Blue House
Blue Rodeo Lyrics

Sometimes I drive by our old blue house
The singer occasionally passes by their previous home.

When I wake up calling your name
The singer is reminded of their past relationship and thinks about their former partner often.

It's been years since you were my one true love
It has been a significant amount of time since the singer was romantically involved with their previous partner.

But that old house still looks the same
The exterior of the home has not changed much, if at all.

I dreamt you were an iceberg
The artist had a dream in which their previous partner manifested as an iceberg.

And I was the Arctic sea
In the dream, the singer was cast as the icy sea upon which the aforementioned iceberg sat.

And I held you but you held back from me
Despite the singer's efforts, their partner was emotionally distant in the dream.

Yeah I held you but you held back from me
The previous line is repeated to emphasize the partner's unwillingness to connect.

When I drive by that cold blue house
The artist refers to their former residence as cold, likely indicating that their past memories of the place invoked negative emotions.

The car out front looks strange
There is a unfamiliar vehicle in front of the home.

In every room the lights turn on and off
There appears to be some sort of activity or movement within the home because the lights are flickering on and off.

But all I see is how this world will never change
Despite the activity in and around the home, the artist remains pessimistic and feels that the world is unchanging and stagnant.

I dreamt I was the Sahara
Like the earlier jagged ice formation, the singer now envisions a hot, barren desert - with the sands taking the place of their body, waiting for an oasis in the form of their partner.

And you were the desert tree
The singer's companion is now a sole tree in the midst of the Sun-baked place - they may appear to be providing necessary shelter, but still choose not to give as much as they take.

The sun beat down on both our backs
The heat of the sun is an ever-present reminder of their current state - the unrequited longing and emotional heat between the two.

And you turned yours on me
Again, despite the presence and need for shelter, the partner remains closed and distant, providing only the minimum and leaving the artist to suffer alone.

I dreamt we were a ride at the fair
For the final vision, the artist moves on to the concept of a carnival ride - a temporary joy, fulfilling and entertaining for the duration, but with an end in sight.

A wheel that spun on the ground
The wheel is likely a ferris wheel or circular ride connected to the earth, a reflection of the lives of the partners, eternally grounded in terms of emotional growth.

And even though we got nowhere
Despite moving forward in life, the singer realizes they are still in the same place in terms of their emotional development and romantic lives.

We still reached for the stars and the clouds
The final line of the song is a positive and romantic sentiment - no matter how intense the imagery or depth of longing, the artist and partner still seek the grandest and most limitless landscape possible.

Yeah I held you but you held back from me
The final line is a repetition of an earlier one, but serves as a fitting melancholic final message - despite everything, the artist remains desperate to win their love back.