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 Come Home For Christmas
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues
My baby's gone, I have no friends
To wish me greetings once again
Cries will be singing Silent Night
Christmas carols by candlelight
Please come home for Christmas
If not for Christmas, by New Years night
Friends and relations send salutations
Sure as the stars shine above
But this is Christmas, yes, Christmas, my dear
The time of year to be with the ones you love
So won't you tell me you'll never more roam?
Christmas and New Years will find you home
There'll be no more sorrow no grief and pain
And I'll be happy, happy once again
Oh, there'll be no more sorrow, no grief and pain
And I'll be happy, Christmas once again
The lyrics to Colin James's song "Please Come Home For Christmas" express the painful loneliness that can come with the holiday season when loved ones are not present. The opening lines set the somber tone, with the juxtaposition of cheerful ringing bells indicating the coming of a new year with the singer's feelings of heartache and despair. The chorus repeats the plea for the absent lover to return home, suggesting that even the smallest act of kindness, such as wishing the singer holiday greetings, would provide some comfort.
The second verse paints a picture of traditional holiday scenes, with carolers singing by candlelight, further emphasizing the contrast between the singer's lonely state and the festive surroundings. The bridge of the song highlights the importance of being with loved ones during the holidays and expresses the hope that the missing lover will find their way home by Christmas or at least New Year's. The song concludes with the promise of happiness and the end of sorrow once the beloved has returned.
Overall, the lyrics to "Please Come Home For Christmas" offer a poignant reminder of the emotional significance of spending time with loved ones during the holiday season. The repetition of the chorus keeps the plea for the loved one's return at the forefront, while the imagery in the verses underscores the singer's feelings of isolation and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Bells will be ringing this sad sad New Years
The sound of bells will be heard throughout New Year's, but the singer is feeling sad because his loved one is gone.
Oh, what a Christmas to have the blues
The singer is feeling blue because he is spending Christmas without his lover.
My baby's gone, I have no friends
The singer's lover is not with him and he feels lonely without any friends to celebrate the holiday with.
To wish me greetings once again
The singer would like someone to come and wish him a Merry Christmas once again.
Cries will be singing Silent Night
People will be singing Silent Night, but the singer is sad and may be crying.
Christmas carols by candlelight
People will be singing Christmas carols while using candles to light the room.
Please come home for Christmas
The singer is pleading with his loved one to return home for Christmas.
If not for Christmas, by New Years night
If the singer's lover does not come home for Christmas, he hopes that they will be together by New Year's Eve.
Friends and relations send salutations
The singer's friends and family are sending him good wishes for the holiday season.
Sure as the stars shine above
The singer is certain that his loved one will come home for the holiday.
But this is Christmas, yes, Christmas, my dear
The singer emphasizes that it is Christmas time and he wants to spend it with his loved one.
The time of year to be with the ones you love
Christmas is a time to be with family and loved ones.
So won't you tell me you'll never more roam?
The singer wants his lover to promise that they will never leave him again.
Christmas and New Years will find you home
The singer hopes that his lover will be home for both Christmas and New Year's.
There'll be no more sorrow no grief and pain
Once his loved one comes home, the singer believes that there will be no more sadness or pain.
And I'll be happy, happy once again
If his lover returns, the singer will be happy once again.
Oh, there'll be no more sorrow, no grief and pain
The singer repeats that there will be no more sadness, grief or pain once his lover returns.
And I'll be happy, Christmas once again
If his lover returns, the singer will be happy to celebrate Christmas once again.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Charles Mose Brown, Gene Redd
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind