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 It Ain't Rockin'
The Blue Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That what I can't take
And even if a movin then I give it a shake
Well I don't want to rush you but I can't hide
And if it ain't rockin' then it ain't right
Well I don't mind a rollin on the way down to here
Things get away from me, you know how they get
Cuz if it ain't a rockin' then it ain't right
It ain't right, I know, but it seems the only way to go
Could be wrong, even so
It's the only thing I know
I say a bless my soul cuz here I go
Well it ain't right, I know, seems the only way to go
I could be wrong, even so
It's the only way I know
Sometimes I like to hear a little, just to see what it does
Seen my concentration isn't what it once was
Oh I know I shouldn't, but I know I just might
Cuz if it ain't a rockin' then it ain't right
Well if it ain't a rockin', if it ain't a rockin'
If it ain't a rockin', it just ain't right
The Blue Shadows's song "If It Ain't Rockin'" is a musical expression of the idea that if something isn't lively and exciting, it isn't worth doing. The song is essentially about seeking out excitement and energy in life, and that if something isn't jumping or moving, then it's not worth pursuing. The singer sings about their desire to constantly be in motion, to give things a shake and to keep moving forward.
The song’s upbeat rhythm and playful lyrics convey a sense of joy and abandon. The singer sings about their lack of patience for things that aren’t lively enough, and urges the listener to move with them or risk being left behind. The chorus reinforces the song's main message, declaring that if it's not rockin', it's just not right.
Overall, "If It Ain't Rockin'" is a celebration of the power of music and movement to bring people together and elevate our spirits. It encourages us to embrace the joy and excitement of life, rather than settling for anything less.
Line by Line Meaning
Well when something ain't jumping*
When something is not lively enough
That what I can't take
I cannot tolerate that
And even if a movin then I give it a shake
Even if it is moving, I will still try to make it lively
Well I don't want to rush you but I can't hide
I don't want to hurry you, but I cannot pretend
And if it ain't rockin' then it ain't right
If it is not lively, then it is not acceptable
Well I don't mind a rollin on the way down to here
I don't mind some chaos on the journey to this point
Things get away from me, you know how they get
Things sometimes spiral out of control, as you are familiar with
Well I think you better move before I'm out of site
I think you should leave before I lose sight of you
Cuz if it ain't a rockin' then it ain't right
Because if it is not lively, then it is not acceptable
It ain't right, I know, but it seems the only way to go
I know it is not correct, but it appears to be the only option
Could be wrong, even so
I could be mistaken nonetheless
It's the only thing I know
This is the only thing I am certain of
I say a bless my soul cuz here I go
I exclaim 'bless my soul' because I am about to engage in this activity
Sometimes I like to hear a little, just to see what it does
Sometimes I enjoy testing the effects of a small amount
Seen my concentration isn't what it once was
I have noticed that my ability to concentrate has declined
Oh I know I shouldn't, but I know I just might
I know I should not, but I may still do it
Cuz if it ain't a rockin' then it ain't right
Because if it is not lively, then it is not acceptable
Well if it ain't a rockin', if it ain't a rockin'
If it is not lively
If it ain't a rockin', it just ain't right
If it is not lively, then it is not acceptable
Contributed by Savannah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
pwea1
.... Billy rocked ..... thanks for the great times in Calgary , and theMecca
HiPlanes Drifter
Omgosh . . . Billy & Jeffrey rockin' out. What a great foot-tapping, hand-slapping, reeling, rocking, rolling good time song. Absolutely stellar, and it's live! And darn close to the studio version. Outstanding, guys!
Billy's tongue-in-cheek nickname for the Rusty Gull was the 'Dusty Skull'.
Ginny Alexander
this is so cool!!!!!!
MrHman33
Come to Lethbridge!