Connolly co-founded the band with Harvey in the mid-1960s and played in the pubs and clubs around the city, most notably the Scotia Bar. Connolly sang, played banjo and guitar and entertained the audience with his humorous introductions to the songs. Harvey was an accomplished Bluegrass guitarist.
Rafferty joined later and for a short time they performed as a trio. However, the nature of the act had changed and Harvey departed shortly afterwards. The remaining duo broke up in the early 1970 after recording two albums of material: The New Humblebums and Open Up the Door. Connolly embarked on a solo career while Rafferty recorded a low impact solo album (Can I Have My Money Back?) then formed Stealers Wheel with Joe Egan before eventually emerging as a major recording act with Baker Street. A number of songs performed by Connolly on his early comedy albums originated with the Humblebums, and actual Humblebums recordings also frequently turn up on Connolly compilations. A number of Humbebums recordings were reissued following Connolly's rise to international stardom. The Rafferty tracks from this period have been released in a variety of formats, some with just Humblebum material, others adding some or all of Can I Have My Money Back?
Source
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Humblebums
Cruisin'
The Humblebums Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of blue
I don't know what I'm doin', Can't keep my mind off you.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I don't know where I'm goin', don't know where I've been.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of grey
It doesn't matter what I try, these feelings wont go away.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of black
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river so black
The only thing I'm sure of, don't think I'll ever be back.
The lyrics of The Humblebums' song "Cruisin'" seem to be about a person who can't stop thinking about someone they love. They are cruising down different colored rivers, but they still can't get that person out of their head. The use of colors seems to represent different moods or emotions, with blue being calm and serene, green being lush and vibrant, grey being melancholy or unsure, and black being ominous or final. The repetition of the lyrics throughout each verse emphasizes the person's fixation on the object of their affection, and the uncertainty of the final verse suggests that they may never be able to return to the person they long for.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cruisin'" are reflective of the internal struggles that can come with being in love or even just infatuated with someone. The use of metaphorical rivers and colors effectively conveys the varying emotions that accompany such experiences, while the repetition of certain phrases and themes underscores the intensity of the person's feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of blue
I am aimlessly moving along, just like endlessly floating on a river tainting everything around in blue.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of blue
I am aimlessly moving without any predetermined direction and cannot stop thinking about the person I desire.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I am wandering without a destination, flowing effortlessly like a river tainted in green shade.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of green
I am unsure of my movements, lost in my journey without understanding where I have been or where I am going.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of grey
I am trying to change my ways but finding it hard, meanwhile adrift in a river of dull grey color signifying my confusion.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of grey
No matter what I do, I cannot let go of these feelings haunting me, making me sail rapidly on an unchanging river of grey hue
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river of black
I am aware of my surroundings, moving gracefully towards an unknown end on an enveloping, pitch-black river.
I'm cruisin', I'm on a river so black
I know for certain that my journey is indefinite, and I doubt if I will ever find my way back to where I started.
Writer(s): Billy Connolly
Contributed by Lily O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@allankarenbayne9835
love it
@davyp2993
Listen to the backing guitar.
He is "gone, man".
I can visualise him standing at the back, completely lost to his surrounding, in his own little world.!!
It is OK, go on, listen to it again.!!
Thanks for the upload.