www.justinrutledge.com
Rutledge has released three albums, No Never Alone, The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park and Man Descending. His fourth album, entitled, "The Early Widows" was released in May 2010 on Six Shooter Records.
Rutledge's musical style is often compared to that of American alt-country singer Ryan Adams. His influences, both of the literary and music world, include Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Richard Brautigan and E.E. Cummings.
In 2006, Justin Rutledge was named Toronto singer-songwriter of the year by NOW magazine.
Rutledge has toured Canada, the UK, the United States and Europe, and has played shows with Kathleen Edwards, Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo, Hawksley Workman, Luke Doucet and Dolly Parton.
His critically acclaimed lyrics are sometimes linked by music writers to his time as a university English major; he was editor-in-chief of a University of Toronto literary journal.
History
Early life
Justin Rutledge was born and grew up in the Junction neighbourhood in Toronto, a working class community centered around an intersection of four railway lines. He was raised in an Irish-Catholic family and grew up with aspirations of becoming a writer. To that end he studied English literature, with a major in modern poetry, at the University of Toronto. He dropped out after three years of school as his musical career got in the way. Rutledge told Macleans in an interview that his backup plan would be to finish his university studies in English "if this music thing doesn't work."
No Never Alone (2004-2005)
No Never Alone is Justin Rutledge's first album. In order to pay for the recording he worked as a bartender. Rutledge has remarked, "I would often do a studio session during the day, and then head straight to work until 4 or 5 in the morning"
The album earned Rutledge considerable praise, particularly in the UK, where he was compared to Ryan Adams by Comes With a Smile, who also proclaimed that "A major new talent has landed". Additional UK praise came from Uncut magazine who referred to Rutledge as “a master of gothic understatement” and NME describing the album as "an incredible breakthrough".
It was only receiving this attention in the UK that 'No Never Alone' was released in Rutledge's native Canada.
The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park (2006-2007)
Rutledge's second album, "The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park" was released through Six Shooter Records on October 6, 2006. "Devil on a Bench" is actually Rutledge's second attempt at a sophomore album - He spent a year recording his first attempt, tentatively titled In the Fall, before he scrapped it. He was unsatisfied with the album, and has explained, “I thought a sophomore album should have just a bit more of an assured sense about it. A second step forward should be a step up the ladder as opposed to just asserting your presence. You’re not just saying, ‘hey, I’m still here. You’re saying, ‘hey I’m here and I’ve challenged myself and I’ve hopefully done something that I haven’t done already. In order to challenge himself and create the album he wanted, Rutledge wrote a new batch of songs and recorded them in eight days with his band - opting for a more live recording style.
"The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park" was nominated for a Juno award in the category "Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo" and received the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the Edmonton Folk Festival.
[edit] Man Descending (2008)
Man Descending
Justin Rutledge's third album, "Man Descending" was released on April 8, 2008 through Six Shooter Records. The album is named after a 1982 collection of short stories by Guy Vanderhaeghe, also called "Man Descending". Rutledge was inspired by a line from Vanderhaeghe's book, "A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene." He says of the line, "It really resonated with me. As I continued to read the stories, I realized that all these characters in the book were dealing with the same kind of static or inertia in their lives. I kind of took little threads and wove them into songs."
The album features Ron Sexsmith, Jenn Grant, Catherine MacLellan, Hawksley Workman, Melissa McClelland, Joey Wright, Jim Bryson as well as "What Rutledge calls the best band in town; David Baxter, Bazil Donovan and Blake Manning; Burke Carroll and Bob Packwood."
"Man Descending" was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.[17] Other praise for "Man Descending" in 2008 included the #5 spot on Exclaim's Wood, Wires & Whiskey top 10 and a nomination for Contemporary Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
According to an interview, "Compared to 2006’s The Devil On A Bench In Stanley Park, Rutledge feels Man Descending is a much more patient, intimate and mature album, despite recording it in just three days."
The songs "Alberta Breeze" and "San Sebastian" were written for "In The Fall:" - the album that Rutledge scrapped in 2006, and were rerecorded for Man Descending.
In 2009 Justin Rutledge took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had him reflecting on his time performing at the Cameron House.
The Early Widows (2010)
The Early Widows is Justin Rutledge's fourth album, released in May 2010 on Six Shooter Records. Justin wrote several songs with a single character in mind from author Michael Ondaatje's Novel Divisadero after collaborating with Ondaatje on a theatrical adaptation of the novel. Michael Onjaatje also co-wrote several of the songs receiving official credit for the single Be A Man.
The album is produced by Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman (also credited as a musician on the album) and also features Canadian singer-songwriter Oh Susanna.
This Too Shall Pass
Justin Rutledge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And your cloudy all day
When the night arrives at last
It just won't go away
When you're eyes are sick with wonder and your heart is in a cast
This too, shall pass.
When the city turns to limp
When she welcomes you with pity
In half an inch of rain
When you're playing at 10:30
And if anyone should ask
This too, Shall pass.
This western call
This too shall fall
These northern skies
These too shall rise
This way you feel
This too shall heal
This hour glass
This too shall pass.
She loves me when i'm lazy and she loves me when i'm wild
She loves me when i'm hazy and she loves me when i'm a child
We figured out how to make a good thing last
But this too, shall pass
This too, shall pass.
The lyrics of Justin Rutledge's song This Too Shall Pass suggest a message of hope and resilience. The phrase "this too shall pass" is a common proverb that has been used to encourage and comfort people during tough times. The song conveys that no matter how difficult or challenging the current situation may be, it will eventually come to an end, and better days will come.
The opening lines of the song set the tone as the singer describes the gloomy weather and how it affects both the day and the night. The use of the word "cast" implies a feeling of being trapped or confined, which can be relatable to various situations in life. The second verse continues the theme of adversity, with the singer describing the dullness of the city and the loneliness that can be felt while waiting for a train. However, the repetition of the phrase "this too shall pass" suggests that the singer is hopeful that better times will come.
The chorus is where the message of the song becomes more apparent, as the singer lists various things that are transient, such as the setting sun, the changing skies, and the passing of time. The line "this too shall fall" can be interpreted as referring to both physical structures, such as buildings or trees, and emotional states, such as depression or anxiety. The following line, "these too shall rise," suggests that even when one thing falls, something new will eventually take its place. The final verse brings the focus back to the personal relationships in the singer's life, reassuring the listener that even though nothing lasts forever, the love and connection between people can endure.
Line by Line Meaning
When it's windy in the morning
When the world seems harsh and bleak
And your cloudy all day
And everything seems gloomy and gray
When the night arrives at last
When the darkness sets in and you're feeling low
It just won't go away
And the sadness lingers on and on
When you're eyes are sick with wonder and your heart is in a cast
When you're feeling lost, confused, and brokenhearted
This too, shall pass.
But remember, this pain is only temporary.
When the city turns to limp
When you feel like everything around you is falling apart
When you're waiting for a train
And time seems to move so slowly
When she welcomes you with pity
When even the warm welcome of a friend feels empty
In half an inch of rain
And the world feels like it's drowning in sorrow
When you're playing at 10:30
When you're dealing with the mundane and everyday struggles
And if anyone should ask
And if someone wonders how you're doing
This too, Shall pass.
Just remember, this too shall pass.
This western call
The sound of the West, a symbol of the fleeting nature of things
This too shall fall
Everything eventually falls apart, even the things we cherish
These northern skies
The vast expanse of the northern sky, always changing and shifting
These too shall rise
And even when things fall apart, new opportunities and hope will arise
This way you feel
The pain, the sorrow, and the heartache you're going through
This too shall heal
But remember, this too shall heal with time.
This hour glass
The sands of time keep moving, and everything is temporary
This too shall pass.
Just remember, this too shall pass.
She loves me when i'm lazy and she loves me when i'm wild
When someone loves you unconditionally, through all your ups and downs
She loves me when i'm hazy and she loves me when i'm a child
When someone loves you even when you're at your most vulnerable
We figured out how to make a good thing last
When you've found something good and lasting in the midst of all the chaos
But this too, shall pass
But remember, everything is temporary, even the good things.
This too, shall pass.
Just remember, this too shall pass.
Contributed by Elijah P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.