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
Ladies and Gentlemen
City and Colour Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through your blood
It's the broken levee
That brought the flood
It's the loaded barrel of a gun
There is darkness roaming
Through everything
But, the bitter souls
Who will never rest
Good luck,
Ladies and Gentlemen
It's all the days when
You're lacking love
And you hear the cry from
The morning dove
Then you feel the breath
Leave your lungs
There is darkness roaming
Through everything
Evil urges awakening
The bitter souls
Who will never rest
Good luck,
Ladies and Gentlemen
In the song Ladies and Gentlemen, City and Colour delves into the darkness that pervades our lives, causing chaos and turmoil. The song opens with the reference to a deadly poison coursing through one's veins, suggesting that something sinister is at work here. The broken levee that brought the flood represents a loss of control, a surging wave of emotion that is difficult to contain. It's almost as if the singer is describing a world where our worst fears and nightmares are coming true.
The loaded barrel of a gun is a metaphor for the dangers that lurk within us. The darkness in our souls can be unleashed at any moment, causing harm and destruction to ourselves and others. The song acknowledges the evil urges that sometimes awaken within us, leading us down a destructive path. Despite this, the singer wishes the bitter souls good luck, almost as if to say that even they deserve a chance to find redemption.
The second half of the song focuses on the despair that can set in when we feel unloved and alone. The cry of the morning dove serves as a reminder that hope still exists, even in the darkest of times. But the feeling of breath leaving one's lungs gives the sense of suffocation, representing the overwhelming despair that can sometimes grip us. The darkness roaming through everything represents the pervasive feeling of hopelessness that can pervade our lives.
Overall, Ladies and Gentlemen is a powerful reminder of the darkness that can exist within us and within the world around us. It's a call to acknowledge the dangers that exist and to strive to find the light even in the darkest moments.
Line by Line Meaning
It's the poison running
Referring to negative thoughts and emotions that slowly seep into a person's mind and cause harm.
Through your blood
This negativity is making a deep impact on the person and spreading like poison.
It's the broken levee
Highlighting past events that led to emotional damage, much like a broken levee that brings in a flood of water.
That brought the flood
The emotional damage leads to overwhelming feelings that are hard to cope with.
It's the loaded barrel of a gun
The line serves as a metaphor to convey that the negativity within a person can be dangerous, much like a loaded gun.
There is darkness roaming
Acknowledging that negativity exists in the world and can affect everything around it.
Through everything
No matter what is happening, negativity can still find its way into a person's thoughts and create chaos.
Evil urges awakening
As the darkness grows, it can awaken a person's negative impulses.
But, the bitter souls
Referring to those who have been negatively affected and find it hard to move forward.
Who will never rest
These people are living with a burden that causes them to never truly find peace.
Good luck,
An expression of hope for the listener's future.
Ladies and Gentlemen
A general address to everyone listening that is meant to inspire and encourage.
It's all the days when
Reflecting on the difficult times when life feels anything but kind.
You're lacking love
The feeling of being alone and unloved, which can lead to negative thoughts and emotions.
And you hear the cry from
A metaphorical representation of the sounds of the world that can highlight negative emotions, much like the cry of a bird.
The morning dove
The bird mentioned earlier as an example of how negative emotions can be perceived in different ways.
Then you feel the breath
As the negativity grows stronger, it can feel like it's taking away a person's source of life.
Leave your lungs
An expression to show how the negativity can feel like it's suffocating a person.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DALLAS GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind