Tyson and his then-wife Sylvia Fricker constituted one of the most popular folk duos of the 1960s, Ian & Sylvia. In 1969, they formed and fronted the pioneering country-rock group Great Speckled Bird.
Tyson gradually shifted to the cowboy way while still with Sylvia, accentuating the western life through song. Residing on a ranch in southern Alberta, Tyson toured all over the west.
In 1989, Tyson was inducted into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame. His next albums were cowboy music: I Outgrew the Wagon (1989), And Stood There Amazed (1991), and Eighteen Inches of Rain (1994).
In 2005, CBC Radio One listeners chose his song, "Four Strong Winds," as the greatest Canadian song of all time on the series 50 Tracks: The Canadian Version. There was strong momentum for him to be nominated the Greatest Canadian, but he fell short. He has been a strong influence on many Canadian artists including Neil Young, who recorded "Four Strong Winds" for Comes a Time (1978). Johnny Cash would also record that same song for American V: A Hundred Highways (2006).
In 2006, Tyson was afflicted with a throat virus resulting in damaged vocal cords and a major change in the texture of his once mellifluous voice into a far hoarser quality. Nevertheless he cut the album, "From Yellowhead to Yellowstone and Other Love Stories" in 2008.
Alcohol In the Bloodstream
Ian Tyson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some dead wild flowers And a bottle of vodka on the kitchen table Flowers for the good times and booze for the bad I can curse I can scream But alcohol in the bloodstream 'Bout the best I can do - 'til I forget about you Ooo - 'til I forget about you
Now my strings are all unstrung Everything I could do I've done Just waiting for daylight to come, to come
I wonder where you've gone And I wonder how long I can take this loneliness Two hundred first calf heifers and a deal is a deal I guess Then I'll roll my bed get away clean Alcohol in the bloodstream Goin' to quit you too Then I'll forget about you Ooo - 'til I forget about you Ooo - 'til I forget about you (one] down-stroke) Ooo -'til I forget about you
The song "Alcohol in the Bloodstream" by Canadian singer-songwriter Ian Tyson portrays the feeling of heartbreak and despair after a failed relationship. The singer returns home to find that his partner has left him, just as they had warned. He is left alone with the memories of his significant other and the residual effects of alcohol in his bloodstream. The metaphor of alcohol in the bloodstream represents the singer's attempts to numb his pain and forget about his past lover. He expresses his frustration and anger through cursing and screaming, but ultimately acknowledges that alcohol is the only solace he can find to make it through the day.
In the second verse, the singer takes note of the "dead wild flowers" and "bottle of vodka" on the kitchen table. These symbols represent both the highs and lows of his relationship - the flowers for the good times and the vodka for the bad. He admits that he must continue drinking until he can forget about his former lover. The final verse reveals his desperation to escape the pain of his heartbreak. He has completed all of his work and is waiting for daylight to come so that he can move on from this difficult time in his life. He acknowledges that he may never know where his former partner has gone, but he must continue onward.
Line by Line Meaning
I came home to find you were gone
I returned home to realize that you had left me.
On a cold grey morning I remember now that's the way you said it would be
It was a chilly and gloomy morning, just like you predicted it would be.
Like living in a bad dream
It felt like experiencing a nightmare in reality.
Alcohol in the bloodstream
I have consumed alcoholic drinks which are now in my blood system.
Goin' to have to do - 'til I forget about you
As a coping mechanism, I have to keep drinking until I can forget about you.
Some dead wild flowers
There are some withered flowers lying around.
And a bottle of vodka on the kitchen table
There is an opened bottle of vodka placed on the table in the kitchen.
Flowers for the good times and booze for the bad
The flowers were probably brought during happy times, while the booze is for the moments of sadness.
I can curse I can scream
I am capable of using foul language and making a loud noise to show my frustration.
But alcohol in the bloodstream
Despite my strong emotions, the only thing I can feel now is the alcohol in my bloodstream.
'Bout the best I can do - 'til I forget about you
This is the best thing I can do until I can forget about you.
Now my strings are all unstrung
I feel broken and lost, like a string instrument which isn't tuned properly.
Everything I could do I've done
I have already tried everything I could to cope with this situation.
Just waiting for daylight to come, to come
I am waiting for the dawn to arrive, hoping that it will bring a new start.
I wonder where you've gone
My thoughts keep wandering, trying to figure out where you might be.
And I wonder how long I can take this loneliness
I am wondering how much longer I can endure this feeling of solitude.
Two hundred first calf heifers and a deal is a deal I guess
I have to take care of two hundred baby cows, as I agreed to do.
Then I'll roll my bed get away clean
Once my duties are over, I will pack up and leave without a trace.
Alcohol in the bloodstream
Again, I have consumed alcohol and it's still in my bloodstream.
Goin' to quit you too
I am going to quit you as well, just like I will leave the cows behind.
Then I'll forget about you Ooo - 'til I forget about you
Then I will be able to forget about you, hopefully for good.
Ooo - 'til I forget about you (one] down-stroke)
I will keep working on myself until I can let you go, even if it takes longer.
Contributed by Mia O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Les Niedbalski
on Road to Las Cruces
Does the wind still blow
in New Mexico?
Do the silver candelabras yet shine?
Is Kathrine still queen of El Paso?
Never to be yours, never to be mine.
Out of reach like the pale moon that shines, on the road to Las Cruces.
On a high plateau, out off Antone she goes.
I see the dust of a herd moving through.
The dream and the lights softly fading,
The horses will not stay, they wish to go with her.
Riding for Alex Corone, on the road to Las Vegas.
The line of desire, seven strands of barbed wire
will hold back the on rushing tide.
Many dreams have been brought to the border,
down in the canyons, down in the culverts.
They pray for safe passage tonight, on the trail to Albuquerque.
I crossed over a toll, I stood there alone, looking in to the heart of the night.
Across that dark plain to El Paso,
Where Kathrine sleeps, Kathrine dreams.
Out of reach like the pale moon that shines, on the road to Las Cruces.
Alex Marcin
on The Wonder of It All
I think it is "where the rimrock meets the sky"