"My dad was a guitar player. He played with Bob Wills and a little bit with Reba McEntire when she was first starting out," says Ragsdale. "He really didn't want me to be a drummer but I insisted. I found a set of drums in a neighbor's trash one day and hauled them into the cellar. He kind of figured out after about a year that I was serious and finally got me a new drum set. And when he met Cody, he realized his talent and how seriously we wanted to take music, and he really pushed us. He completely drove us up the wall, but later down the road, we realized he did it for a good reason."
Once the band got its chops they moved to Stillwater, Okla., where acts like Mike McClure's Great Divide and singer-songwriter Jimmy LaFave had established enough of a local scene to earn Stillwater the nickname "North Austin" (or, depending on your perspective, "West Nashville"). Inspired by McClure's self-penned Great Divide songs (and more than a little by early Steve Earle), the band quickly grew out of its Merle Haggard and classic rock covers and began focusing on Canada's uncommonly honest and straight-forward originals. A potent foursome of albums -- 1998's Carney, 1999's Live at the Wormy Dog, 2001's Highway 377 and 2002's Live at Billy Bob's Texas -- collectively sold more 70,000 copies to date. Combined with the band's average of 200 gigs a year, Cross Canadian Ragweed cinched a place at the top of the Texas-Oklahoma music totem pole.
"We're a little more rock 'n' roll than other people [from the Oklahoma/Texas scene], and that's not a bad thing," laughs Canada, whose Southern-fried lead guitar licks betray his love of heroes like Stevie Ray Vaughan, Pete Anderson (of Dwight Yoakam fame) and Eddie Van Halen -- not to mention the fact that he's been playing since he was 8 years old.
After building a huge concert following in Texas and Oklahoma, the band decided to look into signing a record deal. In 2003, fledgling label Universal South released a self-titled album (produced by McClure) that the band recorded prior to signing their record deal. They released Soul Gravy in 2004 and Garage in 2005.
Their offical website is at www.crosscanadianragweed.com.
April's Girlfriend
Cross Canadian Ragweed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I walked out onto Dixon Street, don't you know I fell in love
With this girl whose name was April.
The drinks were tastin' fine, I knew I had til two o'clock,
I could make her mine.
That's when she walked in...April's girlfriend.
Well ain't that just my luck, two girls give me one heartache.
So I picked up my guitar,
I sat there for a moment with my heart down in my shoes
And I caught an evil grin from April's girlfriend.
Well I don't give up that easy, I'll be back again
I'll let her know she moves me with letters that I send
And you better be good, girlfriend and if she change her mind
Be damn sure I'll be creepin' upon you, sneakin' up behind...
April's girlfriend. She ain't my friend, April's girlfriend.
She ain't my friend. No, there ain't no women rounnd here for a
guitar man, no there ain't no woman round here for a guitar man.
In Cross Canadian Ragweed's song "April's Girlfriend," the singer is telling the story of how he met April at a club and thought he had a chance with her until her girlfriend showed up. The singer's infatuation with April leads him to stay at the club until closing time, hoping to make a move on her. However, when April's girlfriend shows up, he realizes he has competition and feels defeated. It's implied that April's girlfriend is aware of his interest and taunts him with an "evil grin." Despite feeling discouraged, the singer refuses to give up and plans to pursue April through letters and whatever means necessary.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it highlights the uncertainty and jealousy that can arise in romantic relationships, especially when multiple parties are involved. The singer's obsession with April and his willingness to compete with her girlfriend for her affection suggest a lack of respect for boundaries and an unhealthy attachment to someone who may not reciprocate his feelings. Additionally, the fact that the singer is a "guitar man" could symbolize his tendency to use music as a means of wooing women, which may not be genuine or sustainable in the long run.
Line by Line Meaning
I hear shakin' down at that 36 club.
I heard some noise coming from the 36 club.
I walked out onto Dixon Street, don't you know I fell in love
With this girl whose name was April.
When I stepped out to Dixon Street, I saw a girl named April and I started crushing on her.
The drinks were tastin' fine, I knew I had til two o'clock,
I could make her mine.
That's when she walked in...April's girlfriend.
I was enjoying my drinks and flirting with April till her girlfriend showed up, ruining my chances with April.
Well ain't that just my luck, two girls give me one heartache.
When they sat down together man, it was more than I could take.
I was unlucky to be in a situation where two girls caused me heartache by being together, which was hard to handle.
So I picked up my guitar,
I sat there for a moment with my heart down in my shoes
And I caught an evil grin from April's girlfriend.
To distract myself from my situation, I started playing my guitar and noticed April's girlfriend giving me an evil look.
Well I don't give up that easy, I'll be back again
I'll let her know she moves me with letters that I send
And you better be good, girlfriend and if she change her mind
Be damn sure I'll be creepin' upon you, sneakin' up behind...
April's girlfriend. She ain't my friend, April's girlfriend.
I am not giving up on April that easily and plan to write her letters to express my feelings. I also warn April's girlfriend to be good to April or else I will come after her if April changes her mind about me.
She ain't my friend. No, there ain't no women rounnd here for a
guitar man, no there ain't no woman round here for a guitar man.
I have no interest in maintaining a friendship with April's girlfriend, and in general, there aren't many women around who appreciate a guitarist.
Contributed by Molly N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.