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.
Joker's Wild
Blue Rodeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Chasin' powder and pills
But you don't mind the taste
Of the slow burnin' waste
Until you feel like trash
Ya might as well have a gas
Until you feel like trash
Ya might as well have a blast
Deep down in your heart
Well, you know you can't hide
Still you know what you're runnin' from
Better than I
And when they ask you why
You say the joker is wild
And when they ask you why
You say the joker is wild
When your skin starts to crawl
And your fingers twitch
And your veins are screaming
For some kinda fix
Well, they ask you why
You say the joker's wild
If there was only a way
To make you understand
That the game that you're playing
Has gotten out of hand
And when they ask you why
You say the joker is wild
And when they ask you why
You say the joker is wild
The lyrics to Blue Rodeo's song "Joker" seem to be about someone who is struggling with addiction. The first stanza talks about the person feeling "over the hill" and using drugs or alcohol as a coping mechanism by "chasin' powder and pills" even though they know it's not good for them ("Until you feel like trash, Ya might as well have a gas"). The second stanza suggests that this person is trying to hide from something ("Still you know what you're runnin' from, Better than I") and that they use the excuse that the "joker is wild" to explain their behavior.
Throughout the song, the lyrics describe the physical and emotional toll that addiction has on this person - their "skin starts to crawl", their "fingers twitch", and their "veins are screaming for some kinda fix". Despite this, the person seems resigned to their situation, with lyrics like "If there was only a way to make you understand/ That the game that you're playing has gotten out of hand" suggesting that they don't have the desire or ability to make changes.
In short, "Joker" is a poignant and powerful song that illustrates the complicated emotions and struggles of addiction.
Line by Line Meaning
You're feeling over the hill
You feel like you're past your prime and no longer young
Chasin' powder and pills
You're seeking drugs to ease your pain and numb your problems
But you don't mind the taste
You're willing to deal with the unpleasant side effects of drugs for the temporary high they provide
Of the slow burnin' waste
Drugs are slowly damaging your health and well-being
Until you feel like trash
You keep using drugs until you feel like garbage
Ya might as well have a gas
You might as well enjoy yourself while you're still alive and able to
Deep down in your heart
You know the truth about yourself, even if you try to hide it from others
Well, you know you can't hide
You're unable to conceal your issues, no matter how hard you try
Still you know what you're runnin' from
You're aware of the source of your problems even if you can't overcome them
Better than I
You understand your situation better than anyone else
And when they ask you why
People question the reason behind your behavior
You say the joker is wild
You blame your behavior on an uncontrollable, wild side of yourself that others cannot understand
When your skin starts to crawl
Physical withdrawal symptoms start when you're without drugs
And your fingers twitch
Your body is reacting negatively to the lack of drugs in your system
And your veins are screaming
Your entire body craves the drugs you're addicted to
For some kinda fix
You need drugs to feel normal and deal with life
If there was only a way
If there was a solution to your addiction problem
To make you understand
To help you comprehend the severity of your issue
That the game that you're playing
Your drug addiction is a game with dangerous and potentially fatal consequences
Has gotten out of hand
You're no longer in control of your drug use, and the situation has spiraled out of control
You say the joker is wild
You deflect responsibility for your addiction onto an irrational, mysterious part of yourself that you cannot control
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREG KEELOR, JIM CUDDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind