Linden is primarily a blues guitarist although he frequently collaborates with country and folk performers. He is also a member, with Stephen Fearing and Tom Wilson, of the group Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
Born in Toronto, Canada, and raised in White Plains, New York, Colin Linden returned to Canada in 1970. He was already a guitar prodigy at 11 years old, and when most kids that age are playing sports, Colin was meeting and being mentored by one of his musical heroes, the great bluesman Howlin’ Wolf, which helped set the youngster on a course to pursue the sounds of his dreams. That encounter helped fuel a career that has featured his work on literally hundreds of albums. At last count, the total of recordings on which he has played approaches 400, while over 100 albums bear the “Produced by Colin Linden” credit.
As a testament to his roots music acumen and early devotion to the idiom, Colin - at the tender age of 15 and accompanied by fellow Canadian musician Doc MacLean – embarked on a summer blues odyssey of the USA, working down from the border and hitting Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Atlanta, Memphis and other points south in the Mississippi Delta. Along the way, they met up with and performed on numerous occasions with a “who’s-who” of blues legends, including Sippie Wallace, Buddy Moss, Little Brother Montgomery, Sunnyland Slim, Tampa Red, Henry Townsend, Robert Wilkins, Sleepy John Estes, Son House and Sam Chatmon.
Colin Linden is a genuine renaissance man of roots music. He’s a singer and songwriter of great skill, an in-demand and prolific record producer (Bruce Cockburn, Tom Wilson, Colin James), a sideman to the stars as guitarist for the likes of Bruce Cockburn, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, and, for the past decade-plus, a member of the highly successful trio, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings.
Colin’s songs have been covered by The Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Keb’ Mo’, and Colin James, and his well-stocked trophy case includes eight JUNO Awards (the Canadian Grammy), multiple Maple Blues Awards, and a Toronto Arts Award. He was nominated for a Grammy Award for the star-studded A Tribute to Howlin’ Wolf CD, and was nominated in 2002 for Lucinda Williams’ track on the Timeless (Hank Williams tribute) album, which won for Country Album of The Year. That same year his involvement in the O Brother, Where Art Thou project was rewarded, as “O Brother” won for Best Album and the Down From The Mountain soundtrack won for Folk Album of The Year (Linden and Chris Thomas King had a song credited together on that one). Linden has a well-deserved reputation as a slide guitar virtuoso of true originality and his riveting slide work can be heard both on albums from numerous artists as well as on his own sizeable solo catalogue.
His previous studio album, From the Water, was viewed as an homage of sorts to his long-time musical collaborator and closest friend, legendary keyboardist Richard Bell, who passed away in 2007. Bell’s accomplishments included being a member of Janis Joplin’s Full Tilt Boogie Band. Linden and Bell played on over 100 albums together (more than 40 of them Linden productions), including records by The Band, Bruce Cockburn, Lucinda Williams, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Colin James. The new record Rich in Love marks a return to the same label that released Colin’s first studio album, The Immortals (1986) and also represents his first new studio recording since From The Water (2009).
“I felt like so much has changed since my last studio album,” says Linden. “It was as if I was writing from a different place for these songs. At some point I even began to suffer from insomnia, and several of the songs were composed literally in the middle of the night, such as ‘Date with the Stars’.”
Website: Colin Linden
Big Mouth
Colin Linden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When you know how long the journey may be
It's so hard to make a clean break
When the next mile is further than you can see
It's so hard to wake up
When you've been sleeping for so long
It's so hard to lay your head down
Thinking that another day's gone
I want to shout but my tongue's too big for my mouth
Might have lost another round
On account of my big mouth, turn it up loud
Got to kick this stable down
It's so hard to stand up
When your feet are fast asleep
It's so hard to run away
When the chalk marks surround you on the street
It's so hard to be an angel
When you're acting like a fool
It's so hard to be a lover man
When you run so hot, you can't get cool
I want to shout but my tongue's too big for my mouth
Might have lost another round
On account of my big mouth, turn it up loud
Got to kick this stable down
But it's easy giving candy to a baby
It's easy pouring water on a drowning man
When you've got money
You don't have to worry about money
The song "Big Mouth" by Colin Linden is a reflective piece that touches on the challenges of taking risks, making changes and confronting our inner demons that affect our daily lives. The song talks about the difficulties of making a clean break and taking the first step, even when we know that the journey will be long and endless. The artist highlights the obstacles of trading the comfort of the familiar for the ambiguity of the unknown. Though we may want to shout and overcome our fears, our tongue gets tied up, our feet fall asleep, while our minds struggle with running hot, being an angel or a foolish lover.
The lyrics touch on our potential to lose track of time and opportunities as we try to avoid major shifts in our lives. The chorus is a plea to raise our voices and deal with life head-on, despite the consequences. The song invites us to embrace change, take positive risks and overcome our fears with time, perseverance and determination. Overall, the song is a reminder that we all have big mouths that can in hindsight know more than we realize.
Line by Line Meaning
It's so hard to take the first step
Starting something new can be difficult and daunting.
When you know how long the journey may be
It can be discouraging to embark on a path that may be long and uncertain.
It's so hard to make a clean break
Breaking away from someone or something can be a difficult decision to make.
When the next mile is further than you can see
When the future seems unclear or distant, making a clean break can be even more difficult.
It's so hard to wake up
Getting out of bed in the morning can be a challenge.
When you've been sleeping for so long
When you're stuck in a rut, it can be hard to motivate yourself to make a change and get out of bed.
It's so hard to lay your head down
At the end of the day, it can be difficult to turn off your brain and relax.
When you go to bed at night
At the end of a long day, it can be hard to unwind and get to sleep.
Thinking that another day's gone
Reflecting on how quickly time passes and feeling like you haven't accomplished what you wanted to can be discouraging.
I want to shout but my tongue's too big for my mouth
Feeling frustrated and wanting to express yourself but struggling to find the right words.
Might have lost another round
Feeling like you've been defeated in a conflict or argument.
On account of my big mouth, turn it up loud
Feeling like your own words may have caused your downfall or loss, and trying to make up for it by being loud or attention-grabbing.
Got to kick this stable down
Feeling like you need to break free from the constraints that are holding you back.
It's so hard to stand up
Finding the courage to stand up for yourself can be challenging.
When your feet are fast asleep
Feeling like you're stuck in one place and can't move forward.
It's so hard to run away
Escaping a difficult or dangerous situation can be intimidating and risky.
When the chalk marks surround you on the street
Feeling like you're trapped or that somebody is trying to corner you.
It's so hard to be an angel
Trying to do the right thing and be a good person can be difficult when faced with temptation or provocation.
When you're acting like a fool
Behaving in ways that are not in your best interest or that could harm others.
It's so hard to be a lover man
Maintaining healthy and positive relationships with others can be challenging.
When you run so hot, you can't get cool
Feeling like your emotions are out of control and that you can't calm down or find peace.
But it's easy giving candy to a baby
Sometimes it's easier to give into temptation or take the path of least resistance, even if you know it's not good for you.
It's easy pouring water on a drowning man
Helping someone who is already in dire straits can be an easier task than trying to prevent them from getting into that situation in the first place.
When you've got money
Having financial resources can make life easier and relieve many worries.
You don't have to worry about money
Without financial concerns, you can focus on other priorities and potential sources of stress.
Writer(s): Colin Kendall Linden Copyright: Linden Publishing Colin, WB Music Corp.
Contributed by Madison B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.