Cuff the Duke is a Canadian band from Oshawa, Ontario, that has been active… Read Full Bio ↴Cuff the Duke is a Canadian band from Oshawa, Ontario, that has been active from 2001. They play a blend of traditional country and folk music with indie rock influences, and can be categorized as an alt-country group. The line-up of the band has evolved, with the consistent members thus far being Wayne Petti (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, bass) and Paul Lowman (bass, piano, backing vocals, fiddle, guitar, lap steel). Petti and Murray have also released solo albums.

Cuff the Duke’s debut Life Stories for Minimum Wage was released on Toronto-indie Three Gut Records on October 15, 2002 to rave reviews. Critics heralded their efforts as “intense” and “timeless.” Emphasis was placed on the mature aspect of the album…a surprise considering the members (all originally from Oshawa) were only 21.

July 2005 saw the sophomore release of the self-titled Cuff the Duke on Hayden’s Hardwood imprint (a first besides Hayden himself), distributed by Universal. A favourite of the fans, college radio (#2 national) and critics alike, they wowed audiences with their live show wherever they played. Early in 2006, Halifax’s Dale Murray (The Guthries) joined the band to play electric and steel guitar. With founding members Wayne Petti and Paul Lowman, the band embarked on additional extensive North American touring.

Somewhere amongst all of that, several van breakdowns included, Cuff the Duke managed to be part of an exciting, primarily instrumental band called The Hylozoists, led by producer/musician Paul Aucoin, who’s La Fin Du Monde came out spring ’06 on Boompa/EMI. 2007 saw the re-release of Cuff the Duke’s 2002 debut Life Stories for Minimum Wage, Wayne Petti’s solo debut City Lights Align, as well as the band's third full-length album, Sidelines of the City. Later releases include Way Down Here (2009) and Morning Comes (2011).

Current members:
Wayne Petti – vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica, bass (2001–present)
Paul Lowman – bass, piano, backing vocals, fiddle, guitar, lap steel (2001–present)
Dale Murray – guitar, pedal steel, backing vocals (2005–present)
AJ Johnson - drums, percussion, backing vocals (2011-present)
François Turenne - Live Guitars (2009–present)

Past members:
Jeff Peers – guitar, keyboards, percussion (2001–2005)
Brad Fudge – drums, percussion (2001–2003)
Matt Faris – drums, percussion (2003–2006)
Patrick Conan – live drums, percussion (2006)
Paul Aucoin – live keyboards, percussion (2005–2006)
Steve Krecklo – lead guitar, lap steel, keyboards, organ, percussion, backing vocals (2002, for Life Stories for Minimum Wage)
Christopher Sandes – live keyboards (2007–2008)
Corey Wood – drums, percussion (2006-2010)

Official website: www.cufftheduke.ca

Long Winter
Cuff the Duke Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everything is moving too fast, and you don't care
How am i supposed to feel now that you're not there?
Now that you're not there..
Now that you're not there...
Well i know how it feels
Yeah i know how it feels
Yeah i know how it feels
To be all alone

Every breath you take i take too
All i really wanted is you
Again, my friend...
Well you say it's all up to me
You think i dont know
But if you broke my heart right now
You're still gonna go
Yeah you're still gonna go
Yeah you're still gonna go
Cause i know how it feels
Yeah i know how it feels
Yeah i know how it feels
To be all alone
Every breath you take i take too
All i really wanted was you..
Again, my friend...
And you say a thousand years won't change your mind
I've got to get get out of here before you change your mind
I wish you'd change your mind
I wish you'd change your mind
Cause you'll never be mine
I wish you'd change your mind
I wish you'd change your mind
Cause you'll never be mine
No you'll never be mine

No you'll never be mine..
Again!!

Overall Meaning

In the song Long Winter by Cuff the Duke, we see the singer's heartache as they deal with the aftermath of a breakup. The lyrics express a sense of loneliness as the singer grapples with the end of their relationship. Everything is moving too fast, but the singer is left behind, unable to keep up. They are grappling with the feelings of abandonment from their partner who has left them, and they feel lost without that person who used to be such a significant part of their life. The repeated chorus of "yeah I know how it feels to be all alone" emphasizes the sense of isolation that the singer is feeling.

The second verse of Long Winter delves deeper into the push and pull of the relationship. The lines "you say it's all up to me, you think I don't know, but if you broke my heart right now, you're still gonna go" speaks to the power dynamic in the relationship. The singer feels powerless, knowing that their partner has already made up their mind to leave, and that there is nothing they can do to change the outcome. The song ends with the singer acknowledging that their former partner has made up their mind and that they will never be together again.

Line by Line Meaning

Everything is moving too fast, and you don't care
I feel like everything is moving too quickly and you seem indifferent toward my feelings

How am i supposed to feel now that you're not there?
I wonder how I'm supposed to feel now that you're no longer around

Well i know how it feels
I understand how it feels

To be all alone
To feel lonely

Every breath you take i take too
I feel like we are connected and that everything you do affects me

All i really wanted is you
The only thing I ever really wanted was you

Well you say it's all up to me
You claim it's my decision

You think i dont know
You assume I don't know

But if you broke my heart right now
If you were to hurt me deeply at this moment

You're still gonna go
You would still leave anyway

Cause i know how it feels
Because I understand how that feels