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 BΓ©bΓ©", 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 Γ 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, Γtes 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.
Round And Round
Big Sugar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I swear that I don't know
Turn and look behind
What you think you're gonna find?
Be careful what you say
You said, you were mine today
Scatter your seeds along the road
Round and round
And round and round it goes
Round and round
And round and round I go
Gotta get bolder before I get older
Swear the face is laughin' over my shoulder
Everything I got is all I have to give
And I swear I won't get caught
With no time left to live
Round and round
And round and round it goes
Round and round
And round and round I go
Round and round
And round and round it goes
Where did the time go?
Look back in sorrow
Gotta use my time today
To straighten out my tomorrow
Runnin' down the road
'Cause walking is much too slow
And I won't have time to rest
'Till it's time to go
Round and round
And round and round it goes
Round and round
And round and round I go
Round and round
And round and round it goes
Round and round
And round and round I go
"Round and Round" by Big Sugar is a song that delves into the theme of time passing by and the need to make the most of the present. The opening lines of the song, "where did the time go? I swear that I don't know," immediately give the sense of someone feeling a sense of loss, regret or even panic because time seems to have flown by so quickly. The song presents the universal fear of not making the most of the time one has and the realization that time waits for no one.
As the song progresses, it introduces a message of hope, urging listeners to take control of their lives and be mindful of their actions in the present moment. The lines "Gotta get bolder before I get older" implore listeners to step out of their comfort zone and be unafraid to take risks before it is too late.
Ultimately, the song is a call to action for listeners to seize the day and make the most of their time, highlighting how all the time spent will lead to the future. The lines "Gotta use my time today to straighten out my tomorrow," make it evident that the song's message calls for living in the moment without any regret or fear.
Line by Line Meaning
Where did the time go?
The singer feels like time has passed too quickly, but they don't know where it went.
I swear that I don't know
The singer is unsure where the time went, despite feeling like it passed quickly.
Turn and look behind
The singer suggests reflecting on the past and considering what has been left behind.
What you think you're gonna find?
The artist questions what discoveries will be made upon reflection.
Be careful what you say
The artist advises being cautious with words to avoid negative consequences.
You said, you were mine today
The singer remembers a promise made to them.
Scatter your seeds along the road
The singer suggests casting ideas out but not expecting them to necessarily take root and grow.
The wind come blow them away
The artist implies that ideas or words are unstable and can easily be disregarded or forgotten.
Round and round
The artist comments on the cyclical nature of life and how it can feel like repeating patterns.
And round and round it goes
The artist emphasizes the repetitiveness of life's patterns
Gotta get bolder before I get older
The singer suggests that they need to be more fearless and daring now, instead of waiting until it's too late.
Swear the face is laughin' over my shoulder
The artist feels a sense of doubt or disapproval from an unseen source.
Everything I got is all I have to give
The singer recognizes their current limitations but wants to make the most of what they have.
And I swear I won't get caught
The singer promises to avoid being trapped or limited by circumstances.
With no time left to live
The singer suggests that time is limited and finite.
Look back in sorrow
The artist suggests that reflecting on the past might bring feelings of sadness, regret, or disappointment.
Gotta use my time today
The artist recognizes the importance of living in the present moment instead of dwelling in the past or worrying about the future.
To straighten out my tomorrow
The singer wants to take action now in order to have a better future outcome.
Runnin' down the road
The singer is in a hurry, suggesting a sense of urgency or impatience.
'Cause walking is much too slow
The artist implies that taking things slow is not an option.
And I won't have time to rest
The artist implies that they have a lot of work to do and don't have time for leisure.
'Till it's time to go
The artist is focused on accomplishing their goals before they run out of time.
Lyrics Β© Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DAMON JOHNSON, DONALD ROBINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind