In 2004, Victoria Canada had been thrown into the spotlight due to the success of garden city hipsters HOT HOT HEAT. Right in the midst of that was Leeroy Stagger, who had HHH's seal of approval as touring support for the band and musical contemporary early on. "I wasn't ready and nothing really came about for me throughout that time period" recalls Stagger, but he did manage to release the critically acclaimed "Dear Love" album, a “Whiskeytown-esque” tinged alt- country rock gem produced by Victoria's own Tolan Mcneil, (Neko Case, Carolyn Mark) and attract the attention of Vancouver Independent label "Boompa Records". In 2006, Boompa released Stagger’s "Beautiful House" album, produced by Canadian musical treasure "Danny Michel". The single "Just in Case" was featured in two episodes of ABC’s acclaimed series “Grey’s Anatomy”, as well as a multitude of other television shows and films.
In 2007, Boompa released Stagger’s first “coming of age and voice” record "Depression River". The album showcased a more matured songwriting talent and confident voice. The record was followed up with a 2-month U.S. tour, as well as a handful of U.K. and European dates.
In 2008, halfway through recording his follow up to “Depression River”, Stagger’s life changed dramatically. He found sobriety. "It was like a huge weight had been lifted off of me, it was either booze or my career and I think I made the right choice", and it showed in the recording process. His songs had evolved, and came from a purer, clearer perspective. Stagger enlisted “Depression River” producer John Ellis to man the helm for the project, as well as drummer Pat Steward (Brian Adams, The Odds), bassist Tyson Maiko and guitar player Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath). Entrenched in Ellis' studio in the small town of Ashcroft B.C., the result had been 2 years in the making. The beautifully crafted, " Everything is Real" record is an eleven-song masterpiece of music from the heart and soul of the young troubadour. In addition to Stagger’s core band, the record features musical guests Bobby Furgo (Leonard Cohen Band), Tim Easton (New West Records) Evan Phillips (The Whipsaws) and Neal Casal (Ryan Adams and the Cardinals). The title track is rollicking 3-minute classic, reminiscent of early 70's New York punk rock, while the stunningly imaginative "Red Bandanna" evokes the poetry of early Lucinda Williams’s material.
Stagger is also a member of the folk trio Easton,Stagger,Phillips, with acclaimed American songwriters Tim Easton and Evan Phillips, The trio will release there first full length "One for the Ditch" this summer on Stagger’s newly formed "REBELTONE RECORDS."
With a performing history opening shows for the likes of The Pixies, Ron Sexsmith, Tegan and Sara, Kathleen Edwards, George Thorogood, Joel Plaskett, The Drive by Truckers and Jason Isbell just to name a few, Stagger is no stranger to the stage. Thriving on live performance, he is truly happy when he is on the road playing and connecting personally with his loyal fans
Stagger now resides on the prairies of Canada in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Summer Storm
Leeroy Stagger Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wish it'd spare me from this dirty turmoil
It's raining, I fell like I am drowning
This wind could carry me, take me back west
Back to the town I love the best
To the ocean, the place where I was born
There's too many houses, too many dreams
There's too many girls and too many women
I've got some friends here you never know
Got the gift of song, it's a powerful stuff
And I'm a restless soul, could never settle down
And I'm standing in line this dusty old street
Just waiting for cords to bring gold to my feet
And I'm alone, and thinking ‘bout her
And I'm in love with a feeling I can't afford
It's a son of a bitch it's a double edge sword
It's a bastard and it's a curse
Cuz I've killed everything, I shattered all love
And I pissed on the blessing sent from above
And I'm done, yea, I'm done
The song "Summer Storm" by Leeroy Stagger is a powerful ballad about the struggles of life and love. The first verse sets the tone for the melancholic mood of the song. Rain bell refers to a device that catches rain, sparing the soil. The singer wishes it would spare him from the turmoil of his life. He feels like he's drowning in the rain, and the wind could carry him away from his present life to the town he loves best. This town, the place where he was born, is by the ocean. He longs to return there and escape the complexities of his current life.
In the second verse, the song takes on a stream-of-consciousness quality. The singer feels overwhelmed with too many people, too many dreams, and too many towns. He longs for simplicity and for the freedom to pursue his passions. He has a gift for songwriting, but he knows that he's a restless soul who could never settle down. The last two lines of the verse reveal that he may be missing someone he loves.
Line by Line Meaning
Rain bell catches rain, spares the soil
The rain bell is saving the soil, but I wish it could also save me from my troubles.
It's raining, I fell like I am drowning
The rain is making me feel like I am drowning in my emotions.
This wind could carry me, take me back west
I wish this wind could take me back to the west, where the town I love the most and the ocean where I was born are located.
Back to the town I love the best
I miss the town I love the most and I want to go back there.
To the ocean, the place where I was born
The ocean is where I was born and it holds a special place in my heart.
There's too many houses, too many dreams
There are too many houses and dreams that are mixed up and confusing.
Too many towns and mixed up scenes
There are too many towns and confused situations.
There's too many girls and too many women
There are too many girls and women that I am confused about and can't make up my mind about.
I've got some friends here you never know
I have some friends here that you might not know about.
Got the gift of song, it's a powerful stuff
I have the gift of song, which is very powerful.
And I'm a restless soul, could never settle down
I am a restless soul and I can never stay in one place for too long.
And I'm standing in line this dusty old street
I am standing in line on this dusty old street.
Just waiting for cords to bring gold to my feet
I am waiting for some sort of opportunity to come along and bring me success.
And I'm alone, and thinking ‘bout her
I am alone and thinking about a special person.
And I'm in love with a feeling I can't afford
I am in love with a feeling that I can't have or afford.
It's a son of a bitch it's a double edge sword
It's a very difficult and complicated situation.
It's a bastard and it's a curse
It's a terrible and unfortunate situation.
Cuz I've killed everything, I shattered all love
I have destroyed everything and ruined all of my relationships.
And I pissed on the blessing sent from above
I have rejected the blessings that have come my way.
And I'm done, yea, I'm done
I am done with everything and ready to move on.
Contributed by Aubrey C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.