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.
Just a Little Love
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close the door, come back inside
The horn of plenty for the lucky few
Lay it down and just abide
Don't get heavy
You don't want to speed
Just a little love love love is all you really need
And you find strangers, in your bed
Close your eyes, you don't want to see
What it's all supposed to mean
Don't fool yourself, get off your knees
Just a little love love love is all you really need
Just a little love, just a little love
Just a little love, just a little love
Just a little bit
You can go for money, go for broke
Spread your lies unholy ghost
Clean out your closet, open up your heart
You gotta make it right, from the very start
Won't you hand me down my sowing seeds
Just a little love love love Is all you really need
Just a little love, just a little love
Just a little love, just a little love
Just a little love, just a little love
Just a little
The song "Just a Little Love" by Colin James is about the search for meaning and fulfillment in life. The opening lines, "You don't know where you're going, close the door, come back inside" suggest a sense of confusion and uncertainty about life's direction. The "horn of plenty for the lucky few" is a reference to the material wealth and success that some people seem to enjoy with ease, while others struggle to make ends meet.
The chorus of the song, which repeats the phrase "just a little love love love is all you really need," suggests that instead of focusing on material possessions or worldly success, what really matters is love and connection. The verses describe the pitfalls of pursuing material success and the importance of opening up your heart and making things right from the start.
The smoke and strangers in the second verse suggest a hedonistic lifestyle that ultimately leaves the singer feeling empty and disconnected. The line "don't fool yourself, get off your knees" possibly refers to a rejection of religious doctrines or practices that are seen as artificial or empty.
Overall, the song is an exhortation to focus on what really matters in life: love, connection, and authenticity. The upbeat tempo and catchy chorus make it a feel-good anthem that encourages listeners to embrace these values.
Line by Line Meaning
You don't know where you're going
You're lost and unsure of your direction in life.
Close the door, come back inside
Take a step back and reassess your situation.
The horn of plenty for the lucky few
Success and wealth are often reserved for a select few.
Lay it down and just abide
Don't strive for material possessions and just be content with what you have.
Don't get heavy
Don't take life too seriously.
You don't want to speed
Don't rush through life, take your time and enjoy the ride.
Just a little love love love is all you really need
Love is the most important thing in life.
The smoke gets thick, around your head
Your mind is clouded with confusion and uncertainty.
And you find strangers, in your bed
You're struggling to form meaningful connections with people.
Close your eyes, you don't want to see
You're avoiding facing your problems.
What it's all supposed to mean
You're searching for the meaning of life.
Don't fool yourself, get off your knees
Stop pretending that everything is okay and take action to make things better.
Just a little love love love is all you really need
Love is more important than material possessions or money.
You can go for money, go for broke
You can work hard and take risks to achieve wealth and success.
Spread your lies unholy ghost
Don't deceive others for personal gain.
Clean out your closet, open up your heart
Let go of negative emotions and open yourself up to love and positivity.
You gotta make it right, from the very start
You have to choose the right path from the beginning to achieve happiness and fulfillment.
Won't you hand me down my sowing seeds
Bring me the tools to cultivate love and positivity in my life.
Just a little love love love Is all you really need
Love is more important than anything else in life.
Just a little love, just a little love
A small amount of love can go a long way in making a difference.
Just a little love, just a little love
Love is simple and easy to give.
Just a little love, just a little love
Love is what the world needs more of.
Just a little
Love is all you need.
Writer(s): COLIN JAMES MUNN, TOM WILSON
Contributed by Allison I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.