And so the story goes: Randy Coleman almost never came to be. While his mother, Jean, was shooting a television show in Mexico, and coincidentally pregnant with Randy, she was accidentally injured during filming and began to lose her unborn child. Going against Mexican federal law, she refused to terminate the pregnancy. And with that, she saved Randy's life.
Growing up in the Coleman house the family bonded through an unbridled passion and love of music. Dad was a melody man and Mom, a lover of lyrics. On any given day, you would hear such great and diverse artists such as Ray Charles, Otis Redding, Willie Nelson, and John Denver. Thus began the education of Randy Coleman. In a home filled with an endless stream of amazing music Randy recognized, at a very young age, a great song when he heard it. It moved him; it breathed life into his soul, and before he even knew it was obvious where he was headed.
One of the many turning points in Randy's life came at the age of 13 when his parents divorced. His life being suddenly shaken, Randy sought and found an outlet in the drums, albeit briefly. Being true to his Aries nature, he quickly realized he needed to be out in front. So he picked up a guitar and his therapy began. Armed with nothing more than a second-hand acoustic guitar, a Beatles songbook, and unrelenting ambition, Randy practiced and learned every song in that book. As Randy states, "Looking back, it really helped me get through a very tough and confusing time in my life. Whenever I'm asked how I learned how to play, I tell them 2 guys from Liverpool, John and Paul, taught me."
Turning point number 2 came from the speakers of his sisters' stereo. While blasting Queen's epic "News of the World" record, Randy's ears were assaulted with the unheard of vocals of Freddie Mercury and virtuoso guitar playing of Brian May. The songs weren't bad either. From that point, it was game on! Randy immediately immersed himself in the music of Led Zeppelin, The Beach Boys, CCR, and Cheap Trick, ("Robin Zander, the most underrated singer in rock-n-roll", Randy has said.) With his interest in such diverse artists driving him forward, he happened upon the poetic lyrics and the hi-lonesome sound of Hank Williams. "Hank is one of the few artists I can listen to anytime, no matter what mood I'm in. His voice and lyrics were so pure; you could hear the heartbreak, the struggle, the resolve of his life in every word he sang."
One more step toward defining who Randy Coleman would eventually become. In school, Randy was the kid who was good at just about everything that had nothing to do with school itself. Randy got the bug to follow in his fathers', Dabney Coleman's, footsteps and study acting. True to form, Randy jumped in head first, quickly earning a MFA from Cal Arts. Ironically, this marked another turning point in his career as a singer/songwriter. "Cal Arts is where I found my voice". Immediately after graduation, Randy formed the critically acclaimed, Zoo Story, and shortly thereafter, signed a record deal with the independent label, Vagrant Records. From there, the record was picked up by a Universal Music Group offshoot label called 333. Sounds great, but here's the downside: as has happened countless times in the music business, 333 shuts its doors and Zoo Story is left without a home for their music. But the upside was he got his 1st taste of the big time, of signing a deal, making a record, blah, blah, blah. And, one of the songs on the record, "Star" was featured in the Kevin Costner film, Dragonfly. Soon after, the band went their separate ways. Discouraged yet driven, Randy decided to continue writing and gigging as a solo artist, enlisting Zoo Story guitar player, Carlos Rivera, to help him realize his destiny. He signed with legendary manager Doc McGhee, (Kiss-BonJovi-Motley Crue, Bob Schneider, etc.) and met Skid Row guitarist Snake Sabo. It was suggested that Randy and Snake should work together on some of Randy's music and see what happens. According to Snake, it wasn't work at all. "Working with Randy was the easiest project I have ever been a part of. Every song he played, I loved. When we got in the studio, my job was to basically just press the record button and stop buttons. That's pretty much all the work the songs needed". Together they recorded an acoustic CD titled "The Snake Sessions" which got the ball rolling for Randy.
From there, the CD fell in the hands of producer/songwriter Guy Erez who quickly came on board to produce Randy's first solo effort entitled, "Last Salutation". Utilizing all of his influences yet somehow making them his own, Randy manages to defy convention through sweeping melodies and soaring choruses, constantly avoiding the obvious, taking the listener down a road less traveled. "Last Salutation" is a statement from a unique and original artist who continually defines and redefines himself in the face of the cookie-cutter mentality that defines the present day music business. Last Salutation is the 1st in a long line of things to come. Randy Coleman was the opening act on the Bryan Adams/Def Leppard tour. The tour started June 1st in Portland, OR and continued throughout the summer visiting 26 major cities across the United States. Also, Hey God, a track from Randy's debut CD, was featured on the cd "Music Inspired by the film Crash" released on June 7th through Superb/Koch Records. "Crash" starring Don Cheadle, Matt Dillon, and Sandra Bullock, remained in the top 5 highest-grossing films for many weeks following it’s release on May 6th.
Riptides and Hurricanes
Randy Coleman Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
no it's goodbye there's something I hear in your broken speech
the song of a sparrow leaving me out of reach
Ocean call me to your resting home where gypsy siren will kiss my soul sweet like honey drip from your ruby smile
and I say to myself I think I'll stay for a while
and I go ooh I'm going down I 'm going down so I can come back up you notice anytime or anywhere
there is a vibration and it's coming like a hurricane
and you call out anyplace to anyone there is a riptide
I take it with me to bed while words of Dylan Thomas come crashing thru my head baby
I said feel my head am I sick or am I just losing all my senses I'm going down so I can come back up
so I can feel your pain so I can learn how to love so I can rise above
In Randy Coleman's song Riptides and Hurricanes, the lyrics paint a picture of a tumultuous relationship that has come to an end. The singer recognizes the signs in his partner's eyes and speech that this is their final goodbye. The call of the ocean beckons him to find solace within its embrace, where he imagines a gypsy siren kissing his soul sweet like honey from a ruby smile. He decides to stay awhile, submitting himself to the ups and downs of the ocean's tides, even though he knows that there is always the possibility of getting caught in a riptide.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is grappling with the pain of heartbreak and trying to make sense of his emotions. He takes comfort in the green of nature, even bringing it with him to bed, but is haunted by the words of Dylan Thomas, which crash through his head. Despite the tumultuousness of it all, he knows that this is all part of the journey, that he must go down to come back up and learn how to love and rise above his pain.
Line by Line Meaning
there's something that tells me by the look in your eyes this aint hello babe
I can sense that this isn't a greeting just by looking at your eyes
no it's goodbye there's something I hear in your broken speech
Your words are broken and it sounds like you're saying goodbye
the song of a sparrow leaving me out of reach
Your goodbye is like the sound of a sparrow flying away, leaving me alone
Ocean call me to your resting home where gypsy siren will kiss my soul sweet like honey drip from your ruby smile
The ocean is calling me to its peaceful abode where I can feel the sweet kiss of a gypsy siren and the warmth of her smile
and I say to myself I think I'll stay for a while
I decide to stay there for some time
and I go ooh I'm going down I 'm going down so I can come back up you notice anytime or anywhere
I know that I'm going down, but it's just so that I can come back up, and you can see that happening anytime, anywhere
there is a vibration and it's coming like a hurricane
I feel a strong vibration that's coming towards me like a hurricane
and you call out anyplace to anyone there is a riptide
You can call out to anyone anywhere, but there's a riptide pulling me down and away from you
and I'm going down clear is the dream I dream when it's from the heart there's an end to each story so a new one can start
I'm being pulled down by the riptide, and I realize that true dreams come from the heart and every story has an end for a new one to begin
green is the color I take it with me to bed while words of Dylan Thomas come crashing thru my head
I carry the color green with me when I sleep, and the words of Dylan Thomas keep echoing in my head
baby I said feel my head am I sick or am I just losing all my senses I'm going down so I can come back up
I ask if I'm sick or just losing my mind, but I know that I have to go down to come back up
so I can feel your pain so I can learn how to love so I can rise above
I go down because I want to understand your pain, learn how to love, and rise above it all
Contributed by Nora J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.