In addition to his own albums, Eaglesmith frequently collaborated with the late Willie P. Bennett, a past member of Eaglesmith's band, who had to step down after a heart attack in spring 2007. Eaglesmith's fans are known as Fredheads because of the similarities to deadheads. He has appeared in several movies, including "The Gift" and "50 Odd Dollars." His band is known as The Flying Squirrels or The Flathead Noodlers. Both bands have the same lineup, but play different styles. The Flathead Noodlers play bluegrass, while the Flying Squirrels play more folk and rock. An early incarnation of the band was known as The Smokin' Losers. When Fred does solo appearances he bills himself as Fred J. Eaglesmith. In addition to the songs, a typical Fred Eaglesmith show includes several lengthy between-song comic monologues by Fred. Topics in the past have included stories about crossing the U.S./Canada border, Newfoundlanders, and some friends from an Indian reserve. Eaglesmith is the owner and president of A Major Label, which publishes his records.
Current band members
* Fred J. Eaglesmith - Guitars, Vocals
* Matt Simpson - Acoustic guitar, Keyboards, Vocals
* Kori Heppner - Drums
* Luke Stackhouse - Bass, Vocals
Former members
* Willie P. Bennett - Mandolin, Harmonica, Vocals
* David Essig - Mandolin, Guitar
* Kevin Komatsu - Drums
* Roger Marin Jr. - Pedal Steel, Guitar, Vocals
* Ralph Schipper - Bass
* Jude Waldman - Drums
* Dan Walsh - Dobro, Guitar, Vocals
* Skip Wamsteeker - Drums
* Washboard Hank - Washboard, Dobro
* Darcy Yates - Bass
Discography
* Fred Eaglesmith (1980)
* The Boy That Just Went Wrong (1983)
* Indiana Road (1987)
* There Ain't No Easy Road (1991)
* Things Is Changin' (1993)
* Paradise Motel (1994)
* Drive-In Movie (1995)
* Lipstick, Lies and Gasoline (1997)
* 50 Odd Dollars (1999)
* Live: Ralph's Last Show (2001)
* Falling Stars and Broken Hearts (2002)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 1' (2002)
* Balin (2003)
* The Official Bootleg Series, Vol. 2' (2004)
* Dusty (2004)
* Milly's Cafe (2006)
* Tinderbox (2008)
www.fredeaglesmith.com
Rocky
Fred Eaglesmith Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm in the Sunset Home
My grandkids went and put me here
They got everything I own
I know you're out in Albuquerque
I saw Freddie just last week
He said your eyesight's failing you
And your mouth's too sore to speak
How we never got along
How mostly I was right
And sometimes I was wrong
Remember that horse we bought in Tulsa
It was afraid of the startin' gun
You'd fill his ears full of cotton
And all the money that we won
Rocky, you sure were a good cowboy
You did sure could rope and ride
I always told you not to chew that goddamned tobacco
You coulda listened just one time
They don't show many Westerns on TV here
They took away my gun
But I still got that Western saddle
The one we stole from Freddie's son
Rocky, I hear that they're feeding you
And it sure do make me sad
I never thought in all my days
You'd ever end up like that
Remember that trailer in Minnesota
That axle broke right in two
We wired it together with four-by-fours
And we drove the whole night through
Rocky, you sure were a good cowboy
You did sure could rope and ride
I always told you not to chew that goddamned tobacco
You coulda listened just one time
So, Rocky, I'll just sign off now
I've been up most of the night
I just wanted to tell you when I heard the news
It damned near made me cry
Remember that gun we bought in Reno
You shot Freddie right through the hand
You wrapped it up in your best Western shirt
Gave him all the money you had
Rocky, you sure were a good cowboy
You did sure could rope and ride
I always told you not to chew that goddamned tobacco
You coulda listened just one time
You coulda listened just one time
In Fred Eaglesmith's song "Rocky," the singer is writing a letter to his old cowboy friend, Rocky. He tells Rocky that he is now in the Sunset Home because his grandkids put him there and took everything he owns. He also heard that Rocky's eyesight is failing him and his mouth is too sore to speak. The singer reflects on their past and how they never quite got along, with him thinking he was mostly right but sometimes wrong. He then reminisces about their experiences together, including buying a horse afraid of the starting gun, wiring a broken trailer together, and buying a gun in Reno that was used to shoot their mutual friend Freddie through the hand. The singer ends the letter by expressing his sadness upon hearing about Rocky's current situation.
The song reflects on the realities of aging and friendship. The singer has some regrets about his relationship with Rocky but also acknowledges that they had some good times together. He also seems to have a sense of his own mortality, given that he is now living in a retirement home. The lyrics also touch on the cowboy lifestyle, with references to rodeos, Western movies, and chewing tobacco. Overall, the song has a nostalgic, wistful tone.
Line by Line Meaning
Rocky, I'm writing you this letter
I am currently in a senior home, writing this letter to you, Rocky
I'm in the Sunset Home
I am residing in a senior home
My grandkids went and put me here
My grandchildren took the decision to put me here
They got everything I own
My grandchildren have taken all of my possessions
I know you're out in Albuquerque
I heard you are residing in Albuquerque
I saw Freddie just last week
I met Freddie just recently
He said your eyesight's failing you
Freddie mentioned that your vision is getting poorer
And your mouth's too sore to speak
You are having difficulty in speaking due to discomfort in your mouth
Rocky, I've been thinking lately
Lately, I have been contemplating about our past
How we never got along
We never seemed to get along
How mostly I was right
Most of the time, I was correct
And sometimes I was wrong
However, there were instances when I made mistakes
Remember that horse we bought in Tulsa
Do you remember the horse we purchased in Tulsa?
It was afraid of the startin' gun
The horse was fearful of the starting gun
You'd fill his ears full of cotton
You used to plug his ears with cotton
And all the money that we won
We won a considerable amount of money with that horse
Rocky, you sure were a good cowboy
You were an exceptional cowboy, Rocky
You did sure could rope and ride
You had remarkable skills in roping and riding
I always told you not to chew that goddamned tobacco
I would often advise you to refrain from chewing tobacco
You coulda listened just one time
If only you had listened to my advice
They don't show many Westerns on TV here
Western movies are scarcely shown on television here
They took away my gun
The management confiscated my firearm
But I still got that Western saddle
However, I still have the Western saddle we took from Freddie's son
The one we stole from Freddie's son
The one that we took without permission from Freddie's son
Rocky, I hear that they're feeding you
I heard that you are being taken care of where you are residing
And it sure do make me sad
It makes me feel melancholic thinking about it
I never thought in all my days
I never imagined that this would happen
You'd ever end up like that
You, Rocky, would end up in such a situation
Remember that trailer in Minnesota
Do you recollect the trailer incident that happened in Minnesota?
That axle broke right in two
The axle of the trailer broke into two pieces
We wired it together with four-by-fours
We joined it using four-by-fours
And we drove the whole night through
We drove throughout the night after fixing it
So, Rocky, I'll just sign off now
Therefore, I am concluding my letter, Rocky
I've been up most of the night
I stayed up late into the night writing this letter
I just wanted to tell you when I heard the news
I felt compelled to inform you when I got the news
It damned near made me cry
It almost made me break down in tears
Remember that gun we bought in Reno
Do you remember the firearm we purchased in Reno?
You shot Freddie right through the hand
You fired the gun and hit Freddie's hand
You wrapped it up in your best Western shirt
You used your finest Western shirt to dress Freddie's wound
Gave him all the money you had
You compensated Freddie with all the money you had
You coulda listened just one time
If only you had just listened to my advice once
Contributed by Matthew I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Tim Duffin
on John Deere B
"The original B" s/b "The original paint"
"Then I saw I saw the mirror" s/b "Then I saw them narrow"