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.
Please
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
Please baby, please please baby
When I get my money I will give you my last dime
When you left me babe, you left me feeling so blue
You know that I didn't love no-one but you
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
I'm so blue baby, I'm, I'm so blue baby
I can't sleep at night I can't hardly talk from crying
You know baby, you, you know baby
You always forever on my mind
Since you've been gone I can't sleep at night
Why don't you take my meals I can't eat a bite
Please baby, please please baby
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
When you left me babe you left me feeling so blue
You know that I didn't love no-one but you
Please baby, please please baby
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
Colin James's song "Please" is a classic blues ballad about a man pleading for his lover to come back to him. The repetition of "please baby" emphasizes the desperation and longing of the singer, who can't sleep or eat since his lover left him feeling blue. He offers everything he has, even his last dime, to win back her affection. However, the song also reveals a deeper layer of emotion as the singer confesses that he never loved anyone but her.
The blues style of the song lends itself to a slow, mournful tone which reflects the singer's profound sense of loss. By using simple language and repetition, "Please" speaks to a universal experience of heartbreak and longing. The song also illustrates the complex nature of love, where someone can be so essential to one's being that their absence causes physical and emotional pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Please baby, please please baby
The singer is desperate for their lover to return and is pleading for them to come back.
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
The singer is referring to themselves as the lover's 'daddy' and is asking them to return one more time.
When I get my money I will give you my last dime
The singer promises to give their lover everything they have when they have the means to do so.
When you left me babe, you left me feeling so blue
The artist was devastated by their lover leaving and has been feeling sad and down since they left.
You know that I didn't love no-one but you
The artist is proclaiming their love for their lover and telling them that they are the only one they have ever loved.
I'm so blue baby, I'm, I'm so blue baby
The singer is reiterating how sad and down they have been feeling since their lover left.
I can't sleep at night I can't hardly talk from crying
The singer is having trouble sleeping and speaking due to the intense emotional pain they are feeling.
You know baby, you, you know baby
The artist is addressing their lover and reminding them that they know just how much they mean to them.
You always forever on my mind
The artist can't stop thinking about their lover, even when they try to distract themselves.
Why don't you take my meals I can't eat a bite
The artist has lost their appetite since their lover left and is asking them to take their meals since they can't eat.
Please baby, please please baby
The singer is repeating their plea for their lover to come back to them.
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
The artist is repeating their request for their lover to return to them one more time.
When you left me babe you left me feeling so blue
The singer is reminding their lover how much they were hurt by their departure.
You know that I didn't love no-one but you
The singer is again professing their love for their lover and reiterating that they have never loved anyone else.
Please baby, please please baby
The singer's desperation and pleading for their lover to come back continues.
Won't you come back to your daddy one more time
The artist is once again asking their lover to come back to them one more time as their desperation intensifies.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: J. WAYNE, R. ELLEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind