The group formed in 1981 as a trio consisting of Brad Merritt (bass), Ian Franey(drums), and Neil Osborne (vocals). In 1983, Phil Comparelli was added on guitar and vocals, and Franey was replaced by Darryl Neudorf. Matt Johnson replaced Neudorf on drums by 1986. The band announced in March of 2005 that Comparelli had officially passed on guitar duties to Dave Genn, formerly of Matthew Good Band.
The band's self-titled second album, released in 1986, began to attract attention from radio and record buyers across Canada, with the single "Baby Ran" gaining significant radio airplay. The band's third album, Show Me, became their commercial breakthrough in Canada, with the hits "One Gun" and "One Day in Your Life".
Although the band was popular on college radio in the United States, they never had a commercial breakthrough -- 1992's Dear Dear was their first album not to have a U.S. release. Ironically, though, it was their best-selling album in Canada, leading to a new U.S. contract for the follow up, Smilin' Buddha Cabaret, which had a significant hit in "Ocean Pearl".
The band's song I Go Blind was covered in the mid-1990s by American band Hootie & the Blowfish.
The band's most recent album is 2008's Northern Soul released September 30th,2008 and they wrapped up their tour of Canada at the end of November 2008.
Crossing A Canyon
54-40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a piece of time too small to name
There's a sign that's hanging over me
Let me disappear and try again
I'm no prophet, but I've seen things
When right and wrong become too close
In that moment of my greatness
And the day is long
And the bridge is gone
And the river's washed away
The road I'm on
Only road I know
Everybody's got a problem
Something to do with self control
You gotta tell somebody if you got one
You can't pretend you didn't know
Staring out, across the canyon
My eyes won't tell me what to see
If I let go, I could be floating
From the river to the sea
And the day is long
And the bridge is gone
And the river's washed away
The road I'm on
Only road I know
If I let go, I could be floating
From the river to the sea
And the day is long
And the bridge is gone
And the river's washed away
The road I'm on
Only road
Only road I know
The song "Crossing A Canyon" by 54-40 is a reflective and introspective piece that explores the themes of self-doubt and the fear of failure. The lyrics describe the singer sitting on the edge of a canyon and feeling insignificant, unable to make an impact in the grand scheme of things. The sign hanging over them represents the pressure of society's expectations and the desire to escape from it all.
The lyrics then delve into the artist's personal experience of witnessing the blurred lines between right and wrong, creating self-doubt and uncertainty, even in moments of greatness. The artist becomes afraid of failing and watches opportunities slip away. The lyrics evoke a sense of longing for a bridge to cross the canyon and feel secure, but it's already gone. The river below has washed the road away, leaving the artist stranded on the only road they know.
The song takes a turn towards the end and highlights the importance of seeking help and not pretending to be self-sufficient. The artist encourages listeners to tell someone if they're struggling with a problem, implying that it's better to seek help than to struggle alone. The song concludes with the artist staring out into the canyon, contemplating the possibility of letting go and floating away from the river to the sea.
Line by Line Meaning
Sittin' on the edge, atop a canyon
I am sitting on top of a canyon looking out into the distance.
I'm a piece of time too small to name
I am insignificant and cannot be defined by time.
There's a sign that's hanging over me
There is some sort of indication or message looming over me.
Let me disappear and try again
I want to disappear and start anew.
I'm no prophet, but I've seen things
I am not a prophet, but I have witnessed events that have impacted me.
When right and wrong become too close
When the line between what's right and wrong is too blurry.
In that moment of my greatness
In my moment of success or victory.
I become afraid and watch it go
I become scared and let the moment pass me by.
And the day is long
The day feels very extended.
And the bridge is gone
The bridge is no longer present.
And the river's washed away
The river is now flooded and not passable.
The road I'm on
The path I am travelling down.
Only road I know
It is the only path I have ever known.
Everybody's got a problem
Everyone has their own difficulties or issues.
Something to do with self control
Their problems relate to them having poor self-control.
You gotta tell somebody if you got one
You should confide in someone if you have a problem.
You can't pretend you didn't know
You cannot act like you were unaware of the problem.
Staring out, across the canyon
I am gazing out over the canyon searching for something.
My eyes won't tell me what to see
My eyes are not helping me perceive or understand what I'm searching for.
If I let go, I could be floating
If I let go of my fears, I could be free-floating.
From the river to the sea
From the river, I could flow freely into the sea.
And the day is long
The day seems very extended.
And the bridge is gone
The bridge is no longer present.
And the river's washed away
The river is now flooded and not passable.
The road I'm on
The path I am travelling down.
Only road I know
It is the only path I have ever known.
If I let go, I could be floating
If I let go of my fears, I could be free-floating.
From the river to the sea
From the river, I could flow freely into the sea.
And the day is long
The day seems very extended.
And the bridge is gone
The bridge is no longer present.
And the river's washed away
The river is now flooded and not passable.
The road I'm on
The path I am travelling down.
Only road
It's the only path.
Only road I know
It is the only path I have ever known.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@blackspot4194
Awesome song!!
@westlod
Damn, forgot how good this song was.
@joerylett3066
Letterkenny fans incoming.
@apathy772
Yup
@gvan6205
Heres we are, good buddy.
@apathy772
@@gvan6205 can confirm
@westphal3887
Texas sized 10-4 good buddy
@hankscorpion541
I'd have a listen
@dueyramone
As good today, as the day it was written.
Maybe more so.
We can't move forward pretending we didn't know.
Let's just hope the bridge hasn't washed completely away.
Might take more than a "Sorry" to rebuild it this time.
@pazuzu3933
😎