone

[Chorus]
She drank Canadian whiskey
Pure blended whiskey
She drank it like wine
Her eyes were the color of Canadian whiskey
Pure blended whiskey
So light brown and fine

Twenty years later
I heard of a woman
She's living alone
Up by Yellowstone Creek
And old Trapper John
Brings her cases of whiskey
Canadian whiskey
He says she never will speak

[Chorus: x2]

Overall Meaning

The song "Canadian Whisky" by Tom Russell tells a story of a woman who had to run away from her Indian lover, who according to the lyrics, she had turned to stone. The opening lines describe the setting, with a timber wolf howling in the hills of Montana, while rangers are on the lookout for the woman who had run away. The chorus describes the woman's love for Canadian Whisky, which she drinks like wine. The lyrics describe her eyes as the color of the whisky, which is pure and blended and light brown and fine.

The second verse of the song tells of the woman living alone twenty years later, up by Yellowstone Creek. Old Trapper John brings her cases of Canadian Whisky, but she never speaks. The story is left unresolved, and the listener is left to imagine the reasons why the woman has become a recluse, why she drinks so much whisky, and what happened to her relationship with the Indian lover.

The lyrics of the song are evocative and powerful, painting a vivid picture of the wild and untamed land of Montana, as well as the character of the woman who loved Canadian Whisky so much. The song is a tribute to the spirit of the frontier, and a powerful reminder of the harsh realities of life in the American West.

Line by Line Meaning

In the hills of Montana
In the remote areas of Montana

There's a timber wolf howlin'
The howling of a timber wolf can be heard at night

The rangers are prowlin'
The rangers are patrolling the area

For a woman alone
To ensure the safety of a solitary woman

She'd run away from an Indian lover
She fled from a Native American lover

He'll never recover
Her lover cannot forget her

She turned him to stone
Her departure left a deep impact on him

She drank Canadian whiskey
She consumed Canadian whiskey

Pure blended whiskey
A high-quality blend of whiskey

She drank it like wine
She imbibed whiskey like wine

Her eyes were the color of Canadian whiskey
Her eyes were light brown, similar to Canadian whiskey