The BoDeans worked with T-Bone Burnett on their debut album, Love & Hope & Sex & Dreams, which appeared in 1986 to warm reviews. They recruited another big-name producer, Talking Head Jerry Harrison, to helm 1987's Outside Looking In, which found the band reduced to a trio after the departure of Hoffman. Outside Looking In broke into the Billboard Top 100, and the BoDeans grew their audience by touring alongside U2, appearing on Robbie Robertson's self-titled solo album, and receiving the honor of Best New Band by Rolling Stone magazine. By the time they released their third album, Home, in 1989, keyboardist Michael Ramos and drummer Danny Gayol had joined. This lineup stayed intact for the release of 1991's Black and White, but the BoDeans went without a drummer once again on their next recording, Go Slow Down.
Following the release of a double-disc live album, Joe Dirt Car, the band returned in 1996 with Blend. Around the time of Blend's release, "Closer to Free" -- a song that had originally appeared on 1993's Go Slow Down -- became a hit, due in large part to its exposure as the theme song for the TV show Party of Five. "Closer to Free" eventually cracked the Top 20, becoming the most successful single of the band's career. The BoDeans were arguably more popular than ever, but the band took a break during the late '90s, with both frontmen devoting time to their solo careers.
By 2004, the band had reconvened and signed with a new label, Zoe. Resolution was released that year, followed in 2005 by Homebrewed: Live from the Pabst. Griffin left the group in 2006 and was replaced by Eric Holden, who appeared on 2008's Still. By this point, the bandmates had found a new home on 429 Records, and they remained with that label for the release of Mr. Sad Clown in 2010 and Indigo Dreams in 2011. That same year saw the departure of Llanas, citing "differences of opinion." The band's 11th studio album, American Made, arrived the following year on the band's own Free & Alive label, and was the first with Neumann as sole leader. The BoDeans toured extensively in support of the release, and in 2014 began work on their next studio project. Released in 2015, I Cant Stop featured a new BoDeans lineup anchored by Neumann, guitarist and multi-instrumentalist Sam Hawksley, bassist Eric Holden, and drummer Kenny Aronoff, the latter a well-respected journeyman musician who had played on several BoDeans recording sessions in the '90s. In June 2016, the BoDeans brought out a single, "My Hometown," with the release benefiting the Milwaukee County Historical Society. The single was a preview of the group's next album; titled Thirteen, the 11-song set was released in April 2017.
Cold Winter's Day
BoDeans Lyrics
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To see how I was
I told him I wasn't complaining much
I said, "Come over and see me
We'll talk for a while"
He said, "Good, I hate phones
I'm only a mile away"
It's been a cold winter's day
He said that his life wasn't going
Quite like he had planned
He didn't know it would be so hard to...
Just trying to raise up a family
A car and new shoes
Sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose it all
I poured us more bourbon and water
And toasted the Clash
Then we started to laugh
Oh yeah
The BoDean's song "Cold Winter's Day" tells the story of a conversation between two friends who haven't seen each other in a long time but reconnect on Christmas. The singer's friend is struggling with the challenges of life and feels like things aren't going according to plan, specifically in regards to raising a family, affording a car and new shoes. The singer empathizes with his friend but tries to lift his spirits and make him feel better by pouring more bourbon and water, toasting to the Clash, and laughing with him.
The song is a poignant reminder of the importance of friendship and supporting those we care about through difficult times. The singer subtly acknowledges the difficulties of life and the fact that things don't always go according to plan, but also tries to offer hope and support to his friend. The imagery of a cold, bleak winter's day underscores the feelings of isolation and loneliness that can sometimes come with struggling through hard times, but the warmth of the bourbon and the laughter shared by the two friends suggests that there is still a sense of joy and connection to be found in the midst of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
An old friend, he called me on Christmas
On Christmas, an old friend called me up to catch up.
To see how I was
He wanted to know how I was doing.
I told him I wasn't complaining much
I told him I was doing okay, even though things have been tough.
I said, "Come over and see me
We'll talk for a while"
I invited him over to chat with me for some time.
He said, "Good, I hate phones
I'm only a mile away"
He preferred meeting face-to-face rather than talking on the phone, and said he's close by.
It's been a cold winter's day
The day we met was cold and harsh.
It's been a long black night
The night before had been a long and tough one.
He said that his life wasn't going
Quite like he had planned
My friend shared that his life wasn't turning out the way he had imagined it would.
He didn't know it would be so hard to...
He didn't expect things to be so challenging.
Just trying to raise up a family
A car and new shoes
He's working hard to provide for his family, and balance his daily life activities.
Sometimes I feel like I'm going to lose it all
He sometimes feels like he could lose everything he has.
I poured us more bourbon and water
And toasted the Clash
To ease the mood, I poured more drinks and we toasted to one of his favorite bands: The Clash.
Then we started to laugh
Oh yeah
As the conversation became lighter, we laughed out loud.
Contributed by Alyssa H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.