Burton Cummings; singer, pianist, songwriter was born in the Canadian city … Read Full Bio ↴Burton Cummings; singer, pianist, songwriter was born in the Canadian city of Winnipeg on December 31st, 1947. He played with a band called the Deverons before joining The Guess Who as lead vocalist in 1965. After spending ten years with that band, he decided to pursue a solo career. His first self-titled album was released in 1976. The single, "Stand Tall," sold over a million copies. He has written and co-written many of The Guess Who's tracks, as well as his own singles. After breaking up with The Guess Who and going it alone, Cummings ultimately made the move to Sherman Oaks, California and began writing and singing for films in the late 1970's. He currently winters in California and returns to Winnipeg in the summer, living in Canada throughout autumn. He also co-starred in the movie "Melanie."

Up In The Canyon
Burton Cummings Lyrics

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Some folks are walkin' round prayin' for rain
Others like the weather fair
Some are standin' waitin' for a summer breeze
I tell you that I just don't care
'Cause I'm up in the canyon
I'm up on a hill
I'm up in the canyon
I'm gettin' my fill

Some folks are sayin' that the big one's comin'
To me it's just a bucket of talk
Stayin' where I am and I don't give a damn
'Cause I'm sittin' on a solid rock
Yeah I'm up in the canyon
I'm up on a hill
I'm up in the canyon
Gettin' my fill

And could you keep me far above where they got the factories
And could you keep me far above where they keep the freeways
And could you keep me far above where they got the autos
And keep me so far above where they steal the hubcaps
And keep me so far above, far above, far above
All of those brown skies

I'm not really curious who my neighbors are
We'll never be the best of friends
Once or twice a year if it's a special day
I might send them my polite amends
But I'm up in the canyon
I'm up on a hill
I'm up in the canyon
I'm gettin' my fill

And could you keep me far above where they got the factories
And keep me so far above where they got the freeways
And keep me so far above where they wear the gasmasks
And keep me so far above whee they steal the hubcaps

And keep me so far above, far above, far above
All of those brown skies

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Burton Cummings’s song “Up in the Canyon” describe the singer’s desire to escape the chaos and pollution of modern life and take refuge in nature. The song opens with a contrast between those who pray for rain and those who prefer fair weather, but the singer claims that he doesn’t care about either because he is up in the canyon, getting his fill of nature. He further emphasizes his disinterest in worldly concerns by referencing the possibility of earthquakes and stating that he doesn’t give a damn because he’s sitting on a solid rock.

The second verse continues the theme of the singer’s desire to escape from modern life, with references to factories, freeways, and polluted skies. He asks to be kept “far above” these things, emphasizing his desire to distance himself from the pollution and harm caused by industrialization. The final verse highlights the singer’s lack of interest in his neighbors and his preference for solitude. He sends them “polite amends” only on special occasions and is content to enjoy the peace and beauty of nature up in the canyon.

Overall, “Up in the Canyon” can be interpreted as a commentary on the negative impacts of modern life on the environment and human well-being. The song portrays nature as a sanctuary from these problems, a place where one can find peace and fulfillment away from the noise and pollution of the city.

Line by Line Meaning

Some folks are walkin' round prayin' for rain
There are people praying for rain.

Others like the weather fair
There are people who are happy with the current weather.

Some are standin' waitin' for a summer breeze
There are people waiting for a summer breeze.

I tell you that I just don't care
I don't care about any of that.

'Cause I'm up in the canyon
I am in the canyon.

I'm up on a hill
I am on a hill.

I'm up in the canyon
I am in the canyon.

I'm gettin' my fill
I am getting enough of what I need.

Some folks are sayin' that the big one's comin'
Some people are saying that a major event is going to happen soon.

To me it's just a bucket of talk
To me it's just people talking and nothing more.

Stayin' where I am and I don't give a damn
I don't care and I am staying where I am.

'Cause I'm sittin' on a solid rock
I am content with my surroundings because I am on a stable rock.

And could you keep me far above where they got the factories
I don't want to be near any factories.

And could you keep me far above where they keep the freeways
I don't want to be near any highways.

And could you keep me far above where they got the autos
I don't want to be near automobiles.

And keep me so far above where they steal the hubcaps
I don't want to be near any areas where people are stealing hubcaps.

And keep me so far above, far above, far above
Keep me far away from everything I just mentioned.

All of those brown skies
I want to avoid the polluted air.

I'm not really curious who my neighbors are
I am not interested in getting to know my neighbors.

We'll never be the best of friends
We will never be extremely close friends.

Once or twice a year if it's a special day
I may try to make an effort to be polite once or twice a year if there's a special occasion.

I might send them my polite amends
I might send them a polite message.

But I'm up in the canyon
I am still in the canyon.

I'm up on a hill
I am still on a hill.

I'm up in the canyon
I am still in the canyon.

I'm gettin' my fill
I am still content with what I have.

And keep me so far above where they wear the gasmasks
I want to avoid areas with so much pollution that people are wearing gasmasks.

And keep me so far above whee they steal the hubcaps
I want to be far away from people who are stealing hubcaps.

And keep me so far above, far above, far above
I want to be kept far away from dangerous or harmful things.

All of those brown skies
I don't want to experience polluted skies.

Contributed by Connor D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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