In 1978, Tom Cochrane joined up with Rob Baker on drums, Jeff Jones on bass, Peter Boynton on keyboards and Ken Greer to form Red Rider. They were signed to Capitol Records and released their first album Don't Fight It in 1980. With the singles "White Hot" and "Don't Fight It", the album quickly reached gold status. Their second album As Far as Siam was released in 1981 and featured the hit "Lunatic Fringe" which was in the 1982 movie "Vision Quest.". "Lunatic Fringe" and two other tracks, "Cowboys in Hong Kong" and "What Have You Got To Do" were featured in an episode of Miami Vice in addition to which helped push the album to platinum. Boynton was replaced by keyboardist Steve Sexton on Red Rider's third album Neruda, released in 1983. The track "Napoleon Sheds His Skin" would become one of the more popular songs from the album.
For their 1984 album Breaking Curfew, John Webster replaced Sexton on keyboards. The album did not sell as well as Neruda and a dispute with Capitol Records over the future direction of the band resulted in Red Rider being dropped from the record label later in 1984.
The band subsequently signed with RCA. In what became a strong signal regarding the future of the band, they officially became known as Tom Cochrane and Red Rider, and released their self-titled fifth album in 1986.
In 1987, Capitol released a compilation CD titled Over 60 Minutes with Red Rider, covering the band's first four albums.
In the fall of 1988, the band released their sixth album Victory Day which contained the track "Big League", about a boy's dream of playing in the National Hockey League. The song was featured in a segment on CBC Television's Hockey Night in Canada.
Red Rider's final album, The Symphony Sessions, was released in 1989 and saw the band performing with the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, as Procol Harum had done seventeen years before. Cochrane's solo career was taking off and the band broke up shortly after the album was released.
The three-CD box set Ashes to Diamonds, including material by both Red Rider and Cochrane as a solo artist, was released in 1993.
Avenue A
Red Rider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And step down on the stage
You are going to the school Julliard
To learn how to strut so high and proud
Make me stand up and notice
That you are not afraid
I believe in you
And I believe you'll have it made
I cut out my heart And mailed it away
Save it for your summer holiday
You'll forget about me
When your name is on the marquee
And the rich boys come out to play
Upon Avenue 'A'
You've got your reasons
And I've got mine
I'll nail your cards and letter on the wall
To remind me that you are still out there
Because I won't know the girl on the screen at all
Cut out my heart And mailed it away
And save it for your summer holiday
You'll forget about me
When your name is on the marquee
And your up on Avenue 'A'
Cut out my heart And mailed it away
And save it for your summer holiday
Teach them how to laugh and feel
When they put you to the test
For there is something special in you
That you must express
Don't forget about me
When your name is on the marquee
And the rich men come to stay
Up on Avenue 'A'
Up on Avenue 'A'
The lyrics of Red Rider's song Avenue A deal with the dreams and ambitions of a young woman who wants to become an actress. She is enrolled in the prestigious performing arts school Julliard to learn how to become a confident and captivating presence on stage. The singer of the song, who seems to be a love interest or a close friend of the woman, expresses his belief in her talent and encourages her to pursue her goals. However, he also acknowledges the sacrifices that he has to make as he imagines sending his heart away to be preserved for the time when the woman will have forgotten about him and made it big in Hollywood.
The song deals with themes of unrequited love, longing, and the bittersweet nature of success. While the singer supports the woman's aspirations and trusts in her abilities, he is also aware that their relationship will change once she becomes famous and that his sacrifice of sending his heart away may be in vain. The idea of Avenue A as a symbol of the glamor and excitement of a young aspiring actress's life is tinged with a sense of melancholy, as the singer realizes that the woman may become unreachable and forget her past connections as she climbs the ladder of success. Overall, the lyrics suggest a complex mix of emotions, both optimistic and pessimistic, as the singer and the woman he admires navigate their paths in the entertainment industry.
Line by Line Meaning
You want to be an actress
The person being addressed has a dream to become an actress
And step down on the stage
The person being addressed dreams of being on stage and fulfilling their passion
You are going to the school Julliard
The person being addressed is attending Julliard school to learn acting skills and pursue their passion for acting
To learn how to strut so high and proud
The person being addressed is attending Julliard to learn the art of walking stylishly and confidently on stage
Make me stand up and notice
The person addressing finds the person they're speaking to compelling and captivating, making them pay undivided attention to them
That you are not afraid
The person addressing admires the person they're speaking to for their courage and determination towards achieving their dream
I believe in you
The person addressing has faith in the person they're speaking to and knows that they will achieve their dream
And I believe you'll have it made
The person addressing is confident that the person they're speaking to will become successful and meet their aspirations
I cut out my heart And mailed it away
The artist is expressing how they have given their heart to the person they're addressing
Save it for your summer holiday
The artist wants to keep the memory of the person they're addressing with them for future reflection and remembrance
You'll forget about me
The singer is worried that the person they're addressing will forget them once they've achieved their dream
When your name is on the marquee
The artist is imagining a future in which the person they're addressing is well-known, having their name in lights
And the rich boys come out to play
The singer imagines a future in which the person they're addressing will have many admirers, including wealthy men
Upon Avenue 'A'
Avenue A is where the person they're addressing will presumably live or work when they become successful
You've got your reasons
The person addressing understands that the person they're speaking to has their own motivations for pursuing their dream
And I've got mine
The artist has their own reasons for wanting the person they're addressing to succeed and fulfill their dream
I'll nail your cards and letter on the wall
The artist wants to hold onto any communication from the person they're addressing to remember them
To remind me that you are still out there
The singer wants to retain their memories of the person they're addressing and not to forget them over time
Because I won't know the girl on the screen at all
The singer fears that the person they're addressing will change significantly and become a different person once they become famous
Teach them how to laugh and feel
The artist hopes the person they're addressing will share their passion with their audience and allow them to experience emotions like happiness and empathy
When they put you to the test
The artist wants the person they're addressing to be able to perform well under pressure and criticism
For there is something special in you
The artist believes that the person they're addressing has something unique and valuable within them
That you must express
The singer urges the person they're addressing to embrace their individuality and express it through their acting
Don't forget about me
The artist once again expresses their fear that the person they're addressing will forget them once they become famous
When your name is on the marquee
The singer reminds the person they're addressing that they'll soon be well-known and celebrated
And the rich men come to stay
The singer imagines a future where the person they're addressing will have wealthy men around them
Up on Avenue 'A'
Same as earlier, Avenue A refers to the location where the person they're addressing will be living or working.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Thomas William Cochrane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@edsongean8971
So underrated band!!!
Every single song has a piece of “something “ on it.
Love this band.
@bradrosdobutko6494
this is a song that helped me to break down and cry so that i could begin to let the pain go from my first marriage breaking up and losing my children
@jamiesexton1478
Best ballad ever
@reindeerheadgames
So truly moving.
@hudder10
Just Fabulous.
@kimbolimbo1
I loved being a teenager in the 80'S. Good memories.
@westlod
by far the best red rider song
@adamtheberge9329
One of my fav's of all time, thanks Tom
@lorettacochrane6806
Beautiful
@kimbolimbo1
This is a great song. Reminds me of my teenage years.