The band consists of original members Cuddy (guitar/vocals), Keelor (guitar/vocals) and Donovan (bass) plus newer additions Glenn Milchem (drums), and Bob Egan (multi-instrumentalist). Former members include Anderson (drummer), Wiseman (keyboardist), Kim Deschamps (multi-instrumentalist), Mark French (drummer), and Jamie Gray (keyboardist) and Bob Packwood (keyboards).
Blue Rodeo is one of the most successful and well known contemporary Canadian bands, having released 11 studio albums, one live album, a greatest hits collection and a DVD which have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. In addition, both Cuddy and Keelor have released solo albums. Blue Rodeo members have collaborated extensively with other notable Canadian artists, including Jann Arden, Cowboy Junkies, Burton Cummings, Kathleen Edwards, Great Big Sea, Sarah McLachlan, The Sadies, Ron Sexsmith, Skydiggers, and The Tragically Hip. Blue Rodeo have won many Canadian music awards, including seven Juno Awards (Canada's Grammy) and principal songwriters Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor have been honoured with seven SOCAN awards.
The band released (November 2008) Blue Road a special 20th Anniversary Live 'bootleg' DVD which features an insightful documentary by Chris Mills and an acoustic CD of their 2008 February 29th Toronto Massey Hall concert. The DVD disc features some acoustic covers, including Neil Young's "Are You Ready For The Country", Randy Travis's "Diggin' Up Bones" and Ian & Sylvia Tyson's "Four Strong Winds." In addition, there's a new bonus studio track on the audio CD by Cuddy and Keelor called "Losing You", which is also performed Live on the DVD.
It was formally announced on June 16th, 2009, that Blue Rodeo will be inducted onto Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto in September, 2009.
On November 10th, 2009, Blue Rodeo released its twelfth studio album, The Things We Left Behind, which is a double CD featuring 16 original compositions by Greg Keelor and Jim Cuddy. The release was produced by the band with engineering and mixing assistance from Darryl Neudorf (Neko Case, Jim Cuddy, Kevin Kane, Sarah McLachlan, The Sadies), and the first single to crack the airwaves is "Arizona Dust".
It was officially announced on December 12, 2011 that Blue Rodeo will be inducted into The Canadian Music Hall of Fame, with the formal presentation to occur on April 1st, 2012 at the Canadian Juno Awards.
Blue Rodeo released its 13th studio album on October 29th, 2013 entitled In Our Nature.
Canadian Governor General David Johnston announced on Dec. 30, 2013 that Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor will be celebrated as Officers of the Order of Canada, one of the country`s highest honours, in a ceremony to be scheduled later in 2014.
In the Fall of 2014, Blue Rodeo released their first seasonal holiday collection entitled, A Merrie Christmas To You, which is blessed with their favourite Christmas classics. The collection features beautiful songs by The Band, Big Star, Merle Haggard, Gordon Lightfoot, Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon, and two moving originals entitled "Glad To Be Alive" and "Home To You This Christmas".
Blue Rodeo released its latest studio album on October 28, 2016 entitled 1000 Arms, which was produced by Tim Vesely and the band. The Warner Music Canada release features eleven new songs penned by Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, and the first single is entitled "Superstar".
For photo galleries, tour dates and other information on Blue Rodeo you can visit their official website, www.BlueRodeo.com.
Floating
Blue Rodeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Leave a strange taste,
Like french cigarettes.
And these colored drinks
That you keep on throwin' at me
Just keep on reminding me
I came to forget.
You insist on reminding me
Of my lost possibilities
And the stains on the wall.
Well, I don't mean to complain
But it hurts just the same.
And now both of us know
The leaves will fall on their own.
Just throw me a line
That's all that I ask
Well, it's sink or swim and I'm goin' fast
I need love and it's you
And I feel like William Holden floating in a pool.
Yea, you tell me
Life is for living
It's best in the giving
But it's so hard to be free.
Still I do my best
But you refuse my gift
And now all that we share
Is a collection of tears.
Just throw me a line
That's all that I ask
Well, it's sink or swim and I'm going fast
I need love and it's you
And I feel like William Holden floating in a pool.
In the lyrics of "Floating" by Blue Rodeo, the singer describes their late-night conversations with someone who reminds them of their lost possibilities and stains on the wall. The drinks that are being thrown their way only serve as a reminder of why they came in the first place - to forget. The singer is clearly struggling with something, and they don't want to complain but it still hurts. They both know that the leaves will fall on their own, indicating a sense of inevitability and acceptance.
The singer’s plea to the person they’re speaking to is to “just throw me a line”- a simple request for some comfort, guidance, or even just attention. The reference to William Holden floating in a pool is a nod to the actor’s tragic death by drowning, and the parallels between the actor’s life and the singer's struggle are evident.
Although the lyrics in "Floating" leave many details open to interpretation, it's clear that the singer is searching for something - love, perhaps - that they can’t seem to grasp. They feel like they're sinking, and the person they’re talking to could be their lifeline.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, these late night conversations
Leave a strange taste,
Like french cigarettes.
Late night conversations with you leave me feeling uneasy and leave a strange taste in my mouth, similar to the taste one gets after smoking French cigarettes.
And these colored drinks
That you keep on throwin' at me
Just keep on reminding me
I came to forget.
The drinks that you keep giving me remind me of the things I came here to forget.
So now every night
You insist on reminding me
Of my lost possibilities
And the stains on the wall.
Every night you keep reminding me of my past mistakes and the marks they left on my life.
Well, I don't mean to complain
But it hurts just the same.
And now both of us know
The leaves will fall on their own.
Though I don't intend to complain, I still feel the hurt and pain of our current situation, we both know that time will pass by and things will change.
Just throw me a line
That's all that I ask
Well, it's sink or swim and I'm goin' fast
I need love and it's you
And I feel like William Holden floating in a pool.
Please save me from drowning and give me love, I feel just like William Holden floating in a pool.
Yea, you tell me
Life is for living
It's best in the giving
But it's so hard to be free.
You always try to tell me that life is about living and giving, but it's not that easy to be free.
Still I do my best
But you refuse my gift
And now all that we share
Is a collection of tears.
I try my best to give you everything, but you keep refusing my gifts and now all we have are tears to share.
Just throw me a line
That's all that I ask
Well, it's sink or swim and I'm going fast
I need love and it's you
And I feel like William Holden floating in a pool.
Please help me out of this mess and give me love, I feel just like William Holden floating in a pool.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREG KEELOR, JIM CUDDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind