Crowell was born in Houston, Texas to James Walter Crowell and Addie Cauzette Willoughby. A contemporary of Steve Earle and, like Earle, influenced by the (songwriting) greats Guy Clark and Townes Van Zandt, Crowell played guitar and sang for three years in Emmylou Harris' "Hot Band".
He was married to Rosanne Cash (daughter of famous singer/guitarist Johnny Cash) from 1979 to 1992 and had a great influence on her career, producing most of her albums during that period. They collaborated on a number of duets, including 1988's "It's Such a Small World." Though Crowell and Cash are now divorced, they remain on friendly terms, performing together occasionally. Six years after the breakdown of his marriage to Rosanne he married Claudia Church.
Although best known as a songwriter and alternative country artist, Crowell enjoyed mainstream popularity during the late 1980s and early 1990s. His critically acclaimed album, 1988's Diamonds and Dirt, produced five No. 1 hits during a 17-month span in 1988 and 1989: "It's Such a Small World" (a duet with Cash), "I Couldn't Leave You If I Tried," "She's Crazy for Leaving," "After All This Time" and "Above and Beyond." His follow-up album, 1989's "Keys to the Highway," produced two top 5 hits in 1990, which were "Many a Long and Lonesome Highway" and "If Looks Could Kill."
As Crowell's popularity in mainstream country faded, he continued his prolific songwriting. In 2001 he released The Houston Kid on Sugar Hill Records. Many songs on the album were semi-autobiographical, and the album included a duet with Crowell's ex father-in-law Johnny Cash on "I Walk the Line (Revisited)". Initially, Cash was annoyed at Crowell changing the tune to his song, but he came to like the finished product. Crowell followed up this effort with Fate's Right Hand in 2003 and The Outsider in 2005. Crowell considers these three albums his finest work as a solo artist.
2004 saw the release of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a reunion of The Notorious Cherry Bombs, a group that existed briefly in the 1970s with Rodney Crowell, Vince Gill, Tony Brown, and others. The future Keith Urban hit "Making Memories of Us" was included on this disc.
In 2005, Crowell served as producer for established Irish singer/songwriter Kieran Goss on the album Blue Sky Sunrise.
Glasgow Girl
Rodney Crowell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I don't find my way around soon, I'm sure to end up lost
Sheffield has that certain mix of danger and despair
I need to roll these windows down and breathe the cold night air
I said goodbye to Camden Town as night was falling fast
In a borrowed, beat up step van and a tank of petrol gas
And I'm riding on the wrong side like some blue Yank flyboy clown
Glasgow Girl, skin like milk, hair black silk
And eye's like cobalt pearl
The Glasgow Girl assured me she liked my Texas drawl
And if I ever passed that way again I should be sure to call
I tracked her down to Aberdeen, and I'm trying to get up north
Across the Scottish lowlands far beyond the Firth of Forth
Glasgow Girl, skin like milk, hair black silk
And eye's like cobalt pearl
The Roman's built these roads to last another thousand years
And I'm riding around in circles like it starts and ends right here
The raindrops on my windshield now have turned to ice and snow
I'm stuck out on the Ring Road with a million miles to go
Glasgow Girl, skin like milk, hair black silk
And eye's like cobalt pearl
Skin like milk, hair black silk
And eye's like cobalt pearl
In "Glasgow Girl" by Rodney Crowell, the singer finds himself lost on the Ring Road, driving through Sheffield while desperately trying to find his way to Scotland. He reminisces on leaving Camden Town, where he was likely chasing a dream that didn't pan out, and is now stuck in a borrowed step van driving on the wrong side of the road. The Glasgow Girl, who he met once before, is the only thing on his mind. He remembers the details of her appearance vividly, with skin as white as milk, dark hair as smooth as silk, and eyes as blue as cobalt pearls. He longs to see her again, and is determined to make his way to her, even if it means getting lost in the Scottish lowlands.
The lyrics paint a picture of a man on a journey, both physically and emotionally. The mention of danger and despair in Sheffield gives insight into the state of mind the singer is in. The allusion to the Romans building these roads to last another thousand years highlights the futility of the journey, suggesting that despite the grandeur of the paths the Romans paved, we can still find ourselves lost, both literally and metaphorically. The Glasgow Girl represents hope, a light at the end of the tunnel in an otherwise chaotic and confusing journey. Through it all, the singer remains focused on his mission, determined to see the Glasgow Girl again.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm stuck out on the Ring Road, tonight the stars are crossed
I am stranded on Ring Road and feel as though fate is working against me.
If I don't find my way around soon, I'm sure to end up lost
If I don't navigate my way out of this situation, I will become irretrievably lost.
Sheffield has that certain mix of danger and despair
Sheffield has a particular combination of gloom and peril that I find intriguing.
I need to roll these windows down and breathe the cold night air
I require the frigid air of the night, and I must open the windows to obtain it.
I said goodbye to Camden Town as night was falling fast
I bade farewell to Camden Town as nighttime arrived rapidly.
In a borrowed, beat up step van and a tank of petrol gas
I'm traveling in a van that I obtained from someone else that is in poor shape, and I have a full tank of gasoline.
And I'm riding on the wrong side like some blue Yank flyboy clown
I'm driving on the incorrect side of the road, resembling a foolish American airman.
I'm trying to read these road signs while I'm staring headlights down
I am straining to read the road signs while simultaneously concentrating on glaring headlights.
The Glasgow Girl assured me she liked my Texas drawl
The person from Glasgow who I met said she appreciates my Texas accent.
And if I ever passed that way again I should be sure to call
If I return in the future, she suggests that I call her.
I tracked her down to Aberdeen, and I'm trying to get up north
I located her in Aberdeen, and I am now endeavoring to travel farther north to reach my destination.
Across the Scottish lowlands far beyond the Firth of Forth
I am crossing the Scottish lowlands, advancing beyond the Firth of Forth.
The Roman's built these roads to last another thousand years
The Romans constructed these roads to endure for another millennium.
And I'm riding around in circles like it starts and ends right here
I am driving in circles as if the beginning and end of my journey is here.
The raindrops on my windshield now have turned to ice and snow
The rain droplets on my windshield have now become frozen and turned into snow.
I'm stuck out on the Ring Road with a million miles to go
I am still stranded on Ring Road with an unfathomable distance yet to be travelled.
Glasgow Girl, skin like milk, hair black silk, And eye's like cobalt pearl
The girl from Glasgow has incredibly fair skin, velvety black hair, and eyes like blue gemstones.
Skin like milk, hair black silk, And eye's like cobalt pearl
Her skin is as fair as milk, her hair is luxuriously black, and her eyes are like the pearly depths of cobalt.
Contributed by Hannah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.