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.
Made Your Mind Up
Blue Rodeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can be hard or I'll melt like the snow coming down
Everything changes each word that we say
One little step and you can't find your way back around
Maybe some picture appears in your head
Knocks you right off of your track
All the doubts and excuses they flood in instead
You'll never go back
Well you're trying to get out
You can't find the words
Leaving the way that you'd always heard
But you made your mind up
Yes you made your mind up
Night after night you're back here again
Tossing and turning like birds in the rain losing ground
Take away everything gained in a life
All you could borrow or steal
No rich man no poor man
No wrong or no right
Strips you right back down to nothing
But the way that you feel
Well you're trying to get out
You can't find the words
Leaving the way that you'd always heard
And you made your mind up
Yes you made your mind up
Everyone knows that it's easy to leave
Harder to get out and really believe
But you made your mind up
Yes you made your mind up
Ten thousand reasons are scattered around
As you watch yourself walking away, walking away
Maybe some picture appears in your head
Knocks you right off of your track
All the doubts and excuses they flood in instead
One little step out that door
You'll never come back
Well you're trying to get out
You can't find the words
Leaving the way that you'd always heard
And you made your mind up
Yes you made your mind up
Everyone knows that it's easy to leave
Harder to get out and really believe
But you made your mind up
Yes you made your mind up
Climbing the steps with your head hanging down
You meet yourself walking away, walking away
Tell me the way that you want this to go
I can be hard or I'll melt like the snow coming down
The lyrics to "In the Darkness" by Blue Rodeo describe the struggle of making a difficult decision that may lead to a major change in one's life. The opening lines ask the person they are addressing to specify their desires and how they want the situation to unfold. The uncertainty and impermanence of our words and actions are acknowledged throughout the song, with each statement and action potentially leading to an unchangeable path. The chorus emphasizes the finality of the decision, encouraging the person to stay committed to their choice even when they may doubt themselves. The song ends with the image of the person walking away from their old life, entering into the darkness and the unknown.
The use of imagery in the song is particularly effective in conveying the emotions of the situation. The image of snow melting represents a person's ability to be vulnerable and open or to be hardened and closed off, depending on how they feel they need to handle the situation. The metaphor of losing ground while tossing and turning like birds in the rain is used to convey the feeling of being trapped in a difficult situation. The "steps" the person takes at the end of the song represent walking away from the past, but with their head hanging down, it suggests that this journey may not be easy.
Overall, "In the Darkness" is a poignant reflection on the challenges of making difficult choices and the potential consequences of our actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me the way that you want this to go
Asking for direction on what to do next
I can be hard or I'll melt like the snow coming down
Willing to be strong or flexible depending on the situation
Everything changes each word that we say
Words have a huge impact on how things unfold
One little step and you can't find your way back around
Small actions can cause big consequences that cannot be undone
Maybe some picture appears in your head
Visualizing a scenario or a future outcome
Knocks you right off of your track
The visualization causes a shift in focus or motivation
All the doubts and excuses they flood in instead
Negative thoughts and excuses replace motivation and positivity
One little step out that door
Taking action and leaving the comfort zone
You'll never go back
There's no going back to how things were
Well you're trying to get out
Attempting to leave a situation
You can't find the words
Struggling to articulate feelings or thoughts
Leaving the way that you'd always heard
Breaking away from tradition or expectations
But you made your mind up
A decision has been made
Yes you made your mind up
The decision is final
Night after night you're back here again
Repeating the same patterns or behaviors
Tossing and turning like birds in the rain losing ground
Feeling restless and uneasy, losing progress
Take away everything gained in a life
All achievements and possessions don't matter
All you could borrow or steal
Material possessions don't define a person
No rich man no poor man
Everyone is equal
No wrong or no right
There's no clear path or correct answer
Strips you right back down to nothing
Forces a person to re-evaluate priorities and values
But the way that you feel
Emotions and how a person feels is what truly matters
Everyone knows that it's easy to leave
Leaving a situation is simple in theory
Harder to get out and really believe
It's difficult to actually leave and have faith in the decision
Ten thousand reasons are scattered around
There are endless factors to consider in a decision
As you watch yourself walking away, walking away
Observing oneself leaving a situation
Climbing the steps with your head hanging down
Moving forward with a sense of sadness or defeat
You meet yourself walking away, walking away
Realizing that leaving is the right choice
Contributed by Jasmine A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.