James was only 18-years old when he captured the attention of guitar legend Stevie Ray Vaughan, who marveled at this prodigious guitar talent, and immediately decided to take him on the road through the Canadian prairies, and later the United States. It wasn't long after that the young musician began opening for the likes of John Lee Hooker, ZZ Top, Steve Winwood and Keith Richards, Colin's 1988 self-titled debut Colin James was the fastest-selling album in Canadian music history featuring the smash hits "Why'd You Lie?”, “Voodoo Thing” and “Five Long Years". It featured a team of three top producers, including Tom Dowd (Eric Clapton, Lynyrd Skynyrd, The Allman Brothers), Danny Kortchmar (Bon Jovi, Billy Joel, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Stevie Nicks, Neil Young) and Bob Rock (Jann Arden, Michael Bublé, Bush, The Cult, Loverboy, Sarah McLachlan, Metallica).
James followed up his record-breaking debut with a strong 1990 release, Sudden Stop, which was produced by Joe Hardy (.38 Special, Steve Earle, The Jeff Healey Band, ZZ Top ). This release has two top forty radio hits: "Just Came Back" and, "Keep On Loving Me Baby", and features Bonnie Raitt singing backing vocals on "Give It Up". This sophomore album further helped established Colin's integrity as an artist to lookout for.
James formed The Little Big Band in early 1990's and would eventually release a trilogy of CDs fronting this 1930's-50's style punchy horn section band, playing classics and originals featuring his stellar guitar fills and confident vocals. The first Colin James and The Little Big Band was released in 1993, and it was produced by Chris Kinsley (The Cult, Duran Duran, Psychedelic Furs, The Rolling Stones). The second Colin James and The Little Big Band II was released in 1998 on Warner Music, while the third, Colin James & The Little Big Band 3 was distributed on Maple Music in Canada and Universal Music Group globally in 2006, and he would eventually do a fourth with the band, a holiday album Colin James & The Little Big Band Christmas.
In 2008 he took home three Maple Blues Awards (Toronto Blues Society), which included Entertainer of the Year, while his release Limelight also went gold in Canada.
James released his twelfth album Rooftops and Satellites on October 6th, 2009, and it was a return to his guitar Blues-Rock roots. The album was primarily co-written by Tom Wilson (Junkhouse, Blackie and The Rodeo Kings, Lee Harvey Osmond) and Thomas "Tawgs" Salter, co-writer and producer of Lights' debut and Josh Groban's Awake, and it has generated four Canadian radio singles, “Man’s Gotta Be A Stone”, “Lost Again”, “Wavelength” and “Johnny Coolman.”
2011's 'Take It From The Top: The Best Of’ pays tribute to James's career's first 23 years and serves as a celebration of Colin’s return back where he started his recordings, Virgin/EMI. This Greatest Hits collection also features two newly recorded tracks, “It’s Gonna Be Alright“ as well as an innovative cover of the Buddy Miles' classic “Them Changes”, that were recorded in Vancouver with veteran producer Bob Rock (Michael Bublé, Metallica), reuniting the two after almost twenty years.
On June 12th, 2012, James released his fifteenth album, appropriately entitled Fifteen, which was produced by Joe Hardy (ZZ Top, Brooks & Dunn, Jeff Healey, Steve Earle), who had handled three of Colin's previous album productions including his successful sophomore release. Colin co-writes with Gordie Johnson (Big Sugar, Grady) on the opener “Sweets Gone Sour” and the rocker “I Need You Bad.” Colin also re-teamed with Tom Wilson and Thomas “Tawgs” Salter on four high-octane tracks, including the bluesy “No Time to Get There” and the driving “Stone Faith,” the album’s first single.
Fifteen also features two beautiful co-writes with Ron Sexsmith that reveal Colin’s seductive side: “Finally Wrote a Song for You”, a soulful love ballad; and “Shoulder to Cry On,” a moving acoustic number that highlights his vocal range, while closing the album. The disc also features some inspiring covers, including John Lennon's "Jealous Guy", Peter Green's (Fleetwood Mac) "Oh Well", [artis]Foy Vance’s gospel-tinged “Shed A Little Light,” and Allen Toussaint's funky "Sneakin' Sally Through The Alley", which has perhaps become best known by Robert Palmer's cover.
On February 3, 2015, James released Hearts On Fire which was produced by Colin Linden at House of Blues Studios in Nashville, and this twelve track collection is distributed by Universal Music. The title track and all but two of the songs were written or co-written by Colin.
In 2016, James was named an inductee into the Western Canadian Music Hall of Fame presented by FACTOR (The Canadian Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings). In addition to this honour, Colin headlined the Western Canadian Music Awards Show at Casino Regina on October 13th, 2016, kicking off BreakOut West’s 14th year of celebrating Western Canada’s talent.
James's studio album Blue Highways features thirteen Classic Blues covers from guitar-hero greats like Blind Willie McTell, Freddie King, Peter Green, and Robert Johnson. The CD was released on October 16th, 2016. Recording and Production was primarily handled in Vancouver by Colin James and Dave Meszaros, with recording and mixing assistance from Eric Mosher, Chris Stringer and Jason Jaknunas. Blue Highways is being distributed by True North Records, and iTunes.
Over his illustrious career, James has earned 16 Maple Blues Awards, and he has worked and toured with the 'who’s who' in the international music scene (in alphabetical order): Luther Allison, Jann Arden, The Chieftains, Albert Collins, Robert Cray, Tom Dowd, Buddy Guy, Johnny Hallyday, John Hammond Jr., Gordie Johnson, Albert King, Bobby King and Terry Evans, Danny Kortchmar, Lenny Kravitz, Little Feat, The Memphis Horns, Craig Northey, Bill Payne, Bonnie Raitt, Keith Richards, Bob Rock, The Rolling Stones, Roomful Of Blues, Carlos Santana, Mavis Staples, Roebuck "Pops" Staples, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Tom Wilson, Betty Wright and ZZ Top. In addition to writing most of his own material, his music has been covered by artists like Maria Muldaur, Johnny Halliday and Lucinda Williams.
Going Up to the Country
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Paint my mailbox blue
Gonna move up to the country
Paint my mailbox blue
Put some flowers on it baby
Paint some trailin' vines and dew
You know I'm leavin' L.A. baby
I'm leavin' L.A. baby
Don't you know this smog has got me down
I'm goin' up to the country
Where there ain't no doggone smog around
Well, come here baby
Sugar, let your papa take you by the hand
Well, come here baby
Sugar, let your papa take you by the hand
Well, you be my woman
And I'll be your city-boy, country man.
I'm gonna move up to the country
Gonna paint, gonna paint, gonna paint, my mailbox blue
Move up to the country
Gonna paint my mailbox blue
Put some flowers on it honey
Paint some trailin' vines and dew
The song "Going Up to the Country" by Colin James is a bluesy tribute to the simplicity and natural beauty of the country life. The lyrics focus on the singer's longing to leave the polluted and fast-paced environment of Los Angeles and move to the countryside where he can breathe fresh air and wake up to the sounds of nature. The chorus "Gonna move up to the country, paint my mailbox blue, put some flowers on it baby, paint some trailin' vines and dew" highlights the singer's desire to personalize his mailbox and make it more organic, colorful, and lively. The mailbox is a symbolic reference to his future home, which he wants to make more vibrant and welcoming.
The lines "Don't you know this smog's got me down" and "Where there ain't no doggone smog around" serve to emphasize the negative effects of living in a polluted city and the freedom and peace of mind that come with living in an unpolluted countryside. The reference to "city-boy, country man" suggests that the singer wants to embrace both worlds and merge them into a harmonious whole. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the singer asking his lover to come with him to the country where they can start a new life together.
Overall, the song Going Up to the Country is an ode to the timeless appeal of living close to nature and away from the artificial and stressful world of the city. It showcases Colin James's bluesy and soulful style while delivering a message of hope, renewal, and personal growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna move up to the country
I am planning to move to a rural area
Paint my mailbox blue
I want to decorate my mailbox with the color blue
Gonna move up to the country
Once again, I am declaring that I'm going to live in the countryside
Paint my mailbox blue
I still plan to paint my mailbox blue
Put some flowers on it baby
I will add some floral decorations to my mailbox
Paint some trailin' vines and dew
I plan to add some artistic designs to the mailbox with vines and dew
You know I'm leavin' L.A. baby
I have made up my mind to leave Los Angeles
Don't you know this smog's got me down
I feel depressed by Los Angeles's high levels of air pollution
I'm leavin' L.A. baby
I am repeating that I'm going to move out of Los Angeles
Don't you know this smog has got me down
I want to emphasize how serious my reaction to smog is
I'm goin' up to the country
I am certain that moving to the countryside is the best choice for me
Where there ain't no doggone smog around
I am happy that the countryside is free from pollution
Well, come here baby
I am calling my romantic partner
Sugar, let your papa take you by the hand
I am offering to take my partner's hand
Well, come here baby
I am repeating my invitation to my romantic partner
Sugar, let your papa take you by the hand
I am still offering to take my partner's hand
Well, you be my woman
I want my partner to be my romantic partner
And I'll be your city-boy, country man
I promise to be the kind of partner who can live in the city or countryside
I'm gonna move up to the country
I reiterate my plan to move to the countryside
Gonna paint, gonna paint, gonna paint, my mailbox blue
I am excited to paint my mailbox blue and am emphasizing my intention to do it
Move up to the country
I am repeating my desire to move to the countryside
Gonna paint my mailbox blue
I am reiterating this plan again
Put some flowers on it honey
I will add some floral decorations to my mailbox
Paint some trailin' vines and dew
I plan to add some artistic designs to the mailbox with vines and dew
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: TAJ MAHAL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind