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.
Of All the Things to Throw Away
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Getting to know every crack in the wall
If there's a good reason for this
It's a secret you're keeping
Can't make a move and I don't know why
As if I don't have the reason to try
But the sun keeps coming around
You're going away now baby
With nothing to say
And nothing makes sense to me lately
Of all the things to throw away
It's like cleaning up the streets after the fireworks
All of this beauty's turned to dust and to dirt
No relief from the light of dawn
When it takes over
I'm hoping you feel something missing
That you had yesterday
I'm wondering what you were thinking
And I'm wondering now
Of all the things to throw away
Of all the things to throw away
You're gone away from me
All I've got to say
I'm hoping you come to your senses
All the things to throw away
All the things to throw away
Don't you think it's fair to say
Lot of things to throw away
Throw it away
I'm throwing away
I'm drivin' crazy
All the things to throw away
The song "Of All the Things to Throw Away" by Colin James seems to be about a relationship that has come to an end. The singer of the song is disappointed that his lover hasn't called him, and he finds himself in a state of confusion, not knowing why he can't make a move. The sun keeps coming around as he stays up without sleeping, trying to figure out why his lover is leaving him. Colin James's melancholic voice creates a poignant atmosphere, capturing the emotions and the sadness of the situation. It is as if he knows there’s nothing he can do to prevent the inevitable. The chorus emphasizes the feeling of helplessness and loss as the person leaves without any explanation, and everything seems to be falling apart. The last verse suggests that he's hoping his lover realizes what they are leaving behind and that they'll come back to their senses.
The lyrics suggest a theme of regret and missed opportunities, as if the singer is only beginning to realize everything that is lost when someone goes away. It seems as though the singer has been left without any tangible explanation, creating a frustrating sense of abandonment. The song is full of vivid imagery, like when James sings "It's like cleaning up the streets after the fireworks," creating a metaphor for loss and trying to move on. Overall, the song conveys a sense of loss, regret, and sadness, all emotions that many people go through when dealing with the end of a relationship.
Line by Line Meaning
Another day passes and you don't call
I'm noticing the passing of time without hearing from you
Getting to know every crack in the wall
I've been spending a lot of time alone, noticing every detail around me
If there's a good reason for this
I'm trying to find an explanation for your absence
It's a secret you're keeping
But whatever it is, you haven't shared it with me
Can't make a move and I don't know why
I feel paralyzed and stuck, without understanding why
As if I don't have the reason to try
It's like I've lost my motivation and purpose
But the sun keeps coming around
Even though I'm not sleeping, the world keeps moving as usual
Without me sleeping
I'm awake, but my mind is racing and restless
You're going away now baby
I can tell that you're leaving soon
With nothing to say
But you're not giving me any explanation or closure
And nothing makes sense to me lately
I'm feeling confused and lost without you
Of all the things to throw away
I can't understand why we're throwing away our relationship
It's like cleaning up the streets after the fireworks
Everything was once beautiful and exciting, but now it's over and we're left with debris
All of this beauty's turned to dust and to dirt
Our love and connection has faded away into nothingness
No relief from the light of dawn
I can't escape the harsh reality of our breakup
When it takes over
It feels like grief and sadness have taken control of me
I'm hoping you feel something missing
I'm hoping you also feel the void left by our separation
That you had yesterday
That spark and love we once shared
I'm wondering what you were thinking
I can't help but wonder what led to the end of our relationship
And I'm wondering now
Even though it's too late, I'm still wondering and hoping for answers
Of all the things to throw away
I still can't believe we gave up on something so precious and valuable
You're gone away from me
You've physically left me and our relationship behind
All I've got to say
I don't have any words left to convince you or change your mind
I'm hoping you come to your senses
I'm still holding onto hope that you'll realize what we had and come back to me
All the things to throw away
I wish we hadn't let our love fall apart like this
Don't you think it's fair to say
It's reasonable to acknowledge the waste and loss of our relationship
Lot of things to throw away
We had so many shared experiences and memories that we're now disregarding
Throw it away
But I'm still holding onto the hope that we can salvage something from what's left
I'm throwing away
Even though it feels like all is lost, I'm still trying to let go of the past and move on
I'm drivin' crazy
But it's still driving me insane to think about what could have been
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: CRAIG WILLIAM ANDREW NORTHEY, DAVID GAMSON, COLIN JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jay ashton
i listen to this song , and i know what you.re saying .but its not worth hanging on if you have to think i can,t do it