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.

Stranglehold
Cross Canadian Ragweed Lyrics

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Here I come again, now, baby
Like a dog in heat
You tell it's me by the clamor, now, baby
I'll tear up the street,

Well, I been smokin' for so long,
You know I'm here to stay
I got you in a stranglehold, baby

You best get outta the way

The road I cruise is a bitch, now, baby
You know you can't turn me 'round
And if a house gets in my way, baby
Ya know I'll burn it down

You ran the night that you left me,
You put me in my place
I got you in a stranglehold, baby
I'm gonna crush your face

Sometimes you wanna get higher
Sometimes you gotta start low
Some people think they gonna die someday
I got news, ya never got to go

C'mon, c'mon
C'mon, c'mon up
C'mon, c'mon up
C'mon, c'mon up

C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon up
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon, c'mon, baby
C'mon, c'mon, c'mon

The road I cruise is a bitch, now
Ya know ya can't turn me 'round
And if a house gets in my way
You know I'll burn it down

You ran the night that you left me,
You put me in my place

I got you in a stranglehold, baby
I'm gonna crush your face

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Cross Canadian Ragweed's song Stranglehold are about a man who is on a destructive path and has no plans on changing his ways. He is addicted to smoking and has a wild and reckless lifestyle, tearing up the streets as he comes back for his ex-girlfriend. The chorus of the song features the line "I got you in a stranglehold, baby" which can be interpreted as the man having complete control over his ex-girlfriend and being able to suffocate her with his power.

The second verse speaks of the man's determination to continue on his path regardless of any obstacles that come his way. He references burning down houses if they happen to stand in his way, showing a disregard for other people's property and safety. The bridge of the song alludes to the idea that some people believe they are destined to die, but the man in the song believes that he will never have to face death.

Overall, the lyrics of Stranglehold paint a picture of a man who is consumed by his addictions and desires, with no regard for the feelings or safety of those around him. He is determined to continue on his destructive path, with complete control over his ex-girlfriend.

Line by Line Meaning

Here I come again, now, baby
I'm back and ready to cause trouble

Like a dog in heat
I am full of energy and determination

You tell it's me by the clamor, now, baby
You can hear me coming from a mile away

I'll tear up the street
I'll leave destruction in my wake

Well, I been smokin' for so long,
I've been living recklessly for a while now

You know I'm here to stay
I'm not going anywhere anytime soon

I got you in a stranglehold, baby
I have complete control over you

You best get outta the way
You need to watch out for yourself

The road I cruise is a bitch, now, baby
My journey is tough and unpredictable

You know you can't turn me 'round
You can't change my mind or stop me

And if a house gets in my way, baby
I'll destroy anything that tries to stop me