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.
Now and Forever
Blue Rodeo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The things you said we wanted together
Now and forever
Too many nights I'd lie awake
Listening to every breath you'd take
Like a stranger
Feel so out of place here
But I wish your memory would leave me alone
Now and forever
I sit alone in this empty house
And your voice just like a ghost
It comes to me
Chill passes through me
I packed your clothes and photographs
Sent your little treasures back to where you're living
Guess now I'm forgiven
I can't believe it's true
I thought I'd always be in love with you
Now and forever
Solo
My life goes on just like before
In and out of closing doors
I don't love it
But I learn to rise above it
I found a girl now who will love me the way I want her to
She don't shout it
We don't ever talk about it
I can't believe it's true
I thought I'd always be in love with you
Now and forever
The lyrics of Blue Rodeo's song "Now and Forever" express feelings of regret, confusion, and liberation following a breakup. The singer questions whether the life he shared with his former partner was something they truly wanted together, realizing that he often felt like a stranger in his own relationship. He appears to have accepted that the relationship has ended, having sent his partner's belongings back and found a new love who accepts him the way he is. However, he still feels haunted by the ghost of his former partner's voice and memory, unable to escape the pain that comes with letting go of someone he once loved.
The song's melancholic tone is conveyed through its slow tempo, accompanied by a blend of acoustic and electric guitar solos that convey a sense of longing and introspection. The repeated phrase "Now and forever" emphasizes the finality of the relationship's end, while also acknowledging that the memory of this love will remains with him indefinitely.
Overall, the lyrics of "Now and Forever" highlight the complexities of coming to terms with a failed relationship and the importance of moving on to find love and acceptance elsewhere.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know if I ever wanted
I am unsure if I ever truly wanted the things that you, my partner, said we wanted together.
The things you said we wanted together
You communicated to me that we had shared wants and goals.
Now and forever
This is how you assumed our relationship would last.
Too many nights I'd lie awake
I often had difficulty sleeping at night.
Listening to every breath you'd take
I paid close attention to your breathing as you slept.
Like a stranger
The person I loved and thought I knew so well felt unfamiliar to me at times.
Feel so out of place here
At times I felt uncomfortable and like I did not belong in our relationship.
I don't wonder what went wrong
I am not curious about the cause of our breakup.
But I wish your memory would leave me alone
I hope to be able to move on and forget about you.
Now and forever
You believed our love would last forever.
I sit alone in this empty house
I am currently in our shared house by myself.
And your voice just like a ghost
I hear your voice even though you are not here.
It comes to me
I cannot control these memories of you.
Chill passes through me
This experience is distressing and physical.
I packed your clothes and photographs
I gathered your belongings to return to you.
Sent your little treasures back to where you're living
You have another place where you are currently residing.
Guess now I'm forgiven
By returning your belongings, it feels like I have made amends for any mistakes I made in our relationship.
I can't believe it's true
I am struggling to accept the fact that our love did not last forever.
I thought I'd always be in love with you
I believed that our relationship would stand the test of time.
Solo
Instrumental break in the song.
My life goes on just like before
I am continuing with my day-to-day life.
In and out of closing doors
I am encountering various opportunities and obstacles.
I don't love it
I am not particularly fond of this experience.
But I learn to rise above it
I am developing a capacity to handle these challenges with maturity.
I found a girl now who will love me the way I want her to
I have found a new partner who is able to meet my emotional needs.
She don't shout it
This new partner is not as vocal about their love as you were.
We don't ever talk about it
We do not need to constantly communicate our love for each other.
I can't believe it's true
I am still coming to terms with the fact that what I thought was forever love did not last.
I thought I'd always be in love with you
I believed that our love would be a constant throughout my life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GREG KEELOR, JIM CUDDY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind