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.
Six O'Clock News
Kathleen Edwards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I can't even get inside to talk you down
Peter, sweet baby, where'd you get that gun?
You spend half your life trying to turn the other half around
And I tried to come clean, but I guess it's no use
Your face is all over six o'clock news
They cleared the street and then they closed the schools
Did you lose your head when the farm went down?
Was is when your daddy died after he moved to town
And I know your momma calls you good for nothing
She says her baby is a failer and she don't want you calling
Peter, sweet baby, there's something I need to say to you
Gonna have your baby this coming June
We could get a little place down by Gilmour park
You could do a little time and save my broken heart
And I tried to come clean, but I guess it's no use
Copper when ahead and he just shot you through
Now you're lying dead on the avenue
And I can't feel my broken heart
Kathleen Edwards' "Six O'Clock News" is a commentary on gun violence and domestic abuse, as seen through the eyes of a pregnant woman who is desperate to save her partner's life. The song tells the story of Peter, a troubled man who has a gun and has barricaded himself inside a building, refusing to come out. The singer, who is his girlfriend, tries to reason with him, but is unable to get through to him or the police outside. As she watches the events unfold on the news, she realizes that there is no hope left for Peter.
The song opens with a reference to the police, who are often called "coppers". The line "Copper on the corner and he loaded two rounds" suggests that the police are preparing to use force to take down Peter. The singer laments that she cannot get through to Peter, despite all her efforts. She wants him to know that she is pregnant and that they could start a life together. However, Peter's past traumas, including the loss of his farm and his father's death, have pushed him to the brink of despair. The song ends on a tragic note with Peter being shot by the police and the singer's broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Copper on the corner and he loaded two rounds
There's a police officer on the corner who has loaded his gun with two rounds
And I can't even get inside to talk you down
I can't even reach to where you are, so I can't talk you out of it
Peter, sweet baby, where'd you get that gun?
Peter, my sweet love, where did you get that gun?
You spend half your life trying to turn the other half around
You spend your whole life trying to balance the good with the bad
And I tried to come clean, but I guess it's no use
I tried to tell you the truth, but my confession was pointless
Your face is all over six o'clock news
Your face is all over the news that airs at six o'clock
They cleared the street and then they closed the schools
The authorities have cleared the streets and shut down the schools
I can't even get inside
I am unable to get inside the place where you are
Did you lose your head when the farm went down?
Did you lose your mind when we lost the farm?
Was it when your daddy died after he moved to town
Did you break down when your father passed away after moving to the town?
And I know your momma calls you good for nothing
I know your mother has labelled you as good for nothing
She says her baby is a failer and she don't want you calling
She says her baby is a failure and that she does not want you to contact her
Peter, sweet baby, there's something I need to say to you
Peter, my sweet darling, there's something important I need to tell you
Gonna have your baby this coming June
I'm going to have your child this upcoming June
We could get a little place down by Gilmour park
We could settle in a small home close to Gilmour park
You could do a little time and save my broken heart
You could serve some time to save my shattered heart
Copper went ahead and he just shot you through
The police officer proceeded to shoot and kill you
Now you're lying dead on the avenue
Now, you're laid dead on the street
And I can't feel my broken heart
I am numb and can't feel my heartbreak
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KATHLEEN MARGARET EDWARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind