On The Floor of Heaven is considered by many of those who got to hear it upon its initial release in 1993 as one of the great, unheralded achievements of the alt-country movement. Out of print for more than 15 years, the roots rock masterpiece is now reissued as a two-disc Deluxe Edition via Bumstead Records on June 1.
Formed in Vancouver in the early 1990s, The Blue Shadows consisted of guitarist and singer Billy Cowsill – who began his career as leader of the legendary American bubblegum group The Cowsills (of "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" fame) – and Canadian roots rocker Jeffrey Hatcher – who enjoyed cult success in the 1980s fronting Jeffrey Hatcher & The Big Beat. Together with drummer J.B. Johnson and bassist Elmar Spanier (later replaced by Barry Muir), the quartet forged a style built on the rustic sounds of classic country fused with the pop sensibility of The Beatles and tight harmony vocals that have drawn flattering comparisons to the Everly Brothers.
From the opening fiddle-fueled blast of "Coming On Strong" to the haunting climax "Is Anybody Here," On The Floor of Heaven is a feast for fans of hardscrabble country and 60s pop, packed full of Hatcher and Cowsill's inventive songwriting and immaculately nuanced vocal harmonies, the quartet's muscular rhythmic punch and Hatcher's tasteful, twangful touches on lead guitar. Songs such as "When Will This Heartache End?" or the anthemic, mournful title track are both throwbacks to a classic era before country and rock and roll went their separate ways and timeless in the stories the songs tell and the emotions they evoke.
Despite releasing two albums, garnering critical raves and touring extensively around North America, The Blue Shadows never managed to reach beyond a wildly devoted cult following and they broke up in 1996. Cowsill passed away in Calgary in February 2006. One of his last wishes was for a reissue of On The Floor of Heaven so it could finally find a wider audience.
On The Floor of Heaven: Deluxe Edition includes:
- The classic 12-track album with remastered audio
- A full disc of outtakes and cover songs including tracks originally recorded by George Jones, Merle Haggard, Joni Mitchell and Michel Pagliaro.
- All new packaging
- Downloadable detailed history of the band and song-by-song notes written by Jeffrey Hatcher available at www.bumstead.com/theblueshadows
The time is right for The Blue Shadows to finally cast a giant shadow across music history.
If I Were You
The Blue Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If I were you*
Well I would turn my head
And hear this word I said to you
Not something else instead
What you should have heard
And if you know that every single word
Was ringing true
If I were you
If I were you
Believe me I will try
To see a different point of view
Like looking eye to eye
You see this laying here thinking I'm fine
And wondering why without even trying
Did he seem so cruel
If I were you
If you were me
Then maybe you'd see
What fools we can be
When only one side we'll see
Now tell it to me true
Now don't it tell on you
She see me standing there thinking it's fine
And wonders why without even trying
Could he seem so cruel
If you were me
Would you gaze into the mirror
The truth is looking back at you
Or do you think it's rude to stare
Cuz what you see is what you finally get
It looks to me, I haven't seen it as yet
But one day if you would see as I do
Then you'd feel the fool
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
The Blue Shadows's song If I Were You is a contemplative piece that revolves around the idea of switching perspectives. The singer expresses how they would behave if they found themselves in the other person's position. They would listen carefully to the words being said to them instead of jumping to conclusions or misinterpreting things. The lyrics suggest that perhaps the other person could also benefit from seeing things from a different point of view, given that sometimes people tend to stick to their own side of the story without considering the other person's perspective.
The song further delves into the idea of self-awareness and reflection. If the other person was the singer and could see themselves as the singer sees them, they might feel like a fool for not understanding the other side of the story. The singer encourages the other person to gaze into the mirror and see the truth looking back at them, and not think it's rude to stare. The lyrics suggest that by doing so, they would have a better understanding of the situation and perhaps communicate more effectively with the singer.
Overall, the song explores the theme of empathy and understanding, highlighting the importance of considering other people's perspectives and trying to see things from their point of view. It also emphasizes the significance of self-reflection and awareness in communication and relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
If I were you
If I were in your position
Well I would turn my head
I would listen closely
And hear this word I said to you
And pay attention to my message
Not something else instead
Ignoring it or hearing something else won't help
And if you hear
If you listen carefully
What you should have heard
What I intended to convey
And if you know that every single word
And if you understand each and every word
Was ringing true
Was completely honest and accurate
If I were you
If I were in your shoes
Believe me I will try
I promise to attempt
To see a different point of view
To attempt to view things from a new perspective
Like looking eye to eye
Like having a conversation face-to-face
You see this laying here thinking I'm fine
You believe that I'm okay, but I'm not
And wondering why without even trying
And you're confused about why I'm struggling
Did he seem so cruel
Why I appeared so unkind
If you were me
If you were in my shoes
Then maybe you'd see
Then you'd understand
What fools we can be
How foolish we can act
When only one side we'll see
When we only consider our own perspective
Now tell it to me true
Now be honest with me
Now don't it tell on you
It won't create issues for you to be honest with me
She see me standing there thinking it's fine
She sees me and thinks I'm okay
And wonders why without even trying
But is confused about why I'm struggling
Could he seem so cruel
Why I appear unkind
If you were me
If you were in my position
Would you gaze into the mirror
Would you be honest with yourself
The truth is looking back at you
The reality of the situation is evident
Or do you think it's rude to stare
Or do you find it impolite to look at the truth
Cuz what you see is what you finally get
Because what you perceive is ultimately what you'll receive
It looks to me, I haven't seen it as yet
From my perspective, there's more to the situation
But one day if you would see as I do
But one day if you also understand my perspective
Then you'd feel the fool
You would realize your mistakes
If I were you
If I were in your position
If I were you
If I were in your shoes
If I were you
If I were in your place
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
If I were in your situation
Contributed by Kaylee I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.