With guitar in hand, Craig can turn any setting into an intimate affair, infusing his music and lyrics with an uncompromising humanism rarely seen in today's production-heavy climate.
Craig makes it a point to keep the relationship with his fans personal, inviting and accepting any opportunity to make his audience as much a part of the performance as he is. Don't be surprised if one day you find yourself enjoying one of Craig's renowned shows in the comfort of your own living room.
In 2012, Cardiff was nominated for a Juno Award for Roots and Traditional Album of the Year: Solo, and for a Canadian Folk Music Award as Contemporary Singer of the Year.
For more information, tour dates, and music, please visit the official Craig Cardiff site.
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All Along the Watchtower
Craig Cardiff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Said the joker to the thief
There's just too much confusion
I can't get no relief
The business men oh they drink my wine
Come and take my earth
None of them along the line
Know what any of it is worth
No reason to get excited
Thief, he kindly spoke
There are many here among us
Who feel that life is but a joke
To you who have been through that
This is not our fate.
Let us not talk falsely now
Or let worries get in the way
All along the watchtower
Princes kept the view
While all the women came and went
The barefoot servants too
Outside in the distance
While captives come
Two riders were approaching
When began doubt
All Along the watchtower
All along
All Along the watchtower
All along
Craig Cardiff's rendition of Bob Dylan's classic "All Along the Watchtower" adds a poignant and melancholic quality to the song. The opening lines depict a sense of despair and frustration, as the joker pleads with the thief to find a way out of their circumstances. The imagery of confusion and the inability to find comfort or relief highlights the chaos and instability of the world around them. The subsequent lines, where the businessmen drink the singer's wine and take his earth, portray a sense of loss and desperation, as though everything the singer has worked for has been taken away.
Yet, even in the face of despair, the thief speaks kindly to the joker, acknowledging that there are others who feel that life is but a joke. The chorus, with its haunting refrain of "all along the watchtower," seems to suggest a sense of foreboding and anticipation of the unknown future, and the lines "princes kept the view" and "the barefoot servants too" suggest a hierarchy that is both oppressive and indifferent to those who are suffering.
In the end, the two riders approaching add to the sense of looming danger and uncertainty, leaving the listener with a profound sense of unease and anxiety.
Line by Line Meaning
There must be someway out of here
The singer is feeling stuck and is searching for a way out of their current situation.
Said the joker to the thief
The singer is using the metaphor of a joker and thief to illustrate the feeling of being trapped in their situation.
There's just too much confusion
The singer is overwhelmed and feels like they can't make sense of their situation.
I can't get no relief
The artist is unable to find any solutions or ways to ease their situation.
The business men oh they drink my wine
The artist feels like they are being taken advantage of by those in power.
Come and take my earth
The singer feels like their possessions and things they value are being taken away from them.
None of them along the line
The singer feels like nobody they encounter understands the gravity of their situation.
Know what any of it is worth
The artist feels like the value of things and life itself is being diminished or destroyed in their situation.
No reason to get excited
The artist is cautioning against getting one's hopes up in a difficult situation.
Thief, he kindly spoke
The artist is still using the metaphor of a thief and joker, and the thief is speaking kindly to the joker.
There are many here among us
The singer acknowledges that others around them are also struggling in some way.
Who feel that life is but a joke
The artist is empathizing with those who feel like life itself is not to be taken seriously or is meaningless.
To you who have been through that
The singer is addressing those who have experienced similar difficulties before.
This is not our fate
The singer is offering hope and assuring that their current situation is not the end of the story.
Let us not talk falsely now
The singer is calling for honesty and authenticity in conversation about their situation.
Or let worries get in the way
The artist is discouraging dwelling on fears and anxieties that might inhibit progress out of the difficult situation.
All along the watchtower
The artist is using the image of a guard tower to symbolize an overarching power or authority.
Princes kept the view
The singer is suggesting that those in power have an oversight role and are responsible for the safety and success of those they govern.
While all the women came and went
The singer is highlighting the inequality and limitations on the mobility of women in the social hierarchy.
The barefoot servants too
The artist is including all those who are lower on the social and economic ladder, with little or no opportunity for mobility or agency.
Outside in the distance
The artist is pointing out an external threat or danger that exists beyond the tower or authority.
While captives come
The artist is suggesting that those within the tower or authority are not free and are also limited by the external threat or danger.
Two riders were approaching
The singer is introducing an additional element of conflict or tension.
When began doubt
The artist is suggesting that the approaching riders may cause uncertainty and questioning of the current state of affairs.
All along the watchtower
The singer is restating the theme of overarching power and authority.
All along
The singer is emphasizing the continuous nature of the situation.
All Along the watchtower
The singer is restating the theme of overarching power and authority.
Writer(s): Bob Dylan
Contributed by Samantha H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.