"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.
Go On And Lie
Cross Canadian Ragweed Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Got a brand new designers shirt so tuck it down in your jeans
Polish up your dancing shoes, how can they refuse
You put your 20 dollars down on Saturday night bull
And the taste of cigarettes never did that much for you
But you light one right after another one because they tell you its so good
Slip into your brand new silver retro mini skirt
Chorus:
Go on and lie
If it gets you through the night
Don't even try
Do what you think is right
Its all part of their master plan
They got you in the palm of their greasy hands
Go on and lie
If it gets you through the night
Check out Casanova Joe, one more number for his book
He stepped to every entire prom queen she's sendin' him that look
He promises her all kinds of diamonds, He promised her brand new clothes
He'd give her the world on a silver dollar but he blew it all up his nose
Chorus
The song "Go On And Lie" by Cross Canadian Ragweed is a critique of the societal pressure to conform to certain standards and the manipulation of individuals by those in power. The song paints a picture of a night out, with a person trying to fit in with the crowd by wearing designer clothes, smoking cigarettes, and dancing. The chorus encourages the listener to "go on and lie" to themselves and others, to do what they think is right to get through the night, but also highlights the dangers of this mindset - that people are being controlled and manipulated by those in power.
The lyrics suggest that people are being persuaded to buy into a certain image and lifestyle that is not necessarily authentic to them. The person in the song is smoking cigarettes even though they don't actually enjoy it, wearing a mini skirt that matches with the letters on her partner's t-shirt, and spending money on the Saturday night bull. The chorus suggests that people are willing to go along with this because it's easier than challenging the status quo and confronting the truth about their own lives.
Overall, "Go On And Lie" is a commentary on the thin line between conformity and individuality, and the power of social pressure to make people do things they might not want to do. The song encourages listeners to question the status quo and to resist the manipulation of those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
Roll on cut it off, fit it to the seams
Smooth out the rough edges and make everything fit together seamlessly
Got a brand new designers shirt so tuck it down in your jeans
Show off your expensive shirt by tucking it into your jeans
Polish up your dancing shoes, how can they refuse
Make sure you present yourself well and they won't be able to resist you
You put your 20 dollars down on Saturday night bull
Take a chance and bet your money on the bull riding competition
And the taste of cigarettes never did that much for you
Smoking doesn't bring you much pleasure
But you light one right after another one because they tell you its so good
You smoke compulsively because you've been convinced that it's enjoyable
Slip into your brand new silver retro mini skirt
Put on your new and fashionable mini skirt
Make sure that it matches with the letters on his shirt
Coordinate your outfit with the man you're interested in
Go on and lie
Deceive others
If it gets you through the night
If it helps you cope with the moment
Don't even try
Don't worry about attempting to tell the truth
Do what you think is right
Do what you believe is necessary to achieve your goals
Its all part of their master plan
They have a plot to manipulate and exploit you
They got you in the palm of their greasy hands
They have complete control over you
Check out Casanova Joe, one more number for his book
Observe Casanova Joe's latest conquest
He stepped to every entire prom queen she's sendin' him that look
He pursued every attractive girl who gave him the slightest hint of interest
He promises her all kinds of diamonds, He promised her brand new clothes
He fulfills the girl's materialistic desires to win her over
He'd give her the world on a silver dollar but he blew it all up his nose
He squandered his wealth on drugs instead of using it to keep his promises
Contributed by Penelope D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.