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.
Neruda
Red Rider Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talked to a man who knew the boy
And there are many
And there are few
But no one knows the boy like you
There were no lines drawn
And no hatred in their eyes
The lyrics to Red Rider's song "Neruda" are reflective of social inequality and how it engenders confusion on how we perceive an individual in today's society. The song title, "Neruda," is named after the Chilean poet, who was imprisoned for his opposition of his government’s policies. The song delves into themes of miscommunications, stereotypes, and societal marginalization.
The opening line, "Talked to a boy I passed along the way," is symbolic for making a connection with someone who is facing societal inequality. The song talks about how we need to learn from others openly and wholeheartedly. It makes one realize that many people do not look beneath the surface of a person's skin color or religion, leading to unnecessary inharmonious relationships.
The second verse begins with "There were no lines drawn, And no hatred in their eyes, And no flags flown in that boy's sky." This line epitomizes the fact that everyone has the right to savor life on this planet. It is sad to see people struggling to wade through the crests and troughs of life because of societal discrimination. The song is an excellent signifier of human emotions and their struggles through an interwoven tale of thought-provoking lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Talked to a boy I passed along the way
Had a brief conversation with a young person I encountered while walking
Talked to a man who knew the boy
Engaged in conversation with an adult who was familiar with the aforementioned young person
And there are many
There are numerous people in the world
And there are few
There are few people in comparison
But no one knows the boy like you
But no one possesses the level of knowledge about the young person that you do
There were no lines drawn
There were no visible barriers separating individuals
And no hatred in their eyes
No animosity or ill-will was apparent in their gaze
And no flags flown in that boy's sky
No symbols of nationalism or division were present in the young person's environment
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Thomas William Cochrane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jimbob Hanes
I found and overplayed (which is impossible, just a term) that song about 4years over while at a critical junction of my life. My brother had just committed suicide and I relapsed. The trashy smell of meth and the bitter vinegar smell of H entering your blood is such a bliss. Taking that risk of an od and feeling your heart pump forwards and backwards at the same time while hearing those first notes. The words entering your head there's a light by the window and there's a shadow by the sea, there's an angel or asassin, I know she waits for me.
That secret paradise
We'd find it again and again
She'd roll me like a train
On that sunken island
We'd run together
Where know one dared to dream
I can still remember that silken beacon
Oh, breakaway
I can almost hear her say
The world is such a stupid place
We'll crack the sky and get lost in space
Oh, breakaway
It only lasts like 2 min. But that breakaway is to die for.
Jimbob Hanes
Crack the Sky sends shivers down my whole body. I found and overplayed (which is impossible, just a term) that song about 4years over while at a critical junction of my life. My brother had just committed suicide and I relapsed. The trashy smell of meth and the bitter vinegar smell of H entering your blood is such a bliss. Taking that risk of an od and feeling your heart pump forwards and backwards at the same time while hearing those first notes. The words entering your head there's a light by the window and there's a shadow by the sea, there's an angel or asassin, I know she waits for me.
That secret paradise
We'd find it again and again
She'd roll me like a train
On that sunken island
We'd run together
Where know one dared to dream
I can still remember that silken beacon
Oh, breakaway
I can almost hear her say
The world is such a stupid place
We'll crack the sky and get lost in space
Oh, breakaway
It only lasts like 2 min. But that breakaway is to die for.
christopher moore
1. "Light in the Tunnel" 2:25
2. "Power (Strength in Numbers)" 3:53
3. "Human Race" 2:55
4. "Can't Turn Back" 3:50
5. "Napoleon Sheds His Skin" 5:40
6. "Walking the Fine Line" 4:40
7. "Winner Take All" 3:55
8. "Sights on You" 3:27
9. "Crack the Sky (Breakaway)" 3:53
10. "Work Out" 3:22
CD bonus tracks
No. Title Length
11. "Light in the Tunnel/Human Race" 4:39
12. "White Hot" (Cochrane, Ken Greer - originally from Don't Fight It) 5:09
13. "Lunatic Fringe" (originally from As Far as Siam)
Rob Kaschalk
My dad was the graduation class of 1982 and this album was one of many anthems to his 20s, he has since passed on and I am 33 and can thank my dad for passing the power of red rider on to me. Rocking out here at work in 2021 to red rider!
Chris Wright
1983 was a breakthrough in my life with music: Red Rider, The Fixx, Big Country, Tears for Fears, INXS... all of this music with tremendous emotional and intellectual urgency, sometimes with a profound melancholy, but not rage-fueled. some of it with great rock edges, some of it very pop. This was the music you hoped to hear on the radio or see in music videos on Friday Night Videos and MTV. I would find punk like Husker Du and the Minutemen and Midnight Oil (they were much more of a punk band in 1983-4) the next year, but that never diminished my love for these bands.
I mean, seriously, who the hell sung about Napoleon's broken heart?
David Ludwick
Yes I was disappointed when Red Rider broke up but Tom kept up the good work
The JOKER
Best Red Rider album ever
Bruce McBain
Breakaway is completely hyptonizing. Every note and tone is perfectly placed. Nothing extra. Exactly.
Jimbob Hanes
I found and overplayed (which is impossible, just a term) that song about 4years over while at a critical junction of my life. My brother had just committed suicide and I relapsed. The trashy smell of meth and the bitter vinegar smell of H entering your blood is such a bliss. Taking that risk of an od and feeling your heart pump forwards and backwards at the same time while hearing those first notes. The words entering your head there's a light by the window and there's a shadow by the sea, there's an angel or asassin, I know she waits for me.
That secret paradise
We'd find it again and again
She'd roll me like a train
On that sunken island
We'd run together
Where know one dared to dream
I can still remember that silken beacon
Oh, breakaway
I can almost hear her say
The world is such a stupid place
We'll crack the sky and get lost in space
Oh, breakaway
It only lasts like 2 min. But that breakaway is to die for.
William Dougan
Right on. Lyrics like these live on in the minds of poets only ,sadly, or other musicians perhaps.
Andrew Shydlowsky
We wore the grooves out of this LP in 1983 and "84. This is Tom Cochrane and Red Riders very best effort. Every cut on this Album was huge and Tom Voice was booming on every one of the songs. Just not a Bad song on the entire LP. Its music like this that keeps me buying CD's and LP"s because digital Music does not reward efforts of the Artists, I will always own the disc my entire lifetime instead of losing it when my CPU Crashes and content is gone. The Headphones also give you every subtle parts of the Instuments that you dont pick up from ambient noise in your House when its played thru house speakers. This Album was worth every penny spent on LP, Cassette, and CD, and thats why a record collection means something to Old Goats like me at 56 years old.
Clark Brady
I got to see Red Rider either 1982 or 1983. I'd never heard of them before that. I instantly feel in love with their music. I bought a cassette at the concert and wore it out by playing it over and over.
Paul Power
Buzz Doubt I think he meant there's subtle things on the album you might only hear while using head phones.
But of course crank this motha UP !