Cochrane was born in Lynn Lake, Manitoba to Violet and Tuck Cochrane, a bush pilot. The family relocated to Etobicoke, Ontario in the West Deane Park area when Tom was four years old. He purchased his first guitar at age 11 by selling a toy train set. He attended Martingrove Collegiate Institute in the 1960's. In the early 1970s, he was performing in coffee houses across Canada. He eventually made his way to Los Angeles where he found a job writing theme music for My Pleasure is My Business, a Xaviera Hollander movie. Unable to find steady income from music, Cochrane returned to Toronto where he drove a taxi cab and later took a job on a Caribbean cruise liner to help pay the bills. Cochrane went back to Los Angeles in 1976, trying to sell his songs to publishers but without success, and returned to Toronto in 1977. Cochrane walked into the El Mocambo club one night in Toronto and came across a band of locals calling themselves Red Rider. After an audition, they agreed to Cochrane joining the band as lead singer and songwriter, a decision that would change their musical careers.
After the Red Rider era, Cochrane set off on his soloist path again. In 1990, Cochrane took his family to West Africa where he helped to raise awareness and money for the World Vision famine relief organization. That experience shaped his next album Mad Mad World which contained the internationally acclaimed hit single "Life is a Highway".
The three-CD box set Ashes to Diamonds, including material by both Red Rider and Cochrane as a solo artist, was released in 1993.
In 1995, he released Ragged Ass Road and followed that with a Canadian tour in 1996. The tour resulted in Songs of a Circling Spirit, a live CD and multi-media package of previously released material.
In June 1999, Cochrane was involved in a light plane crash in Montreal, after his plane's engine stalled just after take-off. Fortunately, no one was injured.
At the 2003 Juno Awards, Tom Cochrane was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. The special award ceremony took place April 5, 2003 at Casino du Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, Quebec. According to the Life Is a Highway Songfacts, his other honors include seven Juno Awards, being an Honorary Colonel in the Canadian Air Force, and having been inducted onto the Canadian Walk of Fame. They take their rock stars seriously in Canada.
In December 2003 he was one of the musical guests on a CBC special called, Rick Mercer's Christmas in Kabul.
He currently lives with his family in Oakville, Ontario.
On July 2, 2005, Cochrane took part in the Live 8 concert series.
Cochrane's new album "No Stranger" recorded in rural Ontario was released in October 2006.
"Life Is A Highway" was re-made in 2006 by the country band Rascal Flatts for the motion picture "Cars" and became a successful country single.
Big League
Tom Cochrane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take shots till eight, make the thing drive
Out after school, back on ice
That was his life, he was gonna play in the big league
The big league
Not many ways out of this cold northern town
You work in the mill and get laid in the ground
Real fast and tough is the only clear lane to the big league
My boy's gonna play in the big league
My boy's gonna turn some heads
My boy's gonna play in the big league
My boy's gonna knock 'em dead
The big league
All the right moves when he turned eighteen
Scholarship and school on a big u.s. team
Out with his girl near Lake Mcclean
Hit a truck doing seventy in the wrong lane
To the big league
My boy's gonna play in the big league
My boy's gonna turn some heads
My boy's gonna play in the big league
My boy's gonna knock 'em dead
Never can tell what might come down
Never can tell how much you get
Just don't know, no you never can tell
Sometimes at night I can hear the ice crack
It sounds like thunder and it rips through my back
Sometimes in the morning I still hear the sound
Ice meets metal...
"can't you drive me down to the big league?"
My boy's gonna play in the big league
My boy's gonna turn some heads
My boy's gonna play in the big league
My boy's gonna knock 'em dead
Never can tell what might come down
Never can tell when you might check out
Just don't know, no you never can tell
So do right to others like you do to yourself
In the big league
The song “Big League” by Tom Cochrane & Red Rider tells a story of a young man who dreamed of playing hockey in the NHL. He worked hard, practicing and taking shots till late, with his eyes set on becoming one of the best in the “big league.” The song sets a nostalgic tone, taking us back to the Northern town where he grew up, his life revolving around ice and hockey.
The lyrics describe the limited options for those living in this town, where many work in the mill and are eventually laid in the ground. The only escape is through the game of hockey, where real fast and tough is the only clear lane to the big league.
The song takes a tragic turn as the young man, who had dreams of making it to the big leagues, died at 18 after hitting a truck while out with his girl near Lake McClean. The song speaks to the uncertainty of life and how ones' dreams can be cut short without warning. "Sometimes at night I can hear the ice crack. It sounds like thunder and it rips through my back." These lyrics paint a vivid picture of the pain and grief felt when a young life is lost.
Line by Line Meaning
When he was a kid, he'd be up at five
As a child, he would wake up very early providing every effort possible to succeed
Take shots till eight, make the thing drive
He would practice without fail until he got better at his skillset
Out after school, back on ice
His spare time was spent doing only one thing which was practicing on ice
That was his life, he was gonna play in the big league
All his efforts led up to making him believe that playing in the big league was his life goal
Not many ways out of this cold northern town
The opportunities to leave this northern hometown were scarce
You work in the mill and get laid in the ground
The only job prospect was in the mill and it ultimately led to a dead-end
If you're gonna jump it will be with the game
If someone wants to take a chance and achieve something, it has to be with the game of hockey
Real fast and tough is the only clear lane to the big league
There is a simple path to achieve your goal of playing in the big league, you have to be really fast and tough
My boy's gonna play in the big league
The singer's son is going to achieve his dreams of playing in the big league
My boy's gonna turn some heads
The singer's son is going to impress people with his skills
My boy's gonna knock 'em dead
The singer's son is going to dominate the game with his prowess
All the right moves when he turned eighteen
The singer's son had the right moves to make at age 18, which would help him achieve his dream
Scholarship and school on a big u.s. team
The son had secured a scholarship to join a US team, to study and play
Out with his girl near Lake Mcclean
He was out with his girlfriend near Lake Mcclean
Hit a truck doing seventy in the wrong lane
The singer's son met with a tragic accident while driving at 70 mph in the wrong lane
Never can tell what might come down
There's no telling what the future may hold
Never can tell how much you get
Nobody can predict the amount of success one can achieve
Sometimes at night I can hear the ice crack
The sound of ice cracking echoes in the singer's mind as a tribute to his son's hockey skills
It sounds like thunder and it rips through my back
The sound is powerful and deep, much like the father's overwhelming feelings of grief and loss
Sometimes in the morning I still hear the sound
The sound of the ice cracking echoes in his head even in the morning
Ice meets metal...
A metaphorical reference to the tragic accident in which ice met metal
"can't you drive me down to the big league?"
The father requests a metaphorical drive to the big league
Never can tell when you might check out
Nobody can predict when life will end
So do right to others like you do to yourself
Treat others as you would like to be treated yourself
In the big league
This serves as a reminder that life is just like any game, you may win or lose, but you have to play it right
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Thomas William Cochrane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
clam502
Man this guy rocks. Very strong powerful lyrics. Tom never ceases to amaze.
callingit
anyone who ever laced up skates knows how it feels...this one gets you right in the heart. we also used to do our pre-game skate to Victory Day-another great Tom Cochran song.
Kocis19
sends chills down my spine.
3degreesflip
I don't know the details surronding this song, but I think it's great that 20 years later, people are commenting on it. I really appreciate the energy TC abd RR put into this video. You can see they are not just playing notes, they are kickin' ass!! Love it. Thanks for posting kurdtss.
chapmanhamilton
I'm from Australia and i have never played ice hocky. This song still means a lot to me...it's a great song, very sad story, but great song...
zack duggan
This song also reminds me about a tragic atv accident that involved my young cousin. He would of played in the NHL because he was in the same rank as Crosby in bantam. His younger brother is now playing his 2nd season in the Q league. God Bless # 95.
Dean Carle
An amazing inspirational song from a FATHER to a SON!
Melanie Cossey
This song reminds me of my exboyfriend who was a hockey player and they wanted to train him for the big leagues, he said no and told me he always regretted it. At the age of 22 he took his own life. RIP Grant!
Canuckfan78
Tom Cochran was inspired to write this song based on one player however it wasen't that one speciffic player but NHL draft picks in general. That's why when he played this song live at Luc Bourdon's tribute it fit so well
Musicholism
Big League is definitely in my list of top 10 rock songs of all time...