The Rankins come from a family of 12, all of whom would entertain the neighbours musically every third weekend as part of a ceilidh.
Five of the siblings began performing professionally in 1989. The Rankins released their own independent cassettes The Rankin Family (1989) and Fare Thee Well Love (1990) featuring original songs and a combination of traditional jigs, reels and Celtic folk songs. Their television debut was on the CBC variety show On The Road Again in 1989.
Their most successful album was EMI's re-release of Fare Thee Well Love in 1992, which went quadruple platinum, selling over 500,000 copies; the title track was one of the year's biggest Top 40 hit singles in Canada.
The group has won many Canadian music awards, including 15 East Coast Music Awards, 6 Juno Awards, 4 SOCAN Awards, 3 Canadian Country Music Awards and 2 Big Country Music Awards.
On September 17, 1999, the group issued a press release stating that they would no longer perform as a group in order to pursue independent interests and careers.
John Morris Rankin was killed in a car accident in Cape Breton on January 16, 2000.
Jimmy Rankin has continued to write songs and has released two solo albums: Song Dog (2001) and Handmade (2003).
In November 2006, it was announced that the four surviving Rankins — along with John Morris's daughter Molly — would be releasing a new album and reuniting for a cross-Canada concert tour.
On June 3, 2012, Raylene Rankin appeared on CBC Radio's The Sunday Edition where she spoke about her decade-long struggle with cancer. She died on September 30, 2012 at the age of 52.
Discography
* The Rankin Family (independent, 1989)
* Fare Thee Well Love (independent, 1990)
* Fare Thee Well Love [CD re-issue] (Capitol, 1992)
* The Rankin Family [CD re-issue] (Capitol, 1992)
* North Country (EMI, 1993)
* Endless Seasons (EMI, 1995)
* Grey Dusk Of Eve (EMI, 1995)
* Collection (EMI, 1996)
* Do You Hear...Christmas (EMI, 1997)
* Uprooted (EMI, 1998)
* Souvenir:1989-1998 (2003)
One day I walk
The Rankin Family Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have been a beggar
And shall be one again
And few the ones with help to lend
Within the world of men
One day I walk in flowers
One day I walk on stones
Today I walk in hours
I've sat on the street corner
And watched the boot-heels shine
And cried out glad and cried out sad
With every voice but mine
One day I walk in flowers
One day I walk on stones
Today I walk in hours
One day I shall be home
I have been a beggar
And shall be one again
And few the ones with help to lend
Within the world of men
One day I walk in flowers
One day I walk on stones
Today I walk in hours
One day I shall be home
The lyrics of the song "One day I walk" by The Rankin Family beautifully depicts the struggles of being a beggar and the hope for a better future. The song is originally written by Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian songwriter, and it talks about the hardships faced by people who are financially unstable.
The song talks about the contrast between walking on flowers and walking on stones, which can be interpreted as the different stages of life. Sometimes life can be very comfortable, and sometimes it can be full of hardships. The lyrics "Today I walk in hours, One day I shall be home" signify the belief that one day, all the struggles will come to an end, and there will be a place called home.
The bridge of the song talks about sitting on the street corner and watching the boot-heels shine. It means that even though the beggar is in a difficult situation, they can still observe and appreciate the good things in life. The last line "With every voice but mine" implies the feeling of being left out and unheard despite being amongst people.
Overall, the song delivers a strong message about the importance of empathy and compassion towards those who are struggling and reminds us that everyone deserves kindness and understanding regardless of their social status.
Line by Line Meaning
I have been a beggar
I have been in a state of extreme poverty
And shall be one again
And I may return to this state in the future
And few the ones with help to lend
And there are very few people willing or able to provide assistance in such circumstances
Within the world of men
Within the society of human beings
One day I walk in flowers
One day I will experience great joy and beauty
One day I walk on stones
One day I will encounter great hardships and difficulties
Today I walk in hours
Currently, I am simply passing through the moments of my life
One day I shall be home
One day I will find a sense of belonging and peace
I've sat on the street corner
I have experienced the extreme poverty of being homeless
And watched the boot-heels shine
And observed the passing of those who are better off
And cried out glad and cried out sad
And expressed a variety of emotions in response to my circumstances
With every voice but mine
But my voice went unheard and ignored
Contributed by Ian J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@thefeet
All Canadians should be damned PROUD of this family and even prouder to be able to say so. They were/are SO GOOD!
@bobbygrace8579
Cookie's voice amazes me !
@thecynic9232
This tribute to Bruce Cockburn was in the 2000’s. In the time since, Raylene Rankin died of breast cancer, and John Morris Rankin (piano) died in a car accident. They wrote great songs, sang beautiful Gaelic songs as well, and performed around the world. Cape Breton’s finest export. ❤️🇨🇦✌️
@jackerbeans1
Wonderful,,,For living in Canada, and its high taxes, and politics,,,,I only live for it's music...We are a very talented nation. And I thank these musicians for this, in all genres.....Bring on your music.
@glwardberg
Absolutely amazing. Love this family! RIP Raylene and John.
@gcorriveau6864
Whenever I come across music from the Rankins (in any configuration of their family bands) I can't stop listening. What a talented family of musicians and performers.
@judithbliss7567
I wish these wonderful singers would carry on regardless of suffering losses to the band. I have their CD in my car almost all of the time and enjoy them still to this day.
@dm7b5
Jimmy is still releasing good albums as is Heather. John Morris' loss was gut wrenching as he was the solid anchor of big brother. Their vocal sound, along with Jimmy, was very much Heather, Cookie and Raylene singing as a threesome. They would not really be the Rankin Family with Raylene gone, RIP. They were a terrific band and had a massive influence on the acceptance of east Coast music. Wonderful music and wonderful people.
@RitaDickson1
Absolutely beautiful - why have we not heard of this very talented family here in Australia??? Boy are we missing out!
@gr8whitenorth589
come on. Not heard? Have you heard about Gordon Lightfoot?