While most bluesy hard rock acts of the '70s and '80s hailed from the United States (the south, to be exact), there were several exceptions to the rule, such as Canadian singer/guitarist Pat Travers. Born in Toronto on April 12, 1954, Travers first picked up the guitar just prior to entering his teens, after witnessing a local performance by the great Jimi Hendrix. It wasn't long before Travers was studying the other top rock guitarists of the day (Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, etc.), and paying his dues by playing in bar bands in the Quebec area.
His first true touring gig came his way when he hooked up with '50s rock n' roll vet Ronnie Hawkins (best known for performing with a backing cast that would eventually transform into The Band). But Travers' main love was hard rock, so after a year, he packed up his belongings and headed to London. Shortly after touchdown in the U.K., Travers recorded a demo that would land him a recording deal with Polydor and result in the release of his debut, Pat Travers, during the spring of 1976. A performance at England's annual Reading Festival the same year only peaked interest, which resulted in two more releases in 1977, Makin' Magic and Putting It Straight (both of which featured a pre-Iron Maiden Nicko McBrain on drums), before Travers returned to North America and set his sights on the U.S. rock market.
Hooking up with a fine backing band comprised of drummer Tommy Aldridge, guitarist Pat Thrall, and bassist Mars Cowling, the new Travers band lineup premiered on 1979's Heat in the Street. This led to Travers' most commercially successful period, resulting in a pair of Top 30 releases, 1979's Live! Go For What You Know (considered by many Travers fans to be his finest hour) and 1980's Crash and Burn. But soon after the dawn of the '80s, bluesy hard rock seemed to quickly fall out of favor amongst the U.S. record buying public, in favor of slickly produced arena rock, and later, MTV-approved bands. As a result, each subsequent Travers release sold less, as his last albums to appear on the U.S. album charts included 1981's Radio Active, 1982's Black Pearl, and 1984's Hot Shot.
Unhappy with Polydor, Travers opted to take a break from releasing albums for the remainder of the decade, but continued to tour. Travers' 1990 comeback album, School of Hard Knocks, failed to re-spark interest on the charts, although he continued to issue new studio albums (Blues Tracks, Just a Touch, Blues Magnet, etc.) and archival live sets (King Biscuit Flower Hour, BBC Radio One Live in Concert) throughout the decade.
Travers continues to tour and record regularly (playing alongside the likes of Night Ranger's Jeff Watson, Cinderella's Tom Keifer, and Rick Derringer), and in 2001, performed as part of the 'Voices of Classic Rock' tour. Travers emerged from the recording studio once more in 2003, with P.T. Power Trio, a recording that featured covers by the likes of Cream ("White Room"), Robin Trower ("Day of the Eagle"), and ZZ Top ("Nasty Dogs and Funky Kings"), among others. (Greg Prato - AllMusic Guide)
Ice Queen
Pat Travers Lyrics
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Yeah up in the streets in the city,
Babe since you went away...well I hope what you said,
Is all that I am....cause you cheatin your life...
And you dont give a dam...And I should have known,
When your touch turned to ice...your love was on loan..
But nothins for free, and I sure paid the price......
Ice Queen...colder than Ice is you....
Work my hands to the bone...oh what do you care..
I could be driving forever, your out styling somewhere,
But when I try to call, oh your never at home,
Oh and if you are,...I get a busy tone...
And I'm hearing things,
About you running around...from all of my friends..
The rumors are flying.... all over town....
Your an Ice Queen...see what you put me through..
Ice Queen...colder than ice is you...
Your an Ice Queen, see what you put me through..
Ice Queen...colder than ice is you....
Your an Ice Queen, see what you put me through...
Ice Queen, colder than ice is you......
Ice Queen....Ice Queen Ice Queen
Your chilly baby.....
The lyrics of Pat Travers's song "Ice Queen" are about a man who has been walking around the city with his dog, trying to cope with life without his lover who has left him. He hopes that the words she spoke to him are true because he realizes that her love was on loan, and now that the relationship is over, he has to pay the price. He feels he should have known better when her touch turned to ice, but he had no idea that his love was for rent. The chorus of the song repeats several times, and the man expresses how he feels about the situation that the Ice Queen has put him through. He worked his hands to the bone, but what does she care? He tries to call her, but she's never at home. Even when he does get a hold of her, he gets a busy tone. His friends are telling him rumors that she's running around town, but he's just stuck out in the cold.
This song talks about a common theme in relationships, and that's the pain that comes from being taken for granted, cheated on, or just left in the dark. The man in the song is figuratively freezing, left out in the cold by the woman he loves. The title "Ice Queen" is a metaphor for how cold and unfeeling the woman is towards him, and how she has put him through a lot of pain. The lyrics also show how hurt and vulnerable he feels, as he's walking around town with his dog, trying to cope with the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I been walking the dog, all night and all day..
I've been wandering aimlessly because I'm lost without you in my life.
Yeah up in the streets in the city, Babe since you went away...well I hope what you said, Is all that I am....cause you cheatin your life...And you dont give a dam...
Since you left, I've been trying to make sense of everything you said. But it seems like you lied about who you were, and you didn't care about what you were doing with your life.
And I should have known, When your touch turned to ice...your love was on loan..But nothins for free, and I sure paid the price......
I should have realized that I was just a temporary fix for you when your love turned cold. But I didn't realize love always comes with a price.
Your an Ice Queen...see what you put me through..Ice Queen...colder than Ice is you....
You're a heartless person who has caused me so much emotional pain. Your icy demeanor is a reflection of your cold heart.
Work my hands to the bone...oh what do you care..I could be driving forever, your out styling somewhere,But when I try to call, oh your never at home,Oh and if you are,...I get a busy tone...
I've been working hard and making sacrifices to be with you, but you don't appreciate it. You're always out having a good time, and you don't answer my calls when I try to reach you.
And I'm hearing things,About you running around...from all of my friends..The rumors are flying....all over town....
I've heard from multiple people that you've been cheating on me and running around with other people. The rumors are spreading fast and far.
Ice Queen...Ice Queen Ice Queen Your chilly baby.....
You're an emotionally distant person who doesn't care about the pain you inflict on me or others. You're cold and uncaring like a queen made of ice.
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.