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.
Diggin' A Hole
Big Sugar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Feel like a cat in a cage
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
Get me the lies on page
I'm feelin' twice my age
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
Diggin' a hole in my heart
Diggin' a hole, just tie me up and beat me
I said, got my head in a haze
Feel like a cat in a cage
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
Get me the lies on page
I'm' feelin twice my age
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
Diggin' a hole in my heart
Diggin' a hole, is that the way you treat me?
Diggin' a hole, just tie me up and beat me
Got my head in a haze
Feel like a cat in a cage
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
Get me the lies on page
I'm' feelin twice my age
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
Ya diggin' a hole in my heart
Diggin' a hole, is that the way you treat me?
Diggin' a hole, just tie me up and beat me
The lyrics of Big Sugar's song "Diggin' A Hole" are about a person who feels trapped and helpless in a toxic relationship. The singer describes their emotional state as being in a haze and feeling like they are stuck in a cage, crying and falling apart. The use of the metaphor of "digging a hole in my heart" emphasizes the notion of feeling emotionally drained, as if someone is tearing them apart from the inside.
As the lyrics progress, the singer confronts their partner, asking them if digging a hole is the way they choose to treat them, and demanding to know why they feel like they are being tied up and beaten. This suggests that the relationship is abusive and destructive. Despite this, the singer still feels entangled in the toxic dynamic, as indicated by the repetition of the phrase "I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart."
Overall, Big Sugar's "Diggin' A Hole" provides a poignant commentary on the emotional turmoil that can result from an unhealthy relationship. Through vivid imagery and a hard-rocking sound, the song captures the feeling of being trapped and seeking a way out.
Line by Line Meaning
They got my head in a haze
I feel disoriented and confused, like my thoughts are clouded and I cannot think clearly.
Feel like a cat in a cage
I feel trapped and confined, unable to move or act freely.
I've been crying for days and I'm fallin' apart
I am emotionally overwhelmed and cannot seem to hold myself together, resulting in a breakdown.
Get me the lies on page
I am seeking false, soothing words to comfort me, even if it means ignoring the truth.
I'm feelin' twice my age
I feel old and tired, beyond my years, from the heavy weight of my emotions.
Diggin' a hole in my heart
You are hurting me deeply and causing me emotional pain that feels like a physical wound.
Diggin' a hole, is that the way you treat me?
Your actions and treatment towards me are causing me anguish, and I question if this is how you truly feel about me.
Diggin' a hole, just tie me up and beat me
Your behavior towards me is abusive and cruel, making me feel helpless and submissive to your control.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Andy Curran, Dan Gallagher, Gordie Johnson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NewfieBullett
Rest Easy Gary, Thank you for those amazing bass lines, you were one of the best....
The Elephant's Foot
I can still remember buying this on cassette tape in 1996 & then driving around listening to it in my 1982 Oldsmobile Delta 88 beater.
Abaddon Impaler
The good days!
JITLmeHARD
Wtf my 83' Oldsmobile Delta 88 dosent have a casette deck
Warren Stefanuk
This song really grabs me. It sounds like 40 instruments instead of 4! The video is an awesome production. I'm so glad that I found it! God bless youtube.
angusandleigh
...these guys have to be the loudest band to see live...when I saw them years ago, I felt like I was the guy in the recliner in the Maxell cassette ads from the ' 80s / ' 90s...but it was good...:)
SilentKnight43
6th row on floors - Van Halen at Maple Leaf Gardens in 1984. Deaf for almost two weeks afterwards.
Jim S
Ever see the Odds live? Loud and proud
Aidan Campbell
Saw them in the 90s in a small room. I've seen hundreds of shows. Literally the loudest show I've ever seen (including Metallica on the "And Justice for All" tour). Crushed my skull. Great tune.
Barry Budinski
Perect analogy. I have that poster on my wall.