The Trinity Session is perhaps their best known record, recorded live in a single day on a single microphone in a church in Toronto. This album also included a unique cover version of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane". Reed reportedly liked the Junkies' version of the song better than his own, and began performing their version in concert.
None of the band's subsequent albums have been hits outside of Canada, although the band has maintained a dedicated following and have continued to have chart hits in their native country. Following their 1998 album Miles from Our Home, Cowboy Junkies were dropped from their major label contract. They have continued to release albums on their own independent label, Latent Records.
Floorboard Blues
Cowboy Junkies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't trust his silly grin
He's got a beat-up Rambler, Nebraska plates,
And I ain't getting in
I don't like the way his pinky ring
Picks up the dashboard light
Or his short little piggy fingers
Or the way his belt is cinched too tight
Check under his floorboards, Mama,
I don't like his suggestive tone
The way his words drip from his mouth
As he asks can I take you home?
I don't care how many miles I got,
I think I'd rather walk them alone
Than to sit in the back seat
As his eyes in the mirror
Reduce me to flesh and bone
Check under his floorboards, Mama,
'cause that razor's not just a threat to me
He'll be slicing tiny crescents from your heart,
Without laying a sweaty palm to your cheek
Don't accuse me of running scared,
Listen to what I'm saying
It's a fucked up ol' world, but this ol' girl
Well, she ain't giving in
The song "Floorboard Blues" by Cowboy Junkies is a cautionary tale about a woman who is wary of a man with whom she has come into contact. She warns her mother to look under his floorboards and not to trust his silly grin. She describes the man's appearance and behavior in detail, expressing discomfort with his suggestive tone and the way he looks at her in the rearview mirror. She even goes so far as to warn her mother that his razor is a weapon that could be used against her, and that he can wound her without even touching her. The woman insists that she is not giving in to this man or to the messed-up world in which they live, but instead will choose to walk alone.
The lyrics of "Floorboard Blues" are a powerful commentary on the ways in which women are subjected to harassment, intimidation, and violence by men who seek to control them. The imagery of the floorboards suggests that there may be something dark and dirty hidden beneath the surface, something that is not immediately visible to the naked eye. By warning her mother to look beneath the surface, the woman in the song is urging all of us to be vigilant, to pay attention to what is happening around us, and to resist the urge to give in to fear and helplessness.
Line by Line Meaning
Look under his floorboards, Mama,
She thinks he may be hiding something suspicious under his floorboards and warns her mother to be cautious around him.
I don't trust his silly grin
She finds his smile suspicious and untrustworthy.
He's got a beat-up Rambler, Nebraska plates,
He drives an old car with license plates from Nebraska.
And I ain't getting in
She refuses to ride in his car.
I don't like the way his pinky ring
She dislikes the way he wears a pinky ring.
Picks up the dashboard light
The pinky ring catches the light on the dashboard, drawing attention to it.
Or his short little piggy fingers
She doesn't like his small fingers.
Or the way his belt is cinched too tight
She finds it strange that he wears his belt so tightly.
Check under his floorboards, Mama,
She reiterates her earlier warning to her mother.
I don't like his suggestive tone
She doesn't like the way he speaks, which suggests inappropriate intentions.
The way his words drip from his mouth
She finds his speech distasteful and unpleasant.
As he asks can I take you home?
He's making a request to take her home that she doesn't want to accept.
I don't care how many miles I got,
She would rather walk than accept a ride from him.
I think I'd rather walk them alone
She would rather be alone than ride with him.
Than to sit in the back seat
She would rather walk than ride in the back seat of his car.
As his eyes in the mirror
She doesn't like the way he looks at her in the rearview mirror.
Reduce me to flesh and bone
She feels objectified and uncomfortable with the way he looks at her.
Check under his floorboards, Mama,
She repeats her warning a third time.
'Cause that razor's not just a threat to me
She thinks he's dangerous and is carrying a razor blade.
He'll be slicing tiny crescents from your heart,
She warns her mother that this man will hurt her emotionally.
Without laying a sweaty palm to your cheek
He will cause her emotional pain without physically touching her.
Don't accuse me of running scared,
She doesn't want to be accused of being afraid.
Listen to what I'm saying
She is telling her mother to pay attention to her warnings.
It's a fucked up ol' world, but this ol' girl
She is acknowledging that the world can be difficult and challenging, but she won't give in to this man's advances.
Well, she ain't giving in
She is determined not to accept a ride from this man or be tempted by his advances.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@patrickcady9075
Hey there! I Directed and shot this music video as part of a contest RCA records had at NYU - so fun to find it!
@mintsparkles
That's me in the video 🤣 I'm middle-aged now.
And I remember that F bomb in the song because my parents were like... you can't tell your friends to watch the video or you are going to get them in trouble with their parents 🤣 - I could have used this clean version back then!
@MemphiStig
aw...the clean version.
best moment on the album, at the very end
Margo drops the f bomb, drops the mic,
and brings down the house.
@lancedixon7772
love it !!! so smooth
@saltoncityhobo
Cool,,,,, very cooool.
@user-ov1us7oy2z
so let me get this straight