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.
Paper Tigers
Tom Cochrane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Through the coming darkest storm
All the fear that's sent your way
through your eyes, you might wash away
When you can
Still your lantern's strong and bright
Even through the darkest night
All those paper tigers
Might be wasted on
One so young that you're old again
She walks out through the wind and the rain
They can't give you all those things
No pot of gold, no big brass ring
Stay on the road for the night has come
Perhaps at dawn we will be like one again
All those paper tigers
All the lies they might have sold you
Might be wasted on
One so young that you're old again
Sylvia walks through the wind and the rain
Still the shock rips you through every nerve
In the bell jar nothing can be heard
Hmm, ah yeah
I would walk with you
I would talk with you
I would do anything that would get you through
Draw the line for you
Take the fifth for you
I would stand on a bridge and jump off it too
Now those paper tigers
Now the lies they might have sold you
Might be wasted on
One so young that you're old again
All those paper tigers
All the lies they might have sold you
Might be wasted on
One so young that you're old again
Sylvia walks out through the wind and the rain
The song "Paper Tigers" by Tom Cochrane is a ballad that speaks about the power of lies and the harm that they can cause. The lyrics encourage the listener to be strong and to not let fear take over, while acknowledging that it can be challenging. Cochrane sings "Keep your powder dry and warm/Through the coming darkest storm/All the fear that's sent your way/through your eyes, you might wash away/When you can." The chorus is a repetition of the phrase "All those paper tigers/All their lies, they might have sold you/Might be wasted on/One so young that you're old again," with the added reference to a character named Sylvia walking in the wind and rain. The use of paper tigers, creatures that appear threatening but are actually harmless, serves as a metaphor for the lies that we allow to control us.
Cochrane's lyrics suggest that facing the truth can be difficult, but it's important to try. "Still your lantern's strong and bright/Even through the darkest night" suggests that despite the darkness, there is still light to be found. The verse that follows, "They can't give you all those things/No pot of gold, no big brass ring/Stay on the road for the night has come/Perhaps at dawn we will be like one again," suggests that ignoring the lies and staying on the right path can bring one closer to the truth. The final verse, which includes the lines "Still the shock rips you through every nerve/In the bell jar nothing can be heard," is a reminder that even when we face the truth, the pain of lies can still affect us deeply.
Line by Line Meaning
Keep your powder dry and warm
Stay prepared and alert for difficult times ahead
Through the coming darkest storm
Despite challenges and hardships in the future
All the fear that's sent your way
Negative thoughts and doubts that may come
through your eyes, you might wash away
Overcome the fears by seeing them for what they are
When you can
Take control and be strong
Still your lantern's strong and bright
Keep your hope and optimism alive
Even through the darkest night
Even in times of great difficulty and darkness
All those paper tigers
All the fake and empty promises
All their lies, they might have sold you
Deceitful remarks that might have convinced you
Might be wasted on
Their lies won't affect or hurt you anymore
One so young that you're old again
Feeling worn out or drained despite your age
She walks out through the wind and the rain
Braving the storm and facing difficulties
They can't give you all those things
Empty promises cannot fulfill your desires
No pot of gold, no big brass ring
Difficult to attain wealth or success without perseverance and hard work
Stay on the road for the night has come
Keep moving forward despite challenges and difficulties
Perhaps at dawn we will be like one again
Hopefully we will be united and feel renewed
Still the shock rips you through every nerve
Feeling the impact of a negative experience
In the bell jar nothing can be heard
Feeling trapped and unable to communicate
Hmm, ah yeah
Vocalization to express understanding or acknowledgement
I would walk with you
I'll support and accompany you
I would talk with you
I'll communicate and listen to you
I would do anything that would get you through
I'm committed to helping you overcome any obstacle
Draw the line for you
I'll establish boundaries or act as a mediator for you
Take the fifth for you
I'll protect your right not to self-incriminate
I would stand on a bridge and jump off it too
I would make any sacrifice to help you
Now those paper tigers
Nowadays, false promises or empty words
Now the lies they might have sold you
Deceitful statements that might have convinced you
Sylvia walks out through the wind and the rain
Sylvia faces hardships and struggles bravely
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Thomas William Cochrane
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind