His 2015 album "Joel Plaskett and the Park Avenue Sobriety Test" touches on his solo acoustic side, his guitar rock work with Joel Plaskett Emergency, his happy-go-lucky rhyming talents, carefree memories of growing up in Nova Scotia, and a little bit of anger at the forces that make life tougher these days. There are references to his salad days, like “On A Dime,” which starts with a blast of downhome Celtic fiddle from Cape Breton great J.P. Cormier. Then there’s Plaskett riffing on memories of playing road hockey in the liquor store parking lot, and later, traveling to Memphis with his band Thrush Hermit to make their first album. The album. also refers to the cast of characters that helped make the album, with Joel Plaskett Emergency appearing on more than half the tracks. It’s more like the Emergency-Plus, as lots of familiar faces from previous Plaskett discs are aboard. Longtime Emergency cohorts Dave Marsh – drums and Chris Pennell – bass anchor the rhythm section. Previous group members Tim Brennan and Peter Elkas play on several songs. From Plaskett’s former band Thrush Hermit is old pal Ian McGettigan. Then there are guests, friends and neighbours, such as Cormier, Halifax singer-songwriter Mo Kenney, singer Erin Costelo, and pedal steel player Dale Murray (Christina Martin, Cuff the Duke).
He released the album Solidarity, a collaboration with his father Bill, in 2017.
Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'
Joel Plaskett Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A mouthful of mud from a fistful of dust
A heart full of hurt from a head full of wine
I’ll call you back some other time
No way I’m picking up my phone
I’m tired of talking, leave me alone
I can’t run and I can’t write
And I can’t make it home tonight
Gathering no moss
I don’t know where I’m goin’
But I know what I’ve lost
Talk is cheap but music’s cheaper
Deep in debt and getting deeper
The price is steep and getting steeper
I’m yours to keep, won’t you keep me?
I’m a keeper
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
Gathering no moss
I don’t know where I’m goin’
But I know what it cost
Pretty people posing questions
(I don’t wanna answer you)
Where’d you go? D’you learn your lesson?
(I put on my dancing shoes)
Who’d you meet and what’d you buy?
(Couple strangers, pair of jeans)
Just leave ‘em hanging high and dry
Bye Bye
Rollin’, rollin’ rollin’
With my imaginary friends
Imagining I know’ em
Then it’s time to roll again
Why so blue, tired and true?
(Just like that Irma Thomas song)
I’m tired of myself, not tired of you
(You’ve been gone “Two Winters Long”)
They say that good things come to those you roll
(Back to the place where you belong)
Back to someone beautiful
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
It’s time to get me gone
The yellow lines are glowing
Oh, highway roll me home
(Blacktop highway)
Highway roll me home
The lyrics of Joel Plaskett's "Rollin' Rollin' Rollin'" describe a person in a difficult and confusing situation. The singer seems to be in a dark place, feeling lost, lonely, and without direction. The song starts in a somewhat dark manner as the first lines describe a person who is lying in a ditch, almost as if he or she has given up on life. The person in question is also drunk, which only adds to the despair.
Later in the song, the singer is exhausted and tired of talking, requesting some alone time, creating an image that he is going through something difficult or that he has passed through something. The lyric "I can't run, and I can't write, and I can't make it home tonight" provides an image of being lost without a sense of direction. Throughout the song, the singer repeats the phrase "Rollin', rollin', rollin'," which creates a sense of moving without a clear direction or goal.
Joel Plaskett uses metaphors and wordplay in the lyrics to create a sense of confusion, despair, and a need for escape. The lyrics explore several themes, including loneliness, alcoholism, and a lack of self-awareness. The singer seems to be searching for something, but he does not know where to look. The use of a Blacktop Highway and highway sign as the singer begs the road to carry him home provides a sense of escapism.
Line by Line Meaning
Side of the road, in the ditch, you rust
Abandoned and unable to move forward, with no one to turn to for help
A mouthful of mud from a fistful of dust
Taking a hard hit and struggling to recover from it
A heart full of hurt from a head full of wine
Being overwhelmed with pain and emotion due to excessive drinking
I’ll call you back some other time
I don't have the energy to talk right now, please give me some time to recover
No way I’m picking up my phone
I need some time to myself and don't want to be bothered by anyone
I’m tired of talking, leave me alone
I have nothing left to say and need some space to sort through my thoughts
I can’t run and I can’t write
I'm unable to physically or emotionally move forward
And I can’t make it home tonight
I'm lost and unsure of where I belong
Rollin’, rollin’, rollin’
Moving forward with no clear direction or purpose
Gathering no moss
Not staying in one place long enough to accumulate anything meaningful
I don’t know where I’m goin’
I'm lost and don't have a specific destination in mind
But I know what I’ve lost
I'm aware of what I've left behind and what I'm missing
Talk is cheap but music’s cheaper
Words are easy to come by, but the power of music is more accessible and impactful
Deep in debt and getting deeper
I'm feeling overwhelmed and weighed down by the problems in my life
The price is steep and getting steeper
The cost of my choices and situation is becoming increasingly difficult and challenging to handle
I’m yours to keep, won’t you keep me?
I'm looking for support and someone to hold onto through tough times
I’m a keeper
I'm a valuable person and worth holding onto, despite my flaws and struggles
Pretty people posing questions
Unimportant and superficial questions from people who don't really care
(I don’t wanna answer you)
I don't have the energy or desire to engage in small talk or superficial conversation
Where’d you go? D’you learn your lesson?
Asking where I've been and whether I've changed or progressed
(I put on my dancing shoes)
I'm choosing to focus on positivity and joy instead of the negative issues in my life
Who’d you meet and what’d you buy?
Asking about my personal life and finances in a nosy and invasive way
(Couple strangers, pair of jeans)
I don't want to share personal details and am trying to keep things private and simple
Just leave ‘em hanging high and dry
Distancing myself from people who don't care about me or my problems
Bye Bye
I'm moving on and leaving behind the negative people and situations in my life
Rollin’, rollin’ rollin’
Moving forward and leaving the past behind
With my imaginary friends
I'm relying on my own imagination and internal thoughts to get me through tough times
Imagining I know’ em
Creating mental support and companionship for myself where none exists in reality
Then it’s time to roll again
I take comfort in the idea of always being able to start fresh and move forward
Why so blue, tired and true?
Asking myself why I'm sad, exhausted, and dealing with reality
(Just like that Irma Thomas song)
Referencing a song about heartbreak and pain, reflecting my own struggles
I’m tired of myself, not tired of you
I need to change my own patterns and habits, but it's not a reflection on the people around me
(You’ve been gone “Two Winters Long”)
Referencing a song about loss and absence, highlighting my own feelings of being alone and lost
They say that good things come to those you roll
I'm hopeful that things will get better as long as I keep moving forward and trying
(Back to the place where you belong)
Returning to a place of comfort, familiarity, and belonging
Back to someone beautiful
Choosing to focus on the beauty and positivity in life
It’s time to get me gone
I'm ready to leave behind the negative things in my life and move forward
The yellow lines are glowing
Referencing the road and the path forward
Oh, highway roll me home
I'm looking for guidance and support as I move forward and look for a place of belonging
(Blacktop highway)
Referencing the road and the journey ahead
Highway roll me home
I'm looking for comfort, safety, and a place where I can belong
Contributed by Elizabeth S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ShrOo0ms
the lyrics are astonishing
@seanmellows1348
Excellent. Finally saw Joel Plaskett live this year, he did not disappoint.
@RevolvingRobyn
Joel Plaskett is a national treasure.
@ShrOo0ms
Damn. Gotta to go to Canada to see this guy. Come to the states Joel!
@spunkygirl99
Joel, you certainly ARE a keeper.
@TheBabysherrie1
We saw Joel last night at the Dartmouth water front , Canada Day Party.Wicked and awsome artist ...he has the right touch and stuff to connect w/ his people here in Nova Scotia...Joel u can make any party happen to the fullest..Thank u for last night my adpoted parents Rober and Shelly and l had such a wonderful timecouldn't ask for a better night w/ u ...Love ya Bud , keep up the good music..Hope to see u again soon here in dartmouth..Sherrie Lynn Butcher-Rhyno
@patmgervais
Great performance. Awesome to hear the two guitarists together.
@BobBoican
I'm so sorry I missed this episode of Q, I love Joel Plaskett.
@Rottwhaler82
What a beautiful song. :)
@jeffh7211
So so so so awesome.