Wall was familiar with country music growing up as country artists such as Johnny Cash were played at home. He started learning guitar at the age of 13, playing music of rock bands such as AC/DC and Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin. Later he became interested in old blues artists, and then started to listen to folk music. According to Wall, he first heard Bob Dylan's song "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" around grade 10 or 11 (aged 15 or 16), and he was inspired to start writing and singing songs instead of only playing guitar. Other early musical influences he cited include Woody Guthrie and Ramblin' Jack Elliott, and he had also expressed interest in country singers such as Gram Parsons, Townes Van Zandt, George Jones, Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, and Hank Williams. He made demos of his songs while he was a student, and in 2015, he decided to take a break from his studies at the university to focus on his music career when his first EP was released.
Colter Wall was born in Swift Current, Saskatchewan, the middle child of Tami and Brad Wall, 14th Premier of Saskatchewan. He has two sisters, Megan and Faith. Wall attended Swift Current Comprehensive High School, and graduated in 2013. He then studied at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
Wall recorded a seven-song EP, Imaginary Appalachia, in 2015 with Jason Plumb the producer at Studio One in Regina, Saskatchewan. He collaborated on the EP with other artists from Regina such as Belle Plaine and The Dead South. He described his music as a blend of blues, folk and Americana. The EP was released on March 9, 2015, and "The Devil Wears a Suit and Tie" was released as his first single. His music gained the attention of Brock Lesnar who helped to raise his profile among wrestling fans. Songs from the album were featured in the television show Dog the Bounty Hunter,[8] and the films Hell or High Water and Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The track used in the films, "Sleeping on the Blacktop", gained more than a million streams on Spotify.
In 2016, Wall opened for Lucinda Williams at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. He was signed to Rick Rubin's American Songs publishing company.
His first full-length album, self-titled Colter Wall, was produced by Dave Cobb at the RCA Studio A in Nashville. Wall was accompanied by Cobb on acoustic guitar, Chris Powell on drums, Mike Webb on piano, and Robby Turner on pedal steel. The album was released on May 12, 2017 and according to Wall, most of the songs on the album are autobiographical.
A new album, Songs of the Plains, was announced in July 2018 and was released on October 12, 2018.
Caroline
Colter Wall Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the birds keep time with the pines up a-yonder
That's the home of my Caroline
She's dancing in the sky
Oh, how sweet when we meet
On the golden streets of the Great White Valley
These old chains around my feet
Caroline, oh Caroline
I'll be home, just any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
'Til your name's next to mine
My bones do break and my hands do shake
As I lie in the wake of time's cruel slaughter
But if I die before I wake
I'm gonna see my Caroline
Caroline, oh Caroline
I'll be home, just any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
'Til your name's next to mine
There's a place where the sun don't shine
And the birds keep time with the pines up a-yonder
That's the home of my Caroline
She's dancing in the sky
Caroline, oh Caroline
I'll be home, just any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
'Til your name's next to mine
Caroline, my Caroline
I'll be home, just any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
'Til your name's next to mine
In "Caroline," Colter Wall sings about his beloved who has passed away and is now dancing in the sky in a place where the sun doesn't shine, accompanied by the birds that keep time with the pines. Even though he is burdened by the chains around his feet, Wall takes comfort in knowing that he will one day join Caroline on the golden streets of the Great White Valley. He longs for the day when he can be reunited with her and lays his hope in the belief that the grave and the garden won't be satisfied until his name is next to hers.
The lyrics of "Caroline" are infused with religious imagery and allusions to the afterlife, suggesting that the home of Caroline is in heaven. It is a place of peace and tranquillity, where Caroline is free to dance and Wall can anticipate being reunited with her someday. The song's mournful tone is supported by the mournful sound of Wall's voice and the slow tempo of the song. The use of the recurring line "Caroline, oh Caroline" emphasizes the depth of Wall's longing for his lost love.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a place where the sun don't shine
Referring to a place of darkness and despair
And the birds keep time with the pines up a-yonder
A place with an eerie and haunting melody
That's the home of my Caroline
Colter's beloved Caroline has passed away and is buried there
She's dancing in the sky
Despite her passing, Caroline is remembered fondly and celebrated
Oh, how sweet when we meet
Colter reminisces about reuniting with Caroline in the afterlife
On the golden streets of the Great White Valley
A vision of heaven where Colter and Caroline will reunite
These old chains around my feet
The burden and weight of life's struggles
They're pulling me back down
Despite his longing for Caroline and the afterlife, Colter is still bound to the earthly realm
Caroline, oh Caroline
Colter addresses his beloved Caroline
I'll be home, just any old time
Colter longs to be reunited with Caroline in the afterlife
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
The passing of time and the cycles of life and death cannot fill the void left by Caroline's passing
Til your name's next to mine
Colter longs to be buried next to Caroline and have their names forever linked
My bones do break and my hands do shake
The physical toll of aging and mortality
As I lie in the wake of time's cruel slaughter
A reflection on the inevitability of death and the finality of the mortal coil
But if I die before I wake
Hope for an afterlife and reunification with Caroline in the next world
I'm gonna see my Caroline
Colter is certain that he will be reunited with Caroline in the afterlife
Caroline, my Caroline
Another address to Caroline, emphasizing the close relationship they shared
Contributed by Maya T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@RoxanneSwithin
{Lyrics}
{Chorus 1}
There's a place where the sun doth shine
And the birds keep time with the pines up a-yonder
That's the home of my Caroline
She's dancing in the sky
{Verse 1}
Oh, how sweet when we meet
On the golden streets of the great white valley
These old chains around my feet
They're pulling me back down
{Chorus 2}
Caroline, oh Caroline
I'll be home just at any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
Until your name's next to mine
{Verse 2}
My bones to break and my hands do shake
As I lie in the wake of time's cruel slaughter
But if I die before I wake
I'm gonna see my Caroline
{Chorus 2}
Caroline, oh Caroline
I'll be home just at any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
Until your name's next to mine
{Chorus 1}
There's a place where the sun doth shine
And the birds keep time with the pines up a-yonder
That's the home of my Caroline
She's dancing in the sky
{Chorus 2}
Caroline, oh Caroline
I'll be home just at any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
Until your name's next to mine
{Chorus 2}
Caroline, my Caroline
I'll be home just at any old time
The grave and the garden won't be satisfied
Until your name's next to mine
@lowellfox3274
I played this last year at my departed wife's Celebration of Life gathering. I explained to the gathering that many may feel this is kinda a downer song, but to me it's a love song as I'm in my late seventies and, "...my hands do shake and my bones do ache..." AND the plot at the National Cemetery north of Phoenix, Arizona, wont be satisfied until my name's next to hers. I waited over a year to post this until my grief morphed to the point that I am grateful for the 53 years of having her love and strength in my life.
@lockdowngod1662
as an 18 year old young man, this was truly the most touching comment iāve ever read on youtube. I greatly appreciate the wisdom and heartfelt message.
@CarolineEason
Blessings to you both she is smiling down on you ā¤
@Justarandomspacemonkey
Well said ol boy, wishing you the best
@CrazyHorse898
Amen
@theslavicllamayt161
God bless you and yours. You will dance in the sky.
@chad6077
Colt!! I don't know if you'll read this man, and I no I'm a nobody, but I wanted to say thank you! You've salvaged country music in a way nobody else could. Side note, I work with your cousin in Oregon!!
@AxeMoose
I agree. It's back to its roots. Most modern country music sounds like pop music. This is pure country.
@roryrobles
It's bluegrass
@spartanx_x6515
ā@@roryrobles I think Its more like folk music than bluegrass