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.
Lonely Avenue
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the sun don't ever shine through
And I've been so sad and lonely
Since I broke off, baby, with you
[Chorus]
I live on a lonely avenue
Since you said that we were through
And it's all because of you
I could cry or I could die
I live on a lonely avenue
Yes I do, lonely avenue
Well, my pillow is made of lead
And my cover is made of stone
And I toss and turn every night
I'm not used to being alone
[Chorus]
Baby,
I could cry, yeah, I could die
I live on a lonely avenue
Don't you know children it's a lonely avenue
Play your guitar
Oh children, this is a lonely avenue
Well, my pillow is made of lead
And my cover is made of stone
But I toss and turn every night
I'm not used to being alone
[Chorus]
I could cry or I could die
Oh, I live on a lonely avenue
Lord, ain't this a lonely avenue
Well, well, it's a lonely avenue, tell him now
I live on a lonely avenue
The song "Lonely Avenue" by Colin James talks about the feelings of loneliness and despair after a difficult breakup. Through vivid imagery, James describes his situation as being trapped in a room with two windows, but the sun never shines through them. This metaphor is used to convey the sense of hopelessness that comes with being alone.
The chorus repeats the title phrase, “I live on a lonely avenue, since you said that we were through,” emphasizing James’s emotional state. He goes on to say, “I could cry or I could die,” which further highlights the depth of his despair. The song ends with James pleading with the listener to understand his pain, saying “don’t you know children it's a lonely avenue.”
Overall, “Lonely Avenue” is a powerful and moving song that captures the feeling of isolation and heartbreak that often follows a difficult breakup. James’s soulful voice and poignant lyrics make this song a true classic.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, my room has got two windows
The singer’s room has two windows but the sun never shines through, indicating that it is always dark and gloomy.
And I've been so sad and lonely
The singer has been feeling sad and alone.
Since I broke off, baby, with you
The reason for the singer’s loneliness is that they broke up with their partner.
I live on a lonely avenue
The artist is living a lonely life.
Since you said that we were through
The artist’s partner said that the relationship is over, causing him to feel lonely.
I could cry or I could die
The singer is so sad that he feels like crying or even dying.
Yes I do, lonely avenue
The singer confirms that he is indeed living on a lonely avenue.
Well, my pillow is made of lead
The artist's pillow feels heavy and uncomfortable, adding to their difficulty sleeping.
And my cover is made of stone
The artist’s blanket feels hard and uninviting, making sleep uncomfortable and difficult.
I'm not used to being alone
The artist is not accustomed to being alone and is having a hard time adjusting.
Don't you know children it's a lonely avenue
The singer is addressing the listeners, emphasizing that a life of loneliness is difficult.
Well, well, it's a lonely avenue, tell him now
The artist is once again reiterating that living on a lonely avenue is a hard and lonely life.
Lord, ain't this a lonely avenue
The singer refers to their life as a “lonely avenue” and asks for divine intervention to help them feel better.
Lyrics © POMUS SONGS, INC. , Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOC POMUS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind