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 ā who began his career as leader of the legendary American bubblegum group The Cowsills (of "The Rain, The Park & Other Things" fame) ā and Canadian roots rocker Jeffrey Hatcher ā 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.
The Fool Is The Last One To Know
The Blue Shadows Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I'm just a working man*
And I've done all that I can
To keep you in your ribbons and your bows
Talk gets around
In a small country town
It takes a fool to do the things I do
Have to be a fool, a fool like me
To be so in love with you
Have your parcels growing cold
Is there someone that you hold
Lights die out when you're alone
Who's that so and so
Darling who's your Romeo
Oh the fool is the last one to know
It takes a fool to do the things I do
Have to be a fool, a fool like me
To be so in love with you
I overheard you on the phone
You were whispering sweet and low
Something that I'd never heard before
Saying just what lovers say
When two lovers talk that way
Yes the fool is the last one to know
It takes a fool to do the things I do
Have to be a fool, a fool like me
To be so in love with you
Yeah sure talk gets around
In a small country town
Where the fool is the last one to know
I guess the fool is the last one to know
Yes, I'm the fool and I'm the last one to know
In The Blue Shadowsā song āThe Fool Is the Last One to Know,ā the singer is a working man who has done all that he can to keep his partner happy. But despite his effort, rumors start to spread around their small country town. The singer, however, seems to be oblivious to all the signs that his partner might be seeing someone else. He admits that it takes a fool to be in love and do the things he does for the person he loves. He asks his partner about the parcels growing cold, someone they hold, and who her Romeo is. But his partner avoids answering his questions and instead whispers on the phone things heās never heard before. As the song comes to a close, the singer realizes that he is, in fact, the last one to know that heās been betrayed.
The song highlights a relatable subject of denial in relationships. Sometimes, we choose to ignore the signs that something is wrong so that we can preserve our own happiness. The Blue Shadows also emphasize the idea that people in small towns seem to know more about your personal life than you realize. The song is beautifully written and sung, with simple yet impactful lyrics and smooth country tune.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm just a working man
I am an ordinary man who works hard to earn a living.
And I've done all that I can
I have tried my best to do everything I can for you.
To keep you in your ribbons and your bows
I have done everything to keep you happy, even buying you nice things like ribbons and bows.
Talk gets around
Rumors spread easily.
In a small country town
This is a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business.
Where the fool is the last one to know
In this kind of environment, someone like me who is not aware of the situation is considered a fool.
It takes a fool to do the things I do
I must be foolish to act the way I do.
Have to be a fool, a fool like me
Only a fool like me would do the things I do.
To be so in love with you
I love you very much, even though it may not be the smartest thing to do.
Have your parcels growing cold
The things I bring you are getting cold because you're not there to receive them.
Is there someone that you hold
Are you seeing someone else?
Lights die out when you're alone
When you're alone, darkness is all around you.
Who's that so and so
Who is that person?
Darling who's your Romeo
Who is the man you are seeing behind my back?
Oh the fool is the last one to know
It seems that I am the last one to find out about this affair, and so I am the fool.
I overheard you on the phone
I eavesdropped on your conversation.
You were whispering sweet and low
You were speaking in a romantic and intimate way.
Something that I'd never heard before
You said something that surprised me because I had never heard it before.
Saying just what lovers say
You were speaking in the way that people in love speak to each other.
When two lovers talk that way
This is how two people in love would talk to each other.
Yes the fool is the last one to know
Again, I am the last one to find out about this and so I am the fool.
Yeah sure talk gets around
Rumors and gossip spread easily.
I guess the fool is the last one to know
Once again, I am the last one to find out about what is happening, and so I am the fool.
Yes, I'm the fool and I'm the last one to know
In conclusion, it is clear that I am the fool in this situation and I am the last one to find out anything.
Contributed by Kaitlyn E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.