Big Sugar officially formed in 1988 in Toronto, Ontario, consisting of vocalist and guitarist Gordie Johnson, bassist Terry Wilkins, and drummer Al Cross, though the three musicians had already played together for several years as a supporting band for Molly Johnson's jazz performances and as an informal jam band with members of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir. After Molly Johnson returned to rock music with Infidels, she helped her former bandmates to secure a record deal; their eponymous debut album was released in 1991 on Hypnotic Records.
After Wilkins left the band in 1993, Big Sugar recorded the album Five Hundred Pounds with the help of guest musicians, including harmonica and tenor saxophonist Kelly Hoppe, also known as Mr. Chill. Hoppe brought a blues and old-school r'n'b influence into the band's sound. Hoppe would become an official member of the band in September 1994. He would later add keyboards and melodica to his sideman responsibilities. In July 1994, bassist Garry Lowe joined the band. Lowe had moved to Canada in the mid-1970s from Kingston, Jamaica. Soon after arriving in Toronto, he became an in-demand bass player for touring reggae recording artists. He often accompanied them at Toronto's famed Bamboo club on Queen St.W., among other venues. Lowe was a founding member of "Culture Shock", a popular Toronto reggae band. Johnson, an avid reggae maven (and one-time bass player), had been a fan of Lowe's and was overjoyed when he agreed to join Big Sugar as a full-time member.
Big Sugar had slowly built a reputation as an outstanding live band, and Five Hundred Pounds consolidated it; the album sold 10,000 copies in Canada on the strength of their live shows without any real publicity or radio airplay. During this time, Gordie Johnson also recorded an album as Don't Talk Dance, with Tyler Stewart of Barenaked Ladies and Chris Brown of the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir.
In 1995, the band released two EPs; Dear M.F., which featured a cover version of Traffic's "Dear Mr. Fantasy"; and Ride Like Hell. Following the release of these EPs, Stich Wynston left the band and was replaced by Walter "Crash" Morgan. During the band's tour that year, however, Morgan suffered a heart attack, collapsed, and died on stage during a show in Iowa. Longtime band associate Raffa Dean was enlisted to finish the tour, and former Odds member Paul Brennan subsequently joined as the band's new drummer, appearing on one of their most commercially successful albums, 1996's Hemi-Vision.
Hemi-Vision's single "Opem Up Baby" was a notable first for the band, who recorded a French version of that song, "Ouvres-Toi Bébé", for radio stations in Quebec. The song gained widespread airplay in the province, and for their next album, 1998's Platinum-selling Heated, the band recorded a French version of each single they released; the French songs were collected on the 1999 EP Chauffe à bloc. Also that year, Johnson and Hoppe performed several acoustic shows as a duo under the names "Little Sugar" or "Two Fools on Stools".
Cross returned as drummer in 1999. The band also added a new rhythm guitarist, Mojah. In July of that year the band performed at Woodstock 1999.
In 2000, the band released a dub album, Extra Long Life, under the stage name Alkaline.
In 2001, Big Sugar released Brothers and Sisters, Are You Ready? Taking their abilities in writing and performing French material to its logical conclusion, a complete track-for-track French version, Brothers and Sisters, Êtes Vous Ready?, was released the same year. Only the English album concluded with a blistering rendition of "O Canada".
The two-CD compilation Hit & Run, featuring a greatest hits disc that included a special edition, limited run live concert performance disc, was released in 2003.
Big Sugar, known for its thundering rock shows performed without set lists, played their last concert before splitting up on December 31, 2003, at the Shaw Conference Centre in Edmonton, Alberta. Gordie "Grady" Johnson immediately formed the Austin, Texas-based band Grady and later joined Wide Mouth Mason as their full-time bassist, and also started the gospel dub duo Sit Down, Servant!! when he began playing steel guitar. Kelly Hoppe formed Mr. Chill & The Witnesses, a roots music group. Mojah and Garry Lowe went on to form Truth and Rights Revue, a reggae band, and have released one album to date.
The band reunited in 2010, playing their first show since 2003 at Telus World Ski & Snowboard Festival in Whistler, B.C. on April 23, with tour dates through summer 2010. A new studio album evolved and was released in June 2011, titled Revolution Per Minute. This recording included Stephane Beaudin "Bodean" on drums and new full-time band member "DJ Friendlyness" as the fifth member of Big Sugar. Revolution Per Minute was released on both cd and vinyl with the vinyl album containing bonus "Alkaline" dub remixes and additional songs. 2012 was the first ever DVD release when Eliminate Ya! Live!, a double CD/DVD set that included a new single covering Al Tuck's "Eliminate Ya!" was released.
In 2014, Big Sugar released an album called "Yard Style" which contains uplugged versions of nine of their original songs, plus four previously unreleased songs.
The song "Police Bway A Vampire" appeared as a reworked electric version under the name "Universal Vampire" on their next studio album "Calling All The Youth", which was released in 2015 on Bread & Butter Records.
In May, 2017, two long time members, Kelly Hoppe and DJ Friendliness, left Big Sugar. Hoppe is now a freelancer, frequently performing live and in-studio with various artists, while Friendliness likes to concentrate full-time on his other band Human Rights. They were replaced by Ray Arteaga and Gordie Johnson's wife Alex.
Garry Lowe died of cancer on July 7, 2018.
100 CIGARETTES
Big Sugar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting on your call but it ain't come yet
I'm waiting for your footsteps in my hall
And I'm watching for this ash to fall
And while I'm counting my regrets
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
You know how I'm feeling?
My porch light is on and I've unlocked my door
My eyes are red and my throat is sore
I check my mail and watch my phone
And I wonder when you're coming home
And while I'm counting my regrets
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
Yes, I smoked 100 cigarettes
Waiting for your call but it ain't come yet
I'm waiting on your footsteps in my hall
And I'm watching for this ash to fall
While I'm counting my regrets
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
You know, right about that time
My friend who, Mr Chilly call me up at this telephone
This what he said
How much longer can I watch my own TV?
Now that I've seen how white my shirts can be
One more smoke, I'll take just one more sip
Before I wipe your name right off my lips
While I'm counting my regrets
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
Lord, I smoked 100 cigarettes
Waiting for your call but it ain't come yet
I'm still waiting on your footsteps in my hall
And I'm watching for this ash to fall
And while I'm counting my regrets
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
And while I'm counting my regrets
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
Before I see the rising sun
I believe I'll smoke 101
"100 Cigarettes" by Big Sugar is a song about a person who is waiting for someone who never shows up. This person is so on edge that they smoke 100 cigarettes in anticipation of the arrival of the person they're waiting for. The emotions of this person are heightened and strained, and the desire to hear from the absent party is almost overwhelming. As they grow more and more anxious, they recount all the things they're doing to show that they're ready and open, hoping their lover shows up before they burn out.
The line, "I'm waiting for your footsteps in my hall / And I'm watching for this ash to fall" encapsulates the feeling of anxiety and anticipation as this person waits for their significant other. The repetition of the refrain, "I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes" emphasizes the desperation and hopelessness that the person feels. Throughout the song, there's a sense of desperation and anxiety that's felt in the lyrics and the music.
The song is an emotionally charged ballad that showcases the range of feelings that come with unrequited love. The intense emotions and the heartache of waiting for someone who might never show up are palpable.
Line by Line Meaning
Lord, I smoked 100 cigarettes
I have smoked a lot of cigarettes, indicating a long period of waiting for someone
Waiting on your call but it ain't come yet
I have been waiting for a phone call, but it has not come yet
I'm waiting for your footsteps in my hall
I am waiting for someone to come to my home
And I'm watching for this ash to fall
I am paying attention to the cigarette ash as it falls, indicating the passage of time
And while I'm counting my regrets
I am reflecting on my past actions and decisions, possibly feeling guilty or remorseful
I'm gonna smoke 100 cigarettes
I will continue to smoke cigarettes as a means of coping or passing the time
You know how I'm feeling?
The singer is asking if the listener understands how they feel
My porch light is on and I've unlocked my door
The artist is indicating that they are ready and waiting for someone to arrive
My eyes are red and my throat is sore
The artist has been crying and smoking, and possibly feeling sick or tired from waiting
I check my mail and watch my phone
The artist is making sure they have not missed any important messages or calls
And I wonder when you're coming home
The singer is unsure of when the person they are waiting for will arrive
Yes, I smoked 100 cigarettes
Reiteration of the fact that the artist has been smoking heavily
While I'm counting my regrets
The singer is still reflecting on their past actions and possibly feeling regretful
My friend who, Mr Chilly call me up at this telephone
The singer's friend, nicknamed Mr. Chilly, called them on the phone
How much longer can I watch my own TV?
Mr. Chilly is asking if the singer can continue to wait and be idle for much longer
Now that I've seen how white my shirts can be
Mr. Chilly has done laundry and is admiring how clean his shirts have turned out
One more smoke, I'll take just one more sip
Mr. Chilly is indicating that he will continue to smoke and drink before taking action on anything else
Before I wipe your name right off my lips
Mr. Chilly will need to finish his cigarette and drink before forgetting about the person the singer is waiting for
Before I see the rising sun
The singer will continue to smoke even as the night turns to day
I believe I'll smoke 101
The artist will continue to smoke beyond the initial 100 cigarettes, indicating a continued period of waiting and reflection
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DAN GALLAGHER, GORDIE EDMOND JOHNSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind