According to the The A Soft Place To Land Songfacts Edwards' father is Leonard Edwards, a former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a result she spent portions of her teenage years in Korea and Switzerland. Her blend of country, folk and pop music made her a favourite of music critics, and a rising star on radio in 2003 with her debut album, Failer, made popular by her hit singles "Six O'Clock News" and "Hockey Skates" Her style of music is sometimes placed in the music genre "alt-country".
In 1999, Edwards recorded a six-song EP entitled Building 55 and pressed 500 copies. By the fall of 2000, she was on tour across Canada managing her own gigs. In 2001 she wrote seven of the ten songs for her 2003 debut release Failer.
Edwards married musician and producer Colin Cripps in 2004. They later divorced.
In 2005, Edwards released Back to Me, which also garnered considerable critical acclaim, and led to the release of the singles "Back to Me" and "In State". The track "Summerlong" also featured on the soundtrack of the movie Elizabethtown starring Orlando Bloom and Kirsten Dunst.
In 2006, she was nominated for Juno Awards for Songwriter of the Year and Adult Alternative Album of the Year for Back to Me.
On March 4, 2008, her new CD, Asking for Flowers, arrived to excellent reviews.
Her fourth album, Voyageur, was released on January 17, 2012.
Buffalo
Kathleen Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But the fall rolled in on the back of a storm
In the night you and I drove
Have you ever seen lightning and snow?
All these weeks without a note
It's like a ticking clock
Every time that you phone
And when it comes to me
I'll let you know
Don't be like that
Just my luck an Irish rose
In a drinking hole
I'd played a thousand one shows
What you need is to just go home
And when it comes to you
Don't leave it alone
Don't be like that
Up ahead the roads were closed
And the Genny's ran most of Buffalo
The customs man at border control
Said yes you can go
But you won't make it home
Don't be like that
The first stanza of Kathleen Edwards's song Buffalo describes a change in seasons and a shift in mood as summer fades away and fall rolls in. The singer of the song has been alone for the summer months and is now joined by a companion who they drive with at night. They witness a rare combination of lightning and snow, a symbol of the changing times that the singer is experiencing. The second stanza introduces a sense of tension as the singer reflects on weeks without communication and every phone call feeling like a ticking clock. They confess to having run aground, admitting that they are struggling to navigate through their own emotional state. The final line of the stanza, "And when it comes to me I'll let you know," suggests that the singer is still grappling with their feelings and is not ready to open up yet.
The chorus of the song, "Don't be like that," serves as a warning against pushing people away or shutting down emotionally. The third stanza introduces an Irish rose, possibly a reference to a woman the singer met in a bar. Despite having played a thousand shows, the singer seems jaded and is not interested in pursuing a potential connection. However, they offer advice to the person they are addressing to not leave their own emotions unattended. The final stanza takes on a more literal tone as the singer and their companion encounter road closures and a warning from a customs officer that they won't make it home, adding to the overall feeling of uncertainty and tension in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
The summer months left me alone
I spent the summer alone, without anyone to keep me company.
But the fall rolled in on the back of a storm
As fall started, a heavy storm hit, bringing changes and challenges.
In the night you and I drove
We drove somewhere together in the darkness.
Have you ever seen lightning and snow?
Did you witness the rare, simultaneous occurrence of lightning and snow?
All these weeks without a note
You haven't contacted me in weeks, and I feel anxious about it.
It's like a ticking clock
It feels as if time is passing by quickly, and I'm waiting for something to happen.
Every time that you phone
Whenever you call me on the phone.
I've run aground truth be told
Honestly, I feel like I've hit a low point in my life.
And when it comes to me
If something happens to me.
I'll let you know
I'll inform you about it as soon as possible.
Don't be like that
Please don't behave that way.
Just my luck an Irish rose
It's my luck to meet a beautiful Irish woman.
In a drinking hole
We were in a bar, enjoying drinks together.
I'd played a thousand one shows
I've played numerous music shows in my life.
What you need is to just go home
You should go back to your home and find peace there.
And when it comes to you
If something happens to you.
Don't leave it alone
Don't leave the issue unresolved or unaddressed.
Up ahead the roads were closed
The roads in front of us were closed, and we couldn't proceed further.
And the Genny's ran most of Buffalo
The electricity in Buffalo was out, and most places were running on generators.
The customs man at border control
The official at the border control checkpoint.
Said yes you can go
He allowed us to continue our journey.
But you won't make it home
However, he warned us that we might not be able to reach our destination.
Don't be like that
Once again, please don't behave that way.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KATHLEEN MARGARET EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
paul elliott
This such a brilliant song by Kathleen
And her voice an absolute dream ... wonderful indeed
Michele Anderson
LOVE this, I suppose I love them all-- she's got an album for wevery mood and songs to sing the shit outta~
Richard Sylvanus
Just discovered her two years ago. I remember at first I couldn't follow the lyrics because of her singing style.
Now it's like she's sung for me for years. Can't wait for a fifth album.
Lawrence Westby
August, 2020
Danielle Ciccone
She stops making music . She plays sometimes. But owns a cofffee shop now
PalisadeHills
Great song. Thank you for sharing.
viena47
Gran cancion. gracias por compartir.
Dave Sloane
Love the immediacy of this recording, and how certain words are enunciated. Fok yeah!!
Dougie Zee
This is fantastic.
Arman Fadaei
Smoothly beautiful!