He was a member of the London Town Criers during the 1960s and subsequently joined Montreal band The Prodigal Sons. Prior to beginning his solo career, he was based in Victoria working with various artists, including Blake Emmons.
Valdy is the winner of two Juno Awards for Folk Singer of the Year and Folk Entertainer of the Year, and has received seven additional Juno nominations. His fourteen albums have achieved sales of nearly half a million copies, four of which are certified gold. Of Canadian folk artists in the mid-1970s, only Gordon Lightfoot was more popular.
Valdy also appeared on the CBC TV show The Beachcombers as the environmental activist "Halibut" Stu.
Valdy lives on Saltspring Island in British Columbia with his wife Kathleen. His daughter, Chelah Horsdal, is an actress.
His live albums include 'Family Gathering' (A&M) recorded at Massey Hall in Toronto for 1974 release, and 2003's 'Viva Valdy: Live at Last (Rack-On-Tour)'.
Valdy is much in demand on the touring circuit and on any given night, is playing to a packed concert house somewhere - performing some 250 to 300 show dates a year - while he continues writing and recording.
"Few performers are capable of achieving the kind of energy he generates on stage." - Globe and Mail
".....name probably doesn't ring a bell with most Americans, but in Canada this singer and guitarist is a legend." - Anchorage Times
".....unquestionably the most public performer in Canada today, and the most loved." - Macleans
"Valdy is regarded as one of Canada's most distinctive and successful minstrels." - Humber Log
"One of the best evenings of entertainment Confederation Centre has ever seen....a man of formidable talents." Charlottetown Evening Patriot
"Valdy remains one of the country's purest and most credible storytellers." Toronto Star
"He's a master of country, folk, rock and blues, and the catch is that whatever the sound, people know that Valdy is sincere." Saskatoon Star Phoenix
"Valdy's show is a disarming and practical blend of respect for the audience and show business expertise." Edmonton Journal
"Valdy elicited a genuinely warm standing ovation, the real kind, where the applause continues long after the encore is assured." - Winnipeg Free Press
You can visit Valdy's website for more information at his official home page - www.valdy.com
Renaissance
Valdy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That your hair falls away
When the night brings a candle to you
And I like to stare
As you come down the stair
And the light from the landing shines through
And how many fallen leaves
That autumn has finally come
The weathers grown colder
And we've both grown older
It's hard to believe we're still one
Let's dance that old dance once more,
Still move as smooth on that old ballroom floor
I'll wear my Sunday best,
You wear your favourite dress
Lock up the door,
And lets dance that old dance once more
You hung around
Keep my feet on the ground
When I acted as proud as a fool
We were kids and we've grown,
We've got kids of our own
Got to raise by the old golden rule
Somehow it seems, some of our dreams
Got discarded somewhere on the road
When all that was true
Could be found in the blue
Of your eyes that still sparkle and glow
Let's dance that old dance once more,
Still move as smooth on that old ballroom floor
I'll wear my Sunday best,
You wear your favourite dress
Lock up the door,
And lets dance that old dance once more
The frosting has come
And with a flick of his thumb
Turned the windows to renaissance art
As we sit round the fire
With no need to enquire
About the ways of the soul and the heart
Years passed us by
Like a soft whispered sigh
Not noticing youth as it flew
It's easy to tell
That you wear your age well
Not trying to prove you're still you
The song "Renaissance" by Valdy is a nostalgic and romantic ode to aging and enduring relationships. The lyrics describe the beauty of simple moments and the joy of being with a loved one for a long time. In the first verse, the singer admires his partner's appearance, particularly the way her hair falls and how the light illuminates her as she walks down the stairs. He also contemplates how the changing of the seasons signifies the passage of time and how he and his partner are both growing older. Despite this, they are still together and still feel the same love and connection they did when they were younger.
The chorus of the song invites the listener to join in a dance that the singer and his partner used to do when they were younger. He acknowledges that they are not as young as they once were, but the memories and the love they share make them feel just as smooth as they were when they danced in their youth. The second verse continues the theme of aging and looks at the ups and downs of their journey together. The singer thanks his partner for keeping him grounded when he was acting foolish and acknowledges that they have both grown and have children of their own. However, he also suggests that some of their dreams along the way fell by the wayside and that they did not always appreciate the passing of time. In the final verse, the singer contemplates the beauty of nature and how it reflects the beauty of his partner who has aged gracefully. He suggests that the greatest gift in life is love and that true love endures over time.
Overall, "Renaissance" is a beautifully crafted song that celebrates the enduring nature of love and the beauty of aging together. The lyrics are poetic, nostalgic and romantic, and the melody adds to the nostalgic feel of the song. It is a reminder that love is a journey that requires effort, patience, and the ability to adapt and grow together.
Line by Line Meaning
I like the way
I love your hair and how it falls when moonlight illuminates you
That your hair falls away
I admire the way your hair moves and falls around your face
When the night brings a candle to you
Your beauty is illuminated by the light of a single candle in the night-time
And I like to stare
I love to gaze upon your face and your beauty
As you come down the stair
I adore watching you descend the staircase
And the light from the landing shines through
I appreciate the way the light cascades down the stairwell, illuminating you
And how many fallen leaves
How many leaves need to fall to signify the arrival of autumn?
Will it take to believe
What will it take for us to recognize that autumn has officially arrived?
That autumn has finally come
The period of autumn has arrived and the weather has become colder
The weathers grown colder
It is now obvious that the weather outside has become colder
And we've both grown older
We have aged and grown older together
It's hard to believe we're still one
It's hard to comprehend that our relationship has stood the test of time and we still remain as one
Let's dance that old dance once more,
Let's recreate the classic dance of our youth together
Still move as smooth on that old ballroom floor
Let's move as gracefully as we did many years ago on the classic ballroom floor
I'll wear my Sunday best,
I'll dress up in my finest garments
You wear your favourite dress
You wear your preferred and most cherished dress
Lock up the door,
Let's lock and seal the door while we dance, so that it's just us together
And lets dance that old dance once more
Let's travel back in time and dance that classic dance one more time
You hung around
You always stuck by my side, no matter what foolish or reckless decisions I made
Keep my feet on the ground
You were always there to keep me grounded and level-headed
When I acted as proud as a fool
Even during my most prideful, foolish moments, you never abandoned me
We were kids and we've grown,
We began our relationship as young individuals, and have grown older in each other's presence
We've got kids of our own
We've grown and expanded our family, raising our own children
Got to raise by the old golden rule
We instill the virtues of the old school method of parenting in our children, just like how our parents raised us
Somehow it seems, some of our dreams
Along the road of life, somehow some of our dreams got distorted or forgotten
Got discarded somewhere on the road
The road of life has caused the abandonment or deterioration of some of our dreams
When all that was true
When all that was real or pure
Could be found in the blue
Could be discovered in the intensity of your ocean-blue coloured eyes
Of your eyes that still sparkle and glow
Even today, your eyes are dazzling and captivating
The frosting has come
Winter has arrived with its frost
And with a flick of his thumb
With just a single gesture, the frost makes beauty out of the windows in front of us
Turned the windows to renaissance art
The frost transformed the windows in a way that resembles the art of the Renaissance period
As we sit round the fire
While we sit near the fire together
With no need to enquire
We don't need to question or delve into the intricacies of our souls
About the ways of the soul and the heart
We understand the soul and heart of each other without requiring any explanation
Years passed us by
Many years have gone by and we have experienced time together
Like a soft whispered sigh
Like a gentle, fleeting sound or breath
Not noticing youth as it flew
We didn't realize the preciousness of our youth as time moved on rapidly
It's easy to tell
It's effortless to recognize
That you wear your age well
It's clear you've aged beautifully and gracefully
Not trying to prove you're still you
You no longer feel the need to prove anything to show that you have remained true to who you are and who you've been all this time
Contributed by Caden R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@douglasjamesbain5096
Keeping up with professional standards as always Valdy! Enjoyed immensely- Thanks
@amancalledwrycraft
Though my lovely pal David Bradstreet wrote this roots classic, it was Valdy's version i first heard while deliciously digesting his FAMILY GATHERING album so this version became the definitive one for me. I've been lucky enough to hear it from both of these fine gents live and i would like to add... this is in my top 5 songs of all time to sing harmony to. Thanks for posting it. Yay! Michael
@jonw9439
Well said..it is one ofthe best songs ever written..valdy is a hidden gem....hard to believe many people have never heard of him...
@Golfdewd
I will never EVER tire of this song
@christophergranozio8502
This is one of the best love songs I've ever heard.
@bobbyhill7036
Great Canadian Singer Song writer ...Seems like a tolerable kind of guy ...people love the band RUSH ...LOVE VALDY MORE..HIS music was always there ...and breaks my heart were getting older and some of us are not getting older anymore ...The last time i seen Valdy my mom was alive .The kids were running and playing in the park and we all sat down on a blanket to listen to Renaissance
@66bgrs
i love this song and i think it is one of the best songs ever in grade three my teacher mrs rose and her husband chuck rose used to sing this song together it was so beautiful thank you for this song
@drbradstreet
@orchidlover08 This was fun to see. My personal thanks to Valdy for making this song a classic. cheers - David Bradstreet (composer, Renaissance)
@sandyharwell8471
A classic, David, thank you.
@StephenJStephen_Photography
Yes David thank you for such a beautiful song. I just heard Valdy (with a thanks to you) perform it again last night at a house concert here in Ottawa. Thanks also so Beresford Street!