Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto. Jim C… Read Full Bio ↴Blue Rodeo is a Canadian country rock band formed in 1984 in Toronto. Jim Cuddy and Greg Keelor, who have been friends since high school, having both attended North Toronto Collegiate Institute. The pair worked on forming a band after both attended Queen's University at Kingston. They had a few failed attempts and a few adventures before finally coming together with Cleave Anderson, Bazil Donovan, and Bob Wiseman to form Blue Rodeo. Their debut album Outskirts was produced by Terry Brown, who is perhaps best known for his work with Canadian hard rock legends Rush, was released in March 1987. They have been signed with Warner Music Canada since their debut, but have jumped around a bit in the USA and other markets, mostly on Warner Brothers, Rounder and recently re-signed with Warner Brothers International for the world.

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.

To Love Somebody
Blue Rodeo Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a light
A certain kind of light
That never shines on me
I want my life to be
Here with you
I want to be with you

There's a way

I hear everybody say
Just to do everything that I can
But what good will it do
If I can't have you
If I can't have you

Baby, you don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like

To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you

I'm a man
Can't you see that's what I am
Every breath that I take I take from you
But what good will breathing do
If I can't have you
If I can't have you

Baby, you don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like

No you don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like
You don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like

To love somebody
To love somebody
The way I love you
The way I love you

No you don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like
No you don't know what it's like
Ya just don't know what it's like

To love somebody
To love somebody

The way I love you
The way I love you

Overall Meaning

The Blue Rodeo’s cover of “To Love Somebody” is a heartfelt tribute to the original song written by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. The song’s lyrics center around the longing and desperation of unrequited love. From the outset, the singer talks about a certain kind of light that he never experiences, and he wishes to have his life with the person he loves. The repetition of the phrase “I want to be with you” highlights the intensity and depth of his feelings. The singer also hears everyone talking about doing everything they can to win the affection of their love interest, but he knows that it’s pointless if he can’t have the person he wants.

The chorus of the song, “to love somebody the way I love you,” underlines the depth of the singer’s adoration for the person, while also highlighting the fact that most people may not understand how it feels to love someone in such an intense manner. In the verse, the singer states that he is a man who takes every breath from the person he loves, which emphasizes the all-encompassing nature of his affections. In essence, the song is a reflection of one’s emotional vulnerability when experiencing the powerful and often-consuming feelings of love.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a light
Describes a certain type of light that doesn't shine upon the singer.

A certain kind of light
Clarifies that this specific type of light is what the singer is referring to.

That never shines on me
Reiterates the fact that the light does not shine on the singer.

I want my life to be
Expresses the artist's desire for something they currently do not have.

Here with you
Specifies that the artist's desire is to be with the person they are addressing.

I want to be with you
Repeats the singer's desire for the person they are addressing.

There's a way
Introduces an alternative solution to the issue the singer has been addressing.

I hear everybody say
Acknowledges the common nature of the advice the artist is receiving.

Just to do everything that I can
Explains the advice the artist has been receiving.

But what good will it do
Questions the effectiveness of the advice.

If I can't have you
Implies that the solution the singer wants involves being with the person they are addressing.

Baby, you don't know what it's like
Addresses the person the artist is directing the song toward and suggests that they cannot possibly understand the artist's emotions.

No you don't know what it's like
Repeats the singer's earlier assertion.

To love somebody
Specifies the exact feeling the singer is describing as being incomprehensible.

To love somebody
Reiterates the feeling being described.

The way I love you
Clarifies that the feeling being described is directed solely at the person being addressed.

I'm a man
Asserts the artist's gender identity.

Can't you see that's what I am
Asks the person being addressed to acknowledge the singer's gender identity.

Every breath that I take I take from you
Describes the breaths the singer takes as being directly connected to the person being addressed.

But what good will breathing do
Echoes the earlier question about the effectiveness of certain actions when the artist cannot be with the person they desire.

No you don't know what it's like
Repeats the refrain about the difficulty of understanding the artist's emotions.

No you don't know what it's like
Reiterates the point again for emphasis.

No you don't know what it's like
A third repetition of the previous points makes it clear how strongly the singer feels about the issue.

Ya just don't know what it's like
A slight variation on the refrain, but with a similar meaning.

To love somebody
The refrain is repeated one more time for emphasis.

To love somebody
The final refrain is sung once more before the song ends.

The way I love you
The final line of the song reiterates the focus on the singer's love being directed at the person being addressed.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network
Written by: Robin Hugh Gibb, Barry Alan Gibb

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS