Glass Tiger's debut album The Thin Red Line (1986) produced two hit international singles, "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" [#2 on Billboard] and "Someday," [#5 on Billboard], and featured additional singles "I Will Be There [#34 Billboard] and domestic single "You're What I Look For". The album set a record for being the fastest selling debut recording in Canadian history, going gold within weeks of its release. To date, this album has received four Platinum records in Canada and went Gold in the United States.
Glass Tiger's sophomore release Diamond Sun, spawned domestic Canadian singles "Diamond Sun," "I'm Still Searching," "My Song," and "(Watching) Worlds Crumble," and achieved Double Platinum status in Canada.
Simple Mission, their third album, was not formally released in the USA, but it went Platinum in Canada and featured the singles "Animal Heart", and the Celtic duet "My Town" with Rod Stewart. "My Town" was also featured on a special 'Back-To-Back' series compilation in the early 90's and sold through EMI-Capitol's Special Market's division.
Several of Glass Tiger's songs were co-written and produced by Bryan Adams' collaborator, Jim Vallance. In fact, Adams makes a cameo in their top single "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)". The band won three Juno Awards in 1986 and two more in 1987. They were also nominated for a Grammy Award in 1987. In late 1988, Chris McNeill (drums), a sought after session drummer joined the band, and the foursome have been touring and playing ever since.
Glass Tiger released a special DVD 'No Turning Back' in 2005, which is a special commemorative 20th Anniversary DVD collection featuring their many videos and a couple of new songs, "No Turning Back" and "Give It Away". It also features footage of the band touring in Europe supporting Tina Turner in 1987 and in Ireland performing with The Chieftains.
On June 23, 2005, Glass Tiger appeared on the NBC show Hit Me, Baby, One More Time, performing their classic hit "Don't Forget Me (When I'm Gone)" and covering "Everything You Want" by Vertical Horizon. Although they lost the audience voting to Thelma Houston, Glass Tiger were judged the winners by online voters.
In early 2006 Glass Tiger released their first live CD, GT Live which was recorded in 2005 at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto. The band is currently working on a special TV production and is very active touring and performing, with over 50 shows a year. In 2008 lead singer Alan Frew published "The Action Sandwich", lessons from a tour bus, with his perspective and insight into the trials and tribulations of life in a rock band on the road. The band did a special support trip to visit the Canadian troops in Afghanistan in March, 2009, accompanied by many of the NHL's hockey legends.
www.GlassTiger.ca
Thin Red Line
Glass Tiger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cold steel glistens in the dawning sun
Destiny and claymore that embraces me
All here to sacrifice for victory
Oh-oh, oh
Oh-oh, oh
A mist queen dances for her fallen sons
Over and over
Her shadow falls over me
Remember no retreat, for here you die where you stand
It's chance that brings the Rory's to this foreign land
The crimson and the claymore make you strangers to fear
A thin red streak tipped with a line of steel
Shadows fall over me
All for the thin red line
All for the thin red line
Now the battles over, Kedikoi can cry
For all the gallant hill men she's seen fought and die
Red is for the heroes, green is for the brave
Soldiers would you leave me with no souls to save
Shadows fall over me
All for the thin red line
All for the thin red line
All for the thin red line
Oh-oh, oh
Oh-oh, oh
Oh-oh, oh
Oh-oh, oh
Oh-oh, oh
The song "Thin Red Line" by Glass Tiger is a tribute to the Scottish soldiers who fought during the Battle of Balaclava in the Crimean War. The first verse speaks of the soldiers' determination to fight and win, and the steel and claymore that they embrace. The chorus repeats the phrase "All for the thin red line" which refers to the army's Highlander infantry, known for wearing red jackets, and their courage in holding the thin line against enemy assault.
The second verse describes a mist queen dancing for her fallen sons, which alludes to the soldiers who have died in battle. The soldiers are urged to remember that there is no retreat, and that they must fight to the death where they stand. The crimson and the claymore, representing blood and their weapon of choice, have made them strangers to fear.
The final verse speaks of Kedikoi, a place where many soldiers have fought and died. The soldiers' heroism is honored with the color red, and their bravery with green. The soldiers are asked to leave some souls to save, indicating that while they may be willing to die for their cause, they should also strive to protect the lives of their comrades.
Overall, "Thin Red Line" is a song that honors the sacrifices of soldiers who fought and died for their country.
Line by Line Meaning
The hands of time have spoken for the chosen ones
Fate has determined who will be the heroes in this battle
Cold steel glistens in the dawning sun
The weapons of war catch the light of sunrise
Destiny and claymore that embraces me
I accept my destiny and the sword that comes with it
All here to sacrifice for victory
Everyone is willing to make sacrifices to win the battle
Hidden in the shadows where the cold wind comes
Concealed in the darkness where the wind is harsh
A mist queen dances for her fallen sons
An apparition of a queen dances for the dead soldiers
Over and over
Repetition of this grim scene
Her shadow falls over me
Her figure looms over me, taking me to the brink of death
Remember no retreat, for here you die where you stand
There is no backing down from this battle, you have to fight until the end
It's chance that brings the Rory's to this foreign land
Luck determines who will end up in a foreign war
The crimson and the claymore make you strangers to fear
The color red and the sword make fear obsolete
A thin red streak tipped with a line of steel
A narrow red line edged in steel represents the courage of the soldiers
Shadows fall over me
I am in the shadow of death
All for the thin red line
All the sacrifices made are for the courage and perseverance of the soldiers
Now the battles over, Kedikoi can cry
The battle is finished, and people can now mourn
For all the gallant hill men she's seen fought and die
Kedikoi laments the brave soldiers who died on the hills
Red is for the heroes, green is for the brave
Red represents those who have gone above and beyond, and green represents the courageous
Soldiers would you leave me with no souls to save
Soldiers, would you really want to die and leave me with nobody left to protect?
Oh-oh, oh
Musical interlude
Oh-oh, oh
Musical interlude
Oh-oh, oh
Musical interlude
Oh-oh, oh
Musical interlude
Oh-oh, oh
Musical interlude
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Al Connelly, Alan Graham Frew, Sam Reid
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
theaterdream
MisterG I listen to very few “modern” artists. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, and…um.
Rock is in dire straits now (and not the great Mark Knopfler band); so much of what’s on the radio, or satellite radio, is soulless tripe. Auto tuned crap.
While I don’t like or even love every genre, I was born in 1971, and the music that I was exposed to growing up, really from about the mid 70s to the mid 80s, represents the greatest explosion of creativity in popular music history. That’s not to take away anything from the great bands whose origin came before, many of which I love. But think about it. Progressive rock really exploded in that time. Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Marillion, Kansas, Rush, even early Queen was heavily progressive with their thematic approach and complex arrangements (especially on Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, ANATO and ADATR). There were so many fabulous hard rock acts playing in huge stadiums. Deep Purple, The Who were at their absolute peak, Led Zeppelin, etc. Marillion transitioned to a more progressive band with their lead singers changing, Fish being replaced by Steve Hogarth. I’ve never been a real fan of punk, as I tend to gravitate towards bands with real musicianship-but the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, which were more avant-garde-the attitude was a breath of fresh air. The Police began as a punk band, and they evolved, as did the GoGos, who started as punk, and moved more towards pop. That crossed over some into both glam rock/metal (Queen again, David Bowie, Sweet) and pop/disco like Blondie. The Bee Gees were huge. You saw lines blurred between disco and r&b, soul. There was an explosion of Southern rock with Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, The Allman Brothers. Beaches off from Southern Rock was a hybrid of rock and some slight country influences in bands like The Eagles. Then, in the early 80s, you had the advent of synth pop and the second British Invasion. Duran Duran, Tears For Fears, Howard Jones, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Ah ha…Canadian rock bands became virtually their own genre with Rush moving into more mainstream rock and embracing synthesizers, along with Triumph, Glass Tiger, Bryan Adams. Then metal really emerged in the middle of the 80s. Hair metal bands were everywhere. Quiet Riot, Ratt, Whitesnake, Dokken. Iron Maiden, Dio, Rainbow, Judas Priest, etc. These bands all featured virtuoso guitarists. Randy Rhoads with QR before he joined Ozzy’s band. Warren DiMarrini, George Lynch, John Sykes. Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Tipton and KK Downing, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. Motley Crue was huge, as were Def Leppard. The instrumentalist guitarist emerged-Steve Vai, Joe Satriani et all. Then really heavy metal with speed metal, Metallica, Testament, Anthrax, Megadeth. You had the birth of my favorite genre, modern progressive metal. Queensryche, Dream Theater, and the godfathers of prof metal, Fates Warning, who switched from being a pure metal band to a progressive metal one with the arrival of drummer Mark Zander and vocalist Ray Alder. Towards the end of the 80s, before grunge ruined everything, bands like Guns and Roses deconstructed metal to their roots. A new collection of bands right at the end of the decade: Saraya, Badlands with Jake E. Lee and Ray Gillen, the supergroup power trio Blue Murder, Enid Z’Nuff….
I could go on and on. But there will never be that kind of artistic freedom and creativity again.
I’m pushing 50 now, and while we all wish we were younger again, I loved growing up when I did. The music kicked ass, and I’ll be listening to all of it until they stick me in the ground.
LuckyShihTzu
"Thin Red Line"
The hands of time have spoken for the chosen ones
Cold steel glistens in the dawning sun
Destiny and claidemaugh that embraces me
All here to sacrifice for victory
Hidden in the shadows where the cold wind comes
A mist queen dances for her fallen sons
Over and over
Her shadow falls over me
Remember no retreat, for here you die where you stand
It's chance that brings the Rory's to this foreign land
The crimson and the claidemaugh make you strangers to fear
A thin red streak tipped with a line of steel
Shadows fall over me
All for the thin red line
All for the thin red line
Now the battles over, Kedikoi can cry
For all the gallant hillmen she's seen fought and die
Red is for the heroes green is for the brave
Soldiers would you leave me with no souls to save
Shadows fall over me
All for the thin red line
All for the thin red line
All for the thin red line
Oh oh oh oh oh...
theaterdream
Still love this song and album some 30 years later. I, too, am a metal head, but good, melodic music defies categorization.
I was into Tears For Fears, Duran Duran, Glass Tiger, Howard Jones etc before I ever got into hard rock and metal.
The 80s were a magical time!
Abraham Josué Hernández
Yes!
theaterdream
MisterG I listen to very few “modern” artists. Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, and…um.
Rock is in dire straits now (and not the great Mark Knopfler band); so much of what’s on the radio, or satellite radio, is soulless tripe. Auto tuned crap.
While I don’t like or even love every genre, I was born in 1971, and the music that I was exposed to growing up, really from about the mid 70s to the mid 80s, represents the greatest explosion of creativity in popular music history. That’s not to take away anything from the great bands whose origin came before, many of which I love. But think about it. Progressive rock really exploded in that time. Yes, King Crimson, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Marillion, Kansas, Rush, even early Queen was heavily progressive with their thematic approach and complex arrangements (especially on Queen II, Sheer Heart Attack, ANATO and ADATR). There were so many fabulous hard rock acts playing in huge stadiums. Deep Purple, The Who were at their absolute peak, Led Zeppelin, etc. Marillion transitioned to a more progressive band with their lead singers changing, Fish being replaced by Steve Hogarth. I’ve never been a real fan of punk, as I tend to gravitate towards bands with real musicianship-but the Sex Pistols, The Ramones, Iggy Pop, Lou Reed and the Velvet Underground, which were more avant-garde-the attitude was a breath of fresh air. The Police began as a punk band, and they evolved, as did the GoGos, who started as punk, and moved more towards pop. That crossed over some into both glam rock/metal (Queen again, David Bowie, Sweet) and pop/disco like Blondie. The Bee Gees were huge. You saw lines blurred between disco and r&b, soul. There was an explosion of Southern rock with Lynyrd Skynyrd, .38 Special, The Allman Brothers. Beaches off from Southern Rock was a hybrid of rock and some slight country influences in bands like The Eagles. Then, in the early 80s, you had the advent of synth pop and the second British Invasion. Duran Duran, Tears For Fears, Howard Jones, Erasure, Depeche Mode, Ah ha…Canadian rock bands became virtually their own genre with Rush moving into more mainstream rock and embracing synthesizers, along with Triumph, Glass Tiger, Bryan Adams. Then metal really emerged in the middle of the 80s. Hair metal bands were everywhere. Quiet Riot, Ratt, Whitesnake, Dokken. Iron Maiden, Dio, Rainbow, Judas Priest, etc. These bands all featured virtuoso guitarists. Randy Rhoads with QR before he joined Ozzy’s band. Warren DiMarrini, George Lynch, John Sykes. Ritchie Blackmore, Glenn Tipton and KK Downing, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. Motley Crue was huge, as were Def Leppard. The instrumentalist guitarist emerged-Steve Vai, Joe Satriani et all. Then really heavy metal with speed metal, Metallica, Testament, Anthrax, Megadeth. You had the birth of my favorite genre, modern progressive metal. Queensryche, Dream Theater, and the godfathers of prof metal, Fates Warning, who switched from being a pure metal band to a progressive metal one with the arrival of drummer Mark Zander and vocalist Ray Alder. Towards the end of the 80s, before grunge ruined everything, bands like Guns and Roses deconstructed metal to their roots. A new collection of bands right at the end of the decade: Saraya, Badlands with Jake E. Lee and Ray Gillen, the supergroup power trio Blue Murder, Enid Z’Nuff….
I could go on and on. But there will never be that kind of artistic freedom and creativity again.
I’m pushing 50 now, and while we all wish we were younger again, I loved growing up when I did. The music kicked ass, and I’ll be listening to all of it until they stick me in the ground.
Eye In The Sky
@theaterdream Same dude. 😁😁
Barry Lippard
Great comment. I feel the same way.
Barry Budinski
@theaterdream Yup. Well said.
Cori Lang
We are Canadian and grew up with Glass Tiger and this song. I never appreciated the deeper meaning of this song, or the video, until touring Edinburgh Castle in Scotland and seeing firsthand the display of sacrifice by Scottish soldiers. This video is thoughtfully done and gave me chills. The biggest takeaway we had from that tour is that we live in a very messed up world, and that hasn’t changed in hundreds of years. Lord help us all.
Papeando Música
Canadian culture is amazing! Here I am more than thirty years after Glass Tiger was successful in Brazil to introduce them to new generations telling the story of their music. this song is special you feel in the words sung by Alan Frew the mixture of feelings of a soldier on his mission fear, hope, courage and both sides life and death, glory to the winners and tears for those who lost their loved ones . undoubtedly a song to give chills and another one of the many wonders that Glass Tiger brought us!
Ron Rompen
The Thin Red Line was a description in the English and Scottish press of this incident where around 200 men of the 93rd, aided by a small force of 100 walking wounded, 40 detached Guardsmen, and supported by a substantial force of Turkish infantrymen, led by Sir Colin Campbell, routed a Russian cavalry charge. There were more Victoria Crosses presented to the Highland soldiers at that time than at any other. The event was lionized in the British press and became an icon of the qualities of the British soldier in a war that was poorly managed and increasingly unpopular. The commander, Colin Campbell, formed the line of men two deep. Convention dictated that the line should be four deep. However, Campbell, felt he had insufficient trained men to form square, and met the charge head on with the 2-deep firing line. As the Russian cavalry approached, the Turks on the flanks broke and fled. The 93rd discharged three volleys: at 600, 350 and 150 yards respectively, however they did not get a chance to discharge one at point blank range as the Russians turned away. The Times correspondent, William H. Russell, wrote about the event in his November 14, 1854, article, Heights Before Sebastopol. He described how he could see nothing between the charging Russians and the British regiment’s base of operations at Balaklava but the “thin red streak tipped with a line of steel” of the 93rd. Popularly condensed into “the thin red line,” the phrase became a symbol of British composure in battle
Laura-Lee
Cool. Thanks for the history lesson. Back in the day, BEFORE the Internet and Google, I could barely find a scrap of info about this historic event. LL 🙋🏻♀️✝🇨🇦❤