Melissa McClelland (born c. 1979) is an American-born Canadian singer and s… Read Full Bio ↴Melissa McClelland (born c. 1979) is an American-born Canadian singer and songwriter who lived in Burlington, Ontario in her youth and now bases her career from Toronto. McClelland's music is influenced by blues and americana. A writer on CMJ's staff blog wrote that McClelland has "a persona reminiscent of a female Tom Waits."

Biography

Melissa McClelland was born in Chicago, Illinois. She spent her youth in Burlington, Ontario before developing her career in Toronto. McClelland married Luke Doucet on June 24, 2006; the two have played together on numerous stages, including at the 2006 Calgary Folk Music Festival. He has produced three of her records, Stranded in Suburbia, Thumbelina's One Night Stand and Victoria Day.

In 2006 McClelland opened for Matthew Good's solo acoustic tour across Canada. During the tour the two singers closed Matthew Good's set with a duet performance of the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt".

She also works with Sarah McLachlan, providing backing vocals at her live shows. McLachlan makes a guest appearance on the song "Go Down Matthew" from McClelland's album Thumbelina's One Night Stand.

Performing live.

"Skyway Bridge" (off of Thumbelina's One Night Stand) features Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo. Additionally, McClelland is the only guest artist on Blue Rodeo's 2008 live album, "Blue Road".
In 2007 McClelland opened a tour with Jesse Cook and sang on his recording of "It Ain't Me Babe" (a Bob Dylan cover) which was released on his 2007 album Frontiers. "It Ain't Me Babe" was released as a single from that album, which spent 3 weeks in the top position on Billboard's world music charts.

Also in 2007, McClelland's "Passenger 24" won in The 6th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Americana Song.
McClelland's song "Rooftop" was featured on the 2005 soundtrack CD of the television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. The song was played on the ending montage of the 2004 episode "Time Stands Still Pt. 2", in which a main character, Jimmy Brooks (Aubrey Graham) was shot by a bullied student, Rick Murray (Ephraim Ellis). She also performed the theme song for the children's reality show This Is Daniel Cook.

Discography

2001: Melissa McClelland (Daddy Warbucks Records/independent)
20 April 2004: Stranded in Suburbia (Orange/Universal)
23 May 2006: Thumbelina's One Night Stand (Orange/Universal)
14 April 2009: Victoria Day (Six Shooter Records)

Stranded in Suburbia

In 2004 McClelland released Stranded in Suburbia on Orange Record Label. In the same year, her side-band Ladybird Sideshow released a live album entitled Ladybird Sideshow Live at the Orange Lounge'.'

Thumbelina's One Night Stand

McClelland's followup album, Thumbelina's One Night Stand was released in 2006. Reviews drew attention to the eclectic nature of the album. Exclaim! Magazine described the album as "impossible to pin down stylistically, as it segues from roots-y rock ("Passenger 24") to country ("Taxi Ride") to chamber pop ("Solitary Life") to folk (a cover of Randy Newman’s "Dayton Ohio") and blues ("Go Down Matthew")."

Victoria Day

In late 2008 Melissa McClelland began work on Victoria Day, her fourth album, and first for Six Shooter Records. Victoria Day was scheduled for release on April 14, 2009. The album was recorded at Canterbury Music by Jeremy Darby, and was produced by Luke Doucet.

Victoria Day has a vintage 1950s sound, combining dixieland with "high lonesome twang". "Seasoned Lovers", from Victoria Day, features vocals from Canadian singer-songwriter Ron Sexsmith.

Rooftop
Melissa McClelland Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Crouched down on a rooftop
In my mother's high-heeled shoes
I'm wondering if I will drop
Fly away with you

I can smell the rain coming
But I won't leave until it falls
I'm gonna soak in its downpour

Til I hear my mother's calls

Cause I am playing God
I am raising hell
As far as I can tell
I am all alone
Alone in this world
Alone, with you

I carry Spring rain in my hair
Weighted sorrow in perfect clouds
Bursting in the air
Wash away and drown

The roof slips beneath my feet
As the branches back away from me
The softest grass turns to concrete
But I will fly

I will fly
You will see

Overall Meaning

The song Rooftop by Melissa McClelland is a beautifully written song that tells a story of a person perched on a rooftop, contemplating whether or not to take a leap of faith and fly away with someone. The lyrics are a metaphor for taking risks and stepping out of one's comfort zone. The person is wearing their mother's high-heeled shoes, which hint at a desire to be someone else or to escape from their current reality. They are wondering if they will drop, which is a metaphor for falling or failing at the risk they may take. They can smell the rain coming, which is another metaphor for change or a new beginning, but they won't leave until it falls, indicating that they are not yet ready for the change that may come with taking risks.

The person is playing God, raising hell, and doing things on their terms. They are alone in this world, but not necessarily lonely as they are with the person they want to fly away with. They are carrying the weight of sorrow in their perfect clouds, which can be interpreted as both emotional burden and hope. The rooftop slips beneath their feet, and the soft grass turns into concrete, which represents the challenges and obstacles that they will face if they take the risk. But they declare that they will fly, which shows that they are hopeful and determined to take that leap of faith despite any obstacles they may face.

Overall, the lyrics of the song Rooftop convey the message that life is about taking risks, stepping out of your comfort zone, and facing the unknown with courage and determination. It encourages the listener to pursue their dreams, despite the challenges they may encounter.

Line by Line Meaning

Crouched down on a rooftop
Sitting on top of a rooftop in a hunched over position

In my mother's high-heeled shoes
Wearing high-heeled shoes that belong to my mother

I'm wondering if I will drop
Thinking about the possibility of falling off the rooftop

Fly away with you
Escape with you from our current situation

I can smell the rain coming
Able to sense that it's about to rain

But I won't leave until it falls
Waiting for the rain to start before leaving the rooftop

I'm gonna soak in its downpour
Intending to enjoy the rain as much as possible

Til I hear my mother's calls
Until I hear my mother calling out for me to come down

Cause I am playing God
Acting as if I have complete control over the situation

I am raising hell
Causing chaos and trouble intentionally

As far as I can tell
To the best of my knowledge