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.
Hate It When I See You Cry
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To break in the sunlight
Heading full speed downtown
But here inside it
In the last compartment
Feels like the suns never coming around
But I know
Cuz, we're together
Your luck will be the same
You know I hate when I see you cry
I hate it when i see you cry
Useta be so easy
We were lost in eachother
Just wild through the days
And other peoples troubles
In the morning paper
Just Seemed a million miles away
Before We knew it
The luck was ours
It meant bad news
When I brought you flowers
You know I hate it when I see you cry
I hate when I see you cry
I hate when I see you cry
I hate when I see you cry
Hope is rare
So when I feel it I try
To share it with you
And I'll tell you why
I never get use to it
And You know I cant lie
Its a fact of life
You Know I cant deny
You know I hate it when I see you cry
I hate it when I see you cry
I hate it when I see you cry(x7)
The song "Hate It When I See You Cry" by Colin James has biographical roots. It tells a story of a couple (possibly the artist himself and his lover) going through a rough patch in their relationship But despite the challenges, they stay together and try to find reasons to be hopeful. The first verse sets the scene of a dark, cramped train compartment heading downtown, while the singer feels like the sun will never shine again. However, he convinces himself that things will get better because they are together, and thus, their lucks should change. The chorus underscores the emotional crux of the song: the artist hates to see his lover cry, showing his empathetic character, and by extension, the affection he has for his significant other.
The second verse is a reminiscence of the past when the two lovers were carefree and in love with each other. They indulged in each other's company and never bothered much about the world around them. But as the saying goes, all good things come to an end; the luck turned sour, and the singer can't bring himself to buy flowers anymore, as they are portents of bad news. The chorus is repeated twice after the second verse, emphasizing the overarching theme: the singer's deep-seated dislike for seeing his lover sad.
The bridge section of the song heightens the sentiment of hope. The singer acknowledges that hope is hard to come by, but when he feels it, he wants to share it with his lover. He admits that he never gets used to seeing her cry, and it's an ineluctable part of their relationship, but he can't deny the struggles they both face. The song ends with a final repetition of the chorus where the artist reaffirms his love for his partner.
Overall, the song's lyrical interpretation suggests that despite life's ups and downs, the couple deeply cares for each other and tries to find reasons to be hopeful. It portrays a realistic picture of a relationship: one where you are happy, and then suddenly, life hits you with a curveball, but you try to hold on to each other through the hard times.
Line by Line Meaning
Train is ready
The singer is ready to move forward.
To break in the sunlight
The singer is ready to embrace new opportunities.
Heading full speed downtown
The singer is moving towards progress.
But here inside it
Despite moving forward, the artist feels stuck in the past.
In the last compartment
The artist feels isolated and alone.
Feels like the suns never coming around
The singer is struggling to find hope.
But I know
Despite the struggle, the singer has faith.
The luck's is gonna change
The artist believes that their situation will improve.
Cuz, we're together
The artist finds strength in their relationship with someone else.
Your luck will be the same
The artist believes that their partner's fortune will mirror their own.
You know I hate when I see you cry
The singer dislikes seeing their loved one in pain.
I hate it when i see you cry
The artist feels a strong aversion to their loved one's tears.
Useta be so easy
The past was much simpler and carefree.
We were lost in eachother
The singer and their loved one were deeply connected.
Just wild through the days
The singer and their loved one had a sense of freedom and abandon.
And other peoples troubles
The problems of others did not affect the artist's relationship.
In the morning paper
The news seemed distant and unimportant.
Just Seemed a million miles away
The singer felt far removed from the problems of the world.
Before We knew it
The relationship changed suddenly.
The luck was ours
The artist and their loved one had good fortune.
It meant bad news
The arrival of flowers signaled a negative change.
When I brought you flowers
The act of giving flowers was associated with a negative outcome.
Hope is rare
Finding optimism in hard times is difficult.
So when I feel it I try
The artist tries to hang onto hope when they feel it.
To share it with you
The singer wants to spread optimism to their loved one.
And I'll tell you why
The singer has an explanation for why they want to share hope.
I never get use to it
The singer has not grown accustomed to seeing their loved one cry.
And You know I cant lie
The artist is being honest about their feelings.
Its a fact of life
The reality of life is that there will be hard times.
You Know I cant deny
The singer cannot ignore their loved one's pain.
I hate it when I see you cry(x7)
The repetition emphasizes the singer's strong feelings towards their loved one's tears.
Contributed by Gianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.