He would go on to sign with the label releasing his first solo album in 1990 entitled A Crack In Time. In promotion of the album, Russell began touring extensively throughout Europe achieving a level of success he had yet to obtain back in the United States.
Russell would go on to release over a dozen albums on various labels. Throughout his career, he battled with drug and alcohol addiction and was arrested in Texas for cocaine possession in 1995.
On 3 April 2011, Russell died in Garfield, Texas, after a lengthy battle with liver cancer at the age of 62. He is survived by Swiss-born wife, Cynthia, who continues to live in Central Texas and son, Justin.
Wikipedia: Calvin Russell
Facebook: Calvin Russell
Rats And Roaches
Calvin Russell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
My old car wouldn't do a thing
Yeh, I turned the key this mornin'
My old car didn't do a thing
Must be some bad disconnection
Way down in the piston ring
Won't let me go to sleep at night
Rats and roaches down in the kitchen
Won't let me go to sleep at night
I know damn well those rats and roaches
Eatin' up all my welfare beans and rice
…
Well it's raining on me here
Stormin' on my deep blue sea
It's rainin' on me here
Stormin' on my deep blue sea
And I got a brown-headed lady
Makin' a crazy fool out of me
Well I turned ??? radio car
It didn't do a damn thing
Yeh, I turned the key this mornin
My old car didn't do a darn damn thing
Must be some bad disconnection
Way down in my piston ring
The singer in Calvin Russell's song "Rats and Roaches" is having a string of bad luck. As the song opens, he's attempting to start his car but it won't start. He suspects there is something wrong with the engine, specifically a bad disconnection deep down in the piston ring. This issue leads him to lament the rats and roaches down in his kitchen that are keeping him up at night. He knows darn well those pesky creatures are eating up all of his welfare beans and rice. However, the lyrics can be interpreted as being about more than just rats and roaches. They can be seen as representative of larger problems that are outside of one's control, causing them to feel trapped and unable to shake the cycle of poverty.
The song has a bluesy sound that is matched with simple and honest lyrics. The repetitive structure of the song with its recurring themes of bad luck, broken machinery, and the rat and roach infestation, highlights the sense of cyclical hopelessness experienced by the singer. The brown-headed lady who makes a crazy fool out of him may be seen as further exacerbating this sense of despair. The rain and storming on his deep blue sea seem to represent his tumultuous life and the obstacles that just keep piling up against him.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I turned the key this mornin'
I tried to start my car this morning
My old car wouldn't do a thing
My car wouldn't start
Yeh, I turned the key this mornin'
I attempted to start my car again
My old car didn't do a thing
My car still wouldn't start
Must be some bad disconnection
There must be a faulty electrical connection in my car
Way down in the piston ring
The problem is likely in the engine's piston ring
Rats and roaches down in the kitchen
I have a problem with pest infestation in my kitchen
Won't let me go to sleep at night
The noise and disturbance from the pests prevent me from sleeping
I know damn well those rats and roaches
I am fully aware that the pests are responsible
Eatin' up all my welfare beans and rice
The pests are consuming my food supply, which is my only means of sustenance
Well it's raining on me here
It is currently raining where I am
Stormin' on my deep blue sea
The stormy weather is making me feel overwhelmed and lost
And I got a brown-headed lady
There is a woman in my life
Makin' a crazy fool out of me
She is causing me to feel foolish or act in a foolish manner
Well I turned ??? radio car
It is unclear what happened with the car radio
It didn't do a damn thing
The car radio did not work when I tried to turn it on
Yeh, I turned the key this mornin
Once again, I tried to start my car
My old car didn't do a darn damn thing
Once again, my car refused to start
Must be some bad disconnection
There must be a faulty electrical connection preventing my car from starting
Way down in my piston ring
The problem is likely located in the engine's piston ring
Contributed by Evan B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
stefano bargagli
Calvin is an unforgettable artist.
David Winfrey
great music i am really greatful i knew him personally in the 80's and 90's good man will be missed
Mary Dean
Hey David I knew Russ for 5 decades and when he was down in Huntsville I visited him with his parents Daisy and Red they were a tight family in the late 60s he owned a 1969 Z-28 Camero 396 hp.and 4 on the floor he could drive just like he plays the Guitar!!! When he came back after Huntsville he came to our place in rual TX outside of Austin and we picked until the sun came up...He was as good a friend and Brother anyone could be blessed to know !!he taught me alot of my guitar lessons..and one of his last entries in his journal was Thanks for all the Support to anyone he touched in Life ! Every Fan ! Anywho missin Calvin and hoping one day to see him again...ol man way down in TX..JD Goodness Grace Happiness and good Health to all people of all Lands ! Peace !
Mike Babb
SImply great! Calvin was a great singer/songwriter -- and, entertainer in a real deal sort of way ... not a bad guitar player either. RIP man ...
Alicia Garcia
Es un genio ...me encanta !!!!!!!👏🌹🇦🇷🇦🇷💞🤣❤😘
Antonio Dias
This guy deserved much more fame!!GReat!!!
stefano bargagli
A band compsed by great musicians and with a really special sound.
alexandre lebigre
sublime , j'adore !!!!!!!
George Sedares
A special talent !
Pierre louis Piloix
Un des plus morceaux du Maître du genre
Un blues-rock de reve