The Rankin Family is a Canadian folk music family group from Mabou, Cape Br… Read Full Bio ↴The Rankin Family is a Canadian folk music family group from Mabou, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia.

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)

The River
The Rankin Family Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

When you cross that river
The trees they will bow down
The sky will open up to you
And the lark will sing your song
When you cross that river
The path will follow you
And the winds they will caress your lips
And the fires they'll burn strong

Until then... yeah yeah
The pastures seem greener on the other side
Alexander don't bide your time uneasily
When you cross that river
The rains will be your wine
The brambles your mandolins
The earth to dance upon
When you cross that river
The moon will give you rest
The night will be your blanket
And the sun your morning guest
When you cross that river
Boudicca you will wed
Fuareg you will feast upon
Mirth your wedding bed
When you cross that river
Your fields will plenty reap

Your children like every spring
Will autumn keep

Overall Meaning

The song "The River" by The Rankin Family is a beautiful ballad that talks about crossing over to the other side of the river, where everything is better and more serene. The lyrics are metaphorical, and the river signifies crossing over to another world or dimension. The trees bowing down signifies the beauty and respect that nature has for those who cross over. The sky opening up is symbolic of the vastness and freedom that one can experience when crossing over.

The lark singing the song of the person crossing over signifies the beauty and liveliness that awaits the person. The path following them signifies the smooth journey and good luck in their new world. The winds caressing their lips represent the welcoming and loving feeling that one can have when crossing over. The fires burning strong symbolize the passion and energy that one can feel when crossing over.

The song proceeds to tell Alexander not to worry about the past but to cross over and find better greener pastures on the other side. It talks about how the rains will become wine, the brambles will become instruments, and the earth will become a dance floor. It goes on to say how the moon will give rest while the sun will be the morning guest. Boudicca will be wed, Feureg will feast, and Mirth would provide a wedding bed. The fields will plenty reap as the children keep on growing every year like the autumn leaves.

Line by Line Meaning

When you cross that river
When you pass from this life to the next

The trees they will bow down
Nature will recognize the significance of your journey

The sky will open up to you
The heavens will embrace you

And the lark will sing your song
Even the creatures of the earth will celebrate your crossing

The path will follow you
You will be guided on your way

And the winds they will caress your lips
The gentle breeze will soothe you

And the fires they'll burn strong
The passion of your life will continue to burn brightly

Until then... yeah yeah
But until that moment comes

The pastures seem greener on the other side
Looking to the future can make one discontent with the present

Alexander don't bide your time uneasily
Don't let fear of the future rob you of enjoying the present

The rains will be your wine
Even the hardships of life will sustain you