Sometimes (2005) and Live (2007)
Green began releasing City and Colour songs on the Internet for fans to download in 2004. Eventually, he compiled and rewrote several of these songs to make his first album, Sometimes. The full length debut was released on November 1, 2005 to a good reception, described by one reviewer as "dynamically gentle and vulnerable". The cover art was designed by Scott McEwan, in a tattoo-esque style; Green "still may decide to have some of them inked at a later point in time". Sometimes was re-released on Vagrant Records on January 13, 2009, which was the first time the album was available in physical form in the United States.
Bring Me Your Love (2009)
Green's second album, Bring Me Your Love, was released on February 12, 2008 and features a wide array of instruments not used on his previous recordings (such as harmonica, banjo, drums and lap steel) giving it a more folk-influenced sound. The album also features collaborations with other musicians, such as Canadian musician Gordon Downie of The Tragically Hip on the track "Sleeping Sickness", and additional instrumentals done by Matt Sullivan and the members of Attack in Black. The lead single, "Waiting...", was released on Green's official MySpace page for the first time featuring a "making of" video. The album is named after a short story by Charles Bukowski. It is also a line sung in the closing track, "As Much As I Ever Could".
On September 26, 2008, City and Colour embarked on their first American tour, in support of Bring Me Your Love. On the tour, the band supported Tegan and Sara along with Girl in a Coma. This tour was followed by a headlining tour of the US in January 2009, with support from William Elliott Whitmore. In October 2008, Dine Alone Records announced a special 2-disc limited edition of Bring Me Your Love to be released on December 2, 2008. Only 6,000 copies are available; 5,000 in North America and 1,000 in Australia.[5] In Canada, when the record label put up the album on pre-sale on November 20, 2008, so many fans tried to pre-order it that the store's website crashed.
In January 2010, City and Colour embarked on an additional US headlining tour, again supporting Bring Me Your Love, with supporting act Lissie, and an additional UK tour in June 2010, supporting P!nk, along with Butch Walker, along with a few headlining dates. On these tours, Dallas Green performed two new songs by the titles of "Silver and Gold" and "O' Sister", as well as a couple of never-played-before covers - "Murderer", originally by Low, and "Grinnin' in the Face", originally by Son House.
Little Hell (2011)
On February 23, 2011, it was officially announced on the Dine Alone Records website that City and Colour's third album would be titled Little Hell and was set for release in June 2011. On March 23, 2011, the official track listing was posted on City and Colour's official website. On April 5, 2011, "Fragile Bird", the first single off Little Hell was released to the radio. The song had its world premiere on Australian radio station Triple J, where the band was touring at the time. The single became City and Colour's highest charting single, reaching No. 1 on the Canadian rock/alternative chart. On August 5, 2011, Alexisonfire announced their break-up. George Pettit wrote a message on the band's official website saying Dallas had been planning to leave to focus on City and Colour, as balancing the two bands had become too difficult.
The Hurry and The Harm (2013)
City and Colour announced the release of the new album entitled The Hurry and The Harm to be released on June 4, 2013. The song "Of Space and Time" was released on March 11, 2013 prior to the announcement of the new album. The song "Thirst"was released on April 1, 2013 on City and Colour's Soundcloud page.
If I Should Go Before You (2015)
City and Colour announced the release of the new album entitled If I Should Go Before You via Twitter and Facebook to be released on October 9, 2015. The sole lead single "Woman" was released exclusively on Beats 1 station on Apple Radio on July 15, 2015 hosted by Zane Lowe. Upon its release, the album garnered highly favourable reviews, with some suggesting it could be Green's finest work up to that point. Additionally, it achieved notable commercial success by securing the top spot as the band's first number one album on the Canadian iTunes Store. Furthermore, the album received multiple Juno Award nominations, including an Artist of the Year nod for Green, along with recognition for outstanding songwriting on tracks like "Blood", "Lover Come Back", and "Wasted Love".
Guide Me Back Home (2018)
In September 2018, City and Colour unveiled plans for a forthcoming compilation album titled "Guide Me Back Home (Live)" featuring live recordings from Dallas Green's 2017 "An Evening with City and Colour" solo Canadian tour. The digital release was scheduled for October 5, 2018, followed by a physical release on November 23, 2018, through Still Records, a record label established by Dallas Green himself as a subsidiary of Dine Alone. On September 21, 2018, three tracks from the album, namely "Casey's Song (Live in Banff, AB April 18th, 2017)", "Sensible Heart (Live in St. John's, NL May 14th, 2017)", and "As Much as I Ever Could (Live in Halifax, NS May 10th, 2017)" were made available for digital download. An additional trio of tracks, "The Girl (Live in Halifax, NS May 10th, 2017)", O' Sister (Live in Vernon, BC April 13th, 2017)", and "Lover Come Back (Live in Cornerbrook, NL May 15th, 2017)" were released one week later on September 21, 2018.
In April 2019, City and Colour had the privilege of being the opening act for Alice in Chains' Canadian tour, along with participating in three additional U.S. concerts in support of Alice in Chains' album Rainier Fog (2018) It's worth noting that Green has long been an avid fan of Alice in Chains and regards them as one of his early musical influences. During their joint performances, Green shared the stage with Alice in Chains for a rendition of their song "Nutshell," a track that Green often covered himself. These memorable collaborations took place at the Budweiser Gardens in London, Ontario on April 23, 2019, and at the FirstOntario Concert Hall in Hamilton on April 24, 2019. Furthermore, Green joined the band to perform "Got Me Wrong" on April 25 in Rama, April 27 in Montreal, and April 28 in Quebec. An especially meaningful moment occurred when Jerry Cantrell, Alice in Chains' guitarist and vocalist, gifted one of his guitars to Green after their joint performance at the MTELUS in Montreal on April 27, 2019. Green has since expressed that this gesture from Cantrell played a pivotal role in igniting his passion for playing the guitar.
A Pill for Loneliness (2019) and Low Songs (2020)
On June 3, 2019, the band made a highly-anticipated return with their first new song in four years, titled "Astronaut." Alongside this exciting release, they also unveiled plans for a 22-date North American tour set to kick off in October 2019. Building on the momentum, they dropped another single, "Strangers," on June 21.
Then, on August 15, 2019, City and Colour officially announced their album A Pill for Loneliness (2019). Just after midnight on August 16, they treated fans to a third single, "Living in Lightning." Reflecting on the album, Dallas Green shared, "I wrote a lot of dark songs and wrapped them in the most beautiful sounds we could find. There are personal connotations, but they're also relatable. I'm thankful for the opportunity to create." The album was eventually released on October 4, 2019, to the delight of their fanbase. Notably, in January 2020, the album received a Juno Award nomination in the Adult Alternative Album of the Year category.
Additionally, on June 19, 2020, Dallas released a two-track EP (titled Low Songs)featuring covers of songs by the band Low. This release was part of Bandcamp's 24-hour Juneteenth fundraiser for the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. A limited edition 7-inch physical version of the EP was also made available for pre-order through Dallas Green's webstore, with the proceeds going to the Black Youth! Pathway 2 Industry project.
The Love Still Held Me Near (2023)
On November 18, 2022, Dallas released a new single titled "Meant to Be" to critical acclaim. Shortly after, on January 22, 2023, he announced his seventh studio album The Love Still Held Me Near (2023)alongside the release of the second single off the album "Underground." The final single titled "Fucked It Up" released February 24, 2023. The full album released to streaming and physical on March 31, 2023 to critical acclaim.
Shortly after the start of 2023, Green and his band began his 2023 Australian Tour all around Australia for most of the spring. Then he started his 2023 "The Love Still Held Me Dear" Tour as he travelled all across the United States. In October, he performed a couple times in the UK as a part of the European leg of the tour. He has dates planned all throughout Winter 2023/2024 as a part of the Canadian leg of the tour.
www.cityandcolour.ca
www.myspace.com/dallasgreen
Blood
City and Colour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a good reason I must find
I want to put a few miles down
I'd like to feel my two feet on the ground
Another year's hard work done
I've paid for it with all of my blood
I've given you more than I'm worth
Because I know there's beauty buried beneath
The surface of what we see
All hopes left unfound
They lie between the wish and the well
The sound is just rising up
Mother birds feeding their young
The light of a brand new day
I think we've finally found a home in this place
And now I know there's beauty buried beneath
The surface of what we see
All hopes left unfound
They lie between the wish and the well
I know there's beauty buried beneath (beauty buried beneath)
There's beauty buried beneath (buried beneath)
I know there's beauty buried beneath (beauty buried beneath)
I know there's beauty buried beneath (beauty buried beneath)
Now I know there's beauty buried beneath
The surface of what we see
All hopes left unfound
They lie between the wish and the well
The lyrics to City and Colour's song "Blood" capture a sentiment of seeking and discovering beauty and meaning in life. The singer wants to slow down and take time to find something meaningful, to feel grounded and connected to the earth. He has worked hard, and now he wants to get his hands dirty and dig into the soil, searching for something precious buried beneath the surface. He knows that there is more to life than what is immediately visible, and he wants to uncover it.
The chorus emphasizes the idea of beauty buried beneath the surface of what we see, and how hope and possibility lie between our wishes and what we are able to attain. The imagery of mother birds feeding their young and the light of a new day suggest renewal and growth, a feeling of optimism that perhaps the singer has finally found his place and discovered something beautiful.
Overall, "Blood" is a song about seeking, discovery, and the hope that there is always something more to be found in life if we are willing to dig a little deeper and look a little harder.
Line by Line Meaning
I'd like to take my time
I want to move slowly as I have to find a good reason.
There's a good reason I must find
I am searching for a valid reason to do something.
I want to put a few miles down
I wish to travel a long distance.
I'd like to feel my two feet on the ground
I want to stand firmly on the ground.
Another year's hard work done
A year's difficult work finished.
I've paid for it with all of my blood
I've put in a lot of effort and dedication into it.
I've given you more than I'm worth
I have given more than I am capable of giving.
I want to dig my fingers into the earth
I want to connect with the earth and nature.
Because I know there's beauty buried beneath
I am aware of the hidden loveliness within things.
The surface of what we see
Only the outer layer of things that we observe.
All hopes left unfound
Every hope that remains undiscovered.
They lie between the wish and the well
Prospects can be found in the space between expectation and action.
The sound is just rising up
The noises are just starting to become noticeable.
Mother birds feeding their young
The parent birds are feeding their offspring.
The light of a brand new day
The sunrise of a new day.
I think we've finally found a home in this place
We may have found a place where we belong finally.
Now I know there's beauty buried beneath (beauty buried beneath)
I am now sure that hidden beauty exists.
There's beauty buried beneath (buried beneath)
Lovely things aren't always apparent on the surface.
All hopes left unfound
Every hope that remains undiscovered.
They lie between the wish and the well
Prospects can be found in the space between expectation and action.
I know there's beauty buried beneath (beauty buried beneath)
I am certain there is concealed beauty in the world.
I know there's beauty buried beneath (beauty buried beneath)
I am sure that hidden loveliness exists.
Now I know there's beauty buried beneath
I am now certain that hidden beauty exists.
The surface of what we see
Only the outer layer of things that we observe.
All hopes left unfound
Every hope that remains undiscovered.
They lie between the wish and the well
Prospects can be found in the space between expectation and action.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Dallas Green
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gonçalo Gomes
"Blood"
I'd like to take my time
There's a good reason I must find
I want to put a few miles down
I'd like to feel my two feet on the ground
Another year's hard work done
I've paid for it with all of my blood
I've given you more than I'm worth
I want to dig my fingers into the earth
Because I know there's beauty buried beneath
The surface of what we seek
All hopes left unfound
They lie between the wish and the well
The sun is just rising up
Mother birds feeding their young
The light of a brand new day
I think we've finally found a home in this place
Now I know there's beauty buried beneath
The surface of what we seek
All hopes left unfound
They lie between the wish and the well
I know there's beauty buried beneath
There's beauty buried beneath
I know there's beauty buried beneath
There's beauty buried beneath
I know there's beauty buried beneath
(There's beauty buried beneath)
Now I know there's beauty buried beneath
The surface of what we seek
All hopes left unfound
They lie between the wish and the well
SadBadge
This song encapsulates everything I love about Dallas' writing style.
"I've played for it with all of my blood..."
That line really puts me in the mind that Dallas is trying to convey to us how much of his being he puts into his music for us, and I'm so appreciative of that. His music has inspired musically AND emotionally.
Can't wait to go see them in Memphis I'm January. He's playing a pretty small venue, so I may get to meet him.
I'd fucking lose it if that happened.
John Pattee
This is one of the most profoundly beautiful sings I think he's ever written. Easily my favourite on the album without question.
Tony Sproule
I couldn't agree more!
Dani B
+Megan Nelson you are so righttttt
Megan Nelson
The slow build is beautiful.
Holden Horvath
This song hits me in a different way than most of Mr. Greens songs do.There are multiple ways I interpret this song, which is why I love it so much. But one big message i get from this song (personally), is to just slow down. Take a second to breathe and soak in your surrounding, your life. Find a home in the place you're at, look beneath the surface, and just be at ease with yourself. Hope will follow. Welp, there's my two cents. Thanks again for being an excellent musician, and writer Dallas. I know we all appreciate it!
Holden Horvath
+Andy Smith that sounds like something that would be extremely serene and life changing after a long day. Thanks for telling me that, I now keep picturing this shoreline you're referring too. It sounds amazing in my head, can't imagine what it would feel like in real life.
Holden Horvath
Youre more than welcome and it warms my soul knowing that i helped someone out, so thank you as well. :) hope things get better!
OliviaTrussler
Ive been listening to his music for years. How did I not come accross this song sooner! One of the most beautiful songs written. Thank you Dallas❤
B AsILayDying M
This song literally got me outta my depression better the any anti depression meds ever will and that's what big pharma doesnt want you to know!
chrisissocoylike
Wow.