The members of Cross Canadian Ragweed -- Grady Cross, Cody Canada, Randy Ra… Read Full Bio ↴The members of Cross Canadian Ragweed -- Grady Cross, Cody Canada, Randy Ragsdale and Jeremy Plato -- have known each other pretty much since kindergarten in the band's hometown of Yukon, Oklahoma. They all wanted to get out, and music seemed like a good escape. When they all had graduated (except for Ragsdale, the youngest member), they started jamming at a party, and Cross Canadian Ragweed was born. Yukon as a rule wasn't a very musician-friendly town, but they had one notable local squarely in their corner: Ragsdale's father Johnny.

"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.

Final Curtain
Cross Canadian Ragweed Lyrics

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Atlantic City I was busted
And the wind was bitter cold
Well, I never quite adjusted
Never do, so, I suppose
The odds were in my favor
Going home a millionaire
Got all the gold in California
She's with me everywhere

(Chorus)
When the last rock crumbles
And the sun sinks in the sea
The last chain is broken
And everyone is free
When all is said and done
And all is used to be
When it's final curtain call
No one's left at all
It'll still be you and me

So much snow I can't remember
What it's like to see the ground
It all started in November
And now March is rollin' 'round
Let it all fall down
Let it freeze me to the bone
I'm gonna let it all ride
I got nothing left to hide
Nothing left unshown

(Chorus)
(Instrumental)
(Chorus)

When it's final curtain call

No one's left at all
There'll still be you and me

Overall Meaning

In Cross Canadian Ragweed's song Final Curtain, the singer describes their experiences in Atlantic City, where they were "busted" and the "wind was bitter cold." The singer acknowledges that they never quite adjusted to their surroundings and their luck was never in their favor. However, the singer did have love beside them in the form of someone they refer to as 'She' who is with them "everywhere." As the song continues, the singer talks about the snow and how it's been snowing for months, and how they have nothing left to hide or show, hence they don't mind if it all falls apart. The final lines say that after everything is said and done, when the final curtain falls, it will still be you and me, signifying that the love the singer has will endure till the end.

The song's lyrics signify an individual's struggle to find their footing in life despite tough circumstances. It emphasizes the importance of love and how it can be a source of strength in the most challenging times. The line "got all the gold in California" could be interpreted in various ways, but it could signify how the person has everything they need with 'She' beside them, and they don't need material wealth to be happy. The song is melancholic but not hopeless. It's about an individual's journey to and through difficulties, but they have someone to share the burden with, which gives them the strength to carry on.

Line by Line Meaning

Atlantic City I was busted
I was caught in Atlantic City

And the wind was bitter cold
The bitter cold wind blew

Well, I never quite adjusted
I couldn't adapt to my surroundings

Never do, so, I suppose
I'm not very good at adapting

The odds were in my favor
I was lucky

Going home a millionaire
I'm going home rich

Got all the gold in California
I have everything I need

She's with me everywhere
She's always on my mind

When the last rock crumbles
When everything is destroyed

And the sun sinks in the sea
And the sun sets

The last chain is broken
The last bond is severed