"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.
Fightin' For
Cross Canadian Ragweed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talkin to myself up and down the hall
Ain't it great, another fabulous disaster
Well I can't wait, for the next hammer to fall
You may have won this battle baby
But it don't mean I won't win the war
And you, you don't even know what it is that you're fightin for
Well it's early, I know you've been up waitin
Waitin for me to finally call
Talkin dirty, it ain't what you really wanted
So slam another phone up against the wall
You may have won this battle baby
But it don't mean I won't win the war
And you, you don't even know what it is that you're fightin for
Well think about me when you're out there honey
You know sometimes that I will
Sometimes I feel like a broken stone rollin down your hill
You may have won this battle baby
But it don't mean I won't win the war
And you, you don't even know what it is that you're fightin for
The song "Fightin' For" by Cross Canadian Ragweed is a tale of a relationship struggling with communication issues and internal conflict. The lyrics are accompanied by a slow, melancholic melody that captures the emotional turmoil of the singer. The song begins with the singer admitting to drinking and talking to himself as he ponders the next disaster that will inevitably come his way. He then addresses his partner, acknowledging their recent argument but reminding her that he's not going to give up on the relationship easily. He also suggests that she may not even know what she's fighting for.
In the second verse, the singer seems to have cooled down and is making an attempt to reach out to his partner. He acknowledges that she's been waiting for him to call and apologizes for speaking to her inappropriately. However, it's clear that the relationship is still on shaky ground as the singer suggests that it might be better if they just continued the fight instead of trying to resolve their differences.
The bridge of the song finds the singer becoming more introspective, reminding his partner to think about him as she goes on with her life. He alludes to feeling like a broken stone being pushed down a hill, which evokes a sense of hopelessness and helplessness.
Overall, "Fightin' For" is a deeply emotional song that deals with themes of love, loss, and conflict. The song is a reminder that even the strongest relationships have their ups and downs and that communication is key to resolving conflicts.
Line by Line Meaning
Well it's late, and you know I've been up drinkin
Late at night, I've been drinking and talking to myself throughout the hall.
Talkin to myself up and down the hall
Conversing with myself while pacing back and forth in the hallway.
Ain't it great, another fabulous disaster
It's amazing how my life continues to spiral out of control.
Well I can't wait, for the next hammer to fall
I'm anxiously awaiting the next negative turn of events in my life.
You may have won this battle baby
You may have succeeded in your temporary victory.
But it don't mean I won't win the war
However, this does not determine the outcome of the overall conflict between us.
And you, you don't even know what it is that you're fightin for
Additionally, you are unaware of the true reasons for our ongoing conflict.
Well it's early, I know you've been up waitin
Early in the morning, I know you're awaiting my call.
Waitin for me to finally call
Anticipating my response and contact.
Talkin dirty, it ain't what you really wanted
Engaging in sexual conversation is not what you truly desire.
So slam another phone up against the wall
Frustrated with the conversation, you hang up the phone aggressively.
Well think about me when you're out there honey
Reflect on me and our issues when you're away from me.
You know sometimes that I will
Sometimes, I will also think about you.
Sometimes I feel like a broken stone rollin down your hill
Occasionally, I feel powerless and defeated in our relationship.
You may have won this battle baby
Again, you may have prevailed in this specific moment.
But it don't mean I won't win the war
However, your temporary success does not dictate the long-term outcome of our conflict.
And you, you don't even know what it is that you're fightin for
Lastly, you lack a clear understanding of the underlying reasons for our ongoing fight.
Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: CODY JAY CANADA, MICHAEL R MCCLURE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@darrenboothe8237
Here it is 2021 and I still Rock the hell out of these guys such a awesome band!!
@dawnerazwilavich7194
@Kris Williamson love them!
@jamieargent7139
2022 still rocking them
@bunkysbbq6374
2023 still kicken ass!!!
@johnsuttles1868
Too bad they broke up
@nathanfrisby3133
I so wish that this band had stayed together and continued to make more awesome music. I still play their music in my truck and on my computer. Just straight out rock.
@stevenfox1339
I have 3 CD's by this band. And I swear every song on each CD is one of the best songs I have ever heard. I can say that about no other band. Why are they not more famous?
@MrPlumb12
Because they refused to sign with any Nashville record label. They wanted to make music they wanted. Seen an in concert at least a dozen times.
@tammybolden9299
Yep it's called politics man they didn't wanna play the corporate Nashville shill game. There still huge trust me
@jeffreyminney1758
Mission California, Soul Gravy and Garage are in rotation, such good music.