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.
The Secret Is To Know When To Stop
Tom Cochrane Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All along the promenade
It started to rain my coat, your dress got wet
We laughed till we almost cried
Your spirit was so contageous
Our timing really bad
You were so outrageous
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
Remembering
Do you remember the night that we ran out
Out on the English Bay
We went out on the water
The tow almost pulled us away
Man, right there the sparks would fly
We'd get into such a mess
Our timing really stunk back then
We didn't give a damn what they thought, I guess
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
Remembering
And maybe when the skies flew open
Right then the lines would be broken
Your eyes they did all the talking
Keep your heart open wide
Whoa-ooo
Can you remember the trip we took
In the Malibu to the west coast
We drove through a rainbow up on Roger's Pass
They never thought you'd get that close
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
Remembering
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
The secret is to know when to stop...
Remembering
The secret is to know when to stop... (The secret is to know when to stop)
The secret is to know when to stop... (The secret is to know when to stop)
The secret is to know when to stop... (The secret is to know when to stop)
Remembering
The song, The Secret Is To Know When To Stop by Tom Cochrane, talks about the memories of a past relationship, its joys, and its downsides. The first stanza reminisces about a night spent on the promenade where it started raining, and despite the bad timing, the two laughed till they almost cried. The second stanza talks about another night spent on the English Bay, where the two went out on the water, and despite their timing being bad, they still enjoyed themselves. The third stanza speaks about the trip they took in the Malibu to the west coast, where they drove through a rainbow up on Rogers Pass.
Throughout the song, Tom Cochrane emphasizes the importance of knowing when to stop, especially in moments when things are going too well or too bad. He describes their timing as bad or stunk back then, which could be a reference to the relationship being somewhat rocky. However, despite the drawbacks, the two still enjoyed each other's company and lived in the moment, making unforgettable memories.
Overall, the song's message is clear about the importance of knowing when to stop in our lives, whether it's enjoying the moment or letting go of past regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
Do you remember the night the lights went out
Do you remember that one time when everything went dark?
All along the promenade
We were walking by the seaside where the shops and cafes were located.
It started to rain my coat, your dress got wet
It began raining and we got wet, but we still found it amusing.
We laughed till we almost cried
We laughed so hard that we almost cried.
Your spirit was so contageous
Your energy and enthusiasm were so infectious and inspiring to me.
Our timing really bad
We were not in sync or on the same wavelength at that time.
You were so outrageous
You were behaving in a way that was unconventional and daring, even reckless.
How could we hold back?
We couldn't resist getting carried away by the moment.
The secret is to know when to stop...
The key to avoiding trouble or excess is to recognize the right time to stop or pull back.
Remembering
Reflecting back on these memories.
And maybe when the skies flew open
Perhaps during a moment of intense emotion or revelation.
Right then the lines would be broken
At that point, boundaries or limitations would fall away.
Your eyes they did all the talking
Your eyes were so expressive and spoke volumes on their own.
Keep your heart open wide
Remain receptive to new experiences and emotions.
Can you remember the trip we took
Do you recall the journey we went on together?
In the Malibu to the west coast
We were traveling in a vehicle from Malibu on the west coast of the United States.
We drove through a rainbow up on Roger's Pass
We went through a rainbow in the area of Roger's Pass on our trip.
They never thought you'd get that close
The situation was unusual or unexpected, and some people didn't think we would succeed.
The secret is to know when to stop...
Again, the message is that it's important to know when it's time to stop or pull back.
Remembering
Reflecting back on these memories once more.
Contributed by Avery P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.