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.
Rollin' Stone
Colin James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swimmin' in a oh, deep blue sea
I would have all you good lookin' women
Fishin', fishin' after me
Sure 'nough after me, sure 'nough after me
Oh 'nough, oh 'nough, sure 'nough
I went to my baby's house
She said, "Come on in now, Muddy
You know my husband just now left
Sure 'nough he just now left
Sure 'nough he just now left"
Sure 'nough, oh well, oh well
Well, my mother told my father
Just before I was born
"I got a boy child's comin'
He's gonna be, he's gonna be a rollin' stone
Sure 'nough he's a rollin' stone
Sure 'nough he's a rollin' stone"
Oh well he's a, oh well he's a, oh well he's a
Well I feel, yes I feel
Feel that I could low down oh, time ain't long
I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin'
Back, back down the road I'm goin'
Back down the road I'm goin'
Back down the road I'm goin'
Sure 'nough back, sure 'nough back
The Colin James song, Rollin' Stone, is a blues number that tells the story of a vagabond who enjoys his freedom and isn't tied down to a specific place or thing. The first verse speaks about the singer's desire to be a catfish swimming in the deep blue sea with all the good-looking women fishing after him. The catfish refers to his desire to be in control of his destiny, moving fluidly and able to go where he pleases. The women symbolize potential opportunities and rewards that come with living a carefree life.
The second verse is about the singer visiting his lover's home only to find out that her husband has left. The woman invites him in, implicitly suggesting that they engage in an extramarital affair. The husband leaving serves as a symbol of the singer's free-spirited approach to life. He's not encumbered by societal norms and expectations but instead moves freely, pursuing his own desire.
The third verse speaks about his mother's prediction before his birth. She had an inkling that her son would be a rolling stone. The term rolling stone refers to someone who travels around a lot, without a fixed place of residence, as well as someone who enjoys living moment by moment with no anchor in life. It is the perfect description of the singer's approach to life.
The final verse solidifies the singer's desire to move on, taking the next opportunity to travel down the road. The line "I feel that I could low down" is a reflection that he is restless and probably cannot stay put or settle down. The repetition of "sure 'nough back" at the end emphasizes the desire to return to his previous free-spirited lifestyle.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I wish I was a catfish
Swimmin' in a oh, deep blue sea
I would have all you good lookin' women
Fishin', fishin' after me
Sure 'nough after me, sure 'nough after me
Oh 'nough, oh 'nough, sure 'nough
I wish I had the ability to charm and lure in attractive women like a catfish charms its prey in the deep blue sea. These women would be so interested in me that they would never stop pursuing me.
I went to my baby's house
And I sit down oh, on her steps
She said, "Come on in now, Muddy
You know my husband just now left
Sure 'nough he just now left
Sure 'nough he just now left"
Sure 'nough, oh well, oh well
I visited my lover and sat on her porch. She invited me in because her husband had just left. This has happened before and it's not a new situation for me.
Well, my mother told my father
Just before I was born
"I got a boy child's comin'
He's gonna be, he's gonna be a rollin' stone
Sure 'nough he's a rollin' stone
Sure 'nough he's a rollin' stone"
Oh well he's a, oh well he's a, oh well he's a
Before I was born, my mother told my father that I was going to be a rolling stone - someone who would keep moving and never settle down. She was right, because that is exactly what I have become.
Well I feel, yes I feel
Feel that I could low down oh, time ain't long
I'm gonna catch the first thing smokin'
Back, back down the road I'm goin'
Back down the road I'm goin'
Back down the road I'm goin'
Sure 'nough back, sure 'nough back
I have a feeling that time is running out for me, so I need to quickly make my next move. I'm going to leave and catch the first ride out of this place, and head back down the same road I came from. This is a common pattern for me, and I know it well.
Contributed by Alaina E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.