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.
Ride & Roll
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They are loney,
Lonely, and feelin' blue
These arms of mine,
They are yearning,
Yeah yearning, from wanting you
Let them hold you,
How greatful, greatful,
I would be
These arms of mine,
They are burning,
Burning, from wanting you
These arms of mine,
They are wanting,
Wanting, want to hold you
And if you,
You would let them,
Let them hold you,
Let them hold you,
Greatful,
Greatful I would be
Yeah, come on,
Come on baby,
Yeah, just me and my woman,
Me and my friend,
Yeah, come on, come on,
Come back to me baby,
Yeah, Yeah,
And I'm greatful, greatful,
I would be
In Colin James's song Ride & Roll, these lyrics speak about a yearning desire for physical affection and emotional connection. The singer longs for someone to hold and ease the loneliness they feel in their arms. The repetition of "wanting you" emphasizes the intensity of their desire for this person's touch. The lyrics also express a sense of gratitude that comes with the possibility of being able to hold this person. The burning sensation in their arms highlights the physical ache that accompanies the mental yearning for connection.
The urgency in the chorus is further emphasized by the later repetition of "come on baby" and "come back to me baby". These lines capture both the desperation and the hope within the singer, who is asking and longing for the presence of their loved one. The reference to "just me and my woman" and "me and my friend" speaks about the singer's desire for a true and intimate relationship, emphasizing that the person they want to hold is not just any person, but someone very special.
Overall, Colin James's Ride & Roll captures the longing for a true and intimate connection that we all seek at some point in our lives. The lyrics emphasize the physical ache and emotional yearning that come with that longing, as well as the hope and gratitude that arise when that connection can be made.
Line by Line Meaning
These arms of mine,
The singer is referring to his arms, implying that they have a significant desire that needs attention.
They are loney,
The singer acknowledges feeling alone and disconnected from those in his life.
Lonely, and feelin' blue
His solitude has become overpowering and heavy, making him feel down and depressed.
These arms of mine,
The singer repeats his earlier reference to his arms, emphasizing the importance of this image.
They are yearning,
His arms symbolize his deep longing for someone or something that he does not currently have.
Yeah yearning, from wanting you
This need is specifically directed towards someone else, creating a sense of desire and hope for a relationship.
And If you would,
The singer imagines how his situation could change if the person he is thinking of would respond to his longing.
Let them hold you,
His way of expressing this is through the image of his arms holding onto the other person.
How greatful, greatful,
He emphasizes the depth of his emotions, conveying a sense of immense gratitude and appreciation.
I would be
His entire being is focused on this desire, and he would be fulfilled if it were to become a reality.
These arms of mine,
Again, the singer repeats the image of his arms, indicating how central this desire is to the song's meaning.
They are burning,
The intensity of his desire has increased, creating a sense of urgency and passion.
Burning, from wanting you
His passion is still directed towards the same person, driving him forward in his pursuit of them.
These arms of mine,
The singer reminds the listener once again of the importance of the image of his arms.
They are wanting,
His need and desire are so great that they have become a part of his physical being.
Wanting, want to hold you
The focus of this desire remains on the other person and holding them close.
And if you,
The singer continues to imagine what it would be like if the other person were to respond to his longing.
You would let them,
He imagines the other person allowing his arms to hold them, creating a sense of connection and closeness.
Let them hold you,
The emphasis remains on the image of his arms holding onto the other person.
Let them hold you,
The repetition of this line underlines its importance in the song's message.
Greatful,
The singer would experience a profound sense of gratitude if this moment could become a reality.
Greatful I would be
His gratitude and appreciation would be immense if his need were to be fulfilled.
Yeah, come on,
The singer is urging someone to take action, creating a sense of urgency and excitement.
Come on baby,
He addresses the object of his desire directly, invoking a sense of intimacy and closeness.
Yeah, just me and my woman,
The singer imagines being with the person he desires, creating a sense of longing for an intimate relationship.
Me and my friend,
The other person has become an essential companion to him, emphasizing the importance of the relationship he desires.
Yeah, come on, come on,
The singer continues to urge the other person to take action, creating a sense of excitement and anticipation.
Come back to me baby,
The repetition of this line emphasizes the depth of his longing and his desire for a reunion with the other person.
Yeah, Yeah,
The repetition of these words conveys a sense of excitement and anticipation.
And I'm greatful, greatful,
The singer repeats this line once again, underscoring the depth of his gratitude and appreciation.
I would be
His entire focus remains on the other person and the feelings he would experience if his longing were to be fulfilled.
Contributed by Olivia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.