The duo got back from tour and played shows around their hometown, before releasing a much-acclaimed EP on local imprint, Dare To Care Records. In 2003, they released the bilingual acoustic folk-punk Onze chansons pour faire pleurer les morts-vivants, still on Dare To Care, adding to their line-up Louis Valiquette (guitar and vocals) and Marc-André Beaudet (bass and vocals) of The Sainte Catherines. After a cross-Canada tour, some East Coast US dates and some European shows, they released in 2005, El Rancho, which really established them as one of the top alt-country band to ever come out of the Province of Québec. Mixing their old love of the punk-rock energy with their new dedication to the country and folk tradition, the band really founded a new sound that they were more comfortable with. Adding drums, electric guitars, bass, keyboards, harmonica, banjo, mandolin and horns, the band sounded a lot better live. “When El Rancho came out, people started to take us more seriously. We had written all those songs on the road with Ste Cath, but we knew a bit more about the style of music we were trying to play and we were just older, I guess.” The album was rough around the edges, but altogether singalong-able and energizing, and it garnered a great deal of praise from zines, magazines, blogs, and fans alike.
The increasing attention was enough to score them gigs with similarly-minded bands like Lucero and The Real Mackenzies, and by 2008, Yesterday’s Ring had played over 200 shows around Canada, the United States and Europe. They recorded the four-song EP Back From El Rancho in 2006 and continued to play dates around the hectic touring schedule of The Sainte Catherines (Fat Wreck Chords, 600 shows in 14 countries since 2000).
Now with Mathieu Guilbault (Bass, Fifth Hour Hero/Mi Amore/Rudy Caya) and Ryan Battistuzzi (Guitar, Banjo, Pedal Steel) and with featurings from well known and talented musicians like Malcolm Bauld, Mara Tremblay, Béatrice Martin of Coeur de Pirate, Keith Douglas and Chuck Robertson of Mad Caddies, they might have just wrote the best country-influenced album to ever come out of the city of Montreal. “We really wanted to make an album that we would be proud of. We didn’t limit ourselves to write country songs or folk songs, we just wrote pop songs, great songs I think, that are far away from the heavy music we make with The Sainte Catherines, but closer to what we actually listen to at home and in the van.”
Diamonds in The Ditch was produced and recorded in their hometown, by the band and features heartfelt and catchy songs that people will have problems getting out of their heads. Country, Folk, Rock, Pop, Punk and influenced by the greatest songwriters of our time like Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Billy Joel, Lucinda Williams, Steve Earle, Shane Macgowan and more. “This album is like a road trip. It’s really a story about someone that leaves Montréal to get away from drugs, alcohol and…a girl, of course. The hero drives all the way to Florida and realizes that it’s all the same over there and comes back home, to find better things even though nothing has changed. He realizes that where you live doesn’t bring you happiness, you bring it to yourself.”
They will tour the world with Diamonds in The Ditch and everywhere they will go, people will just wonder: “Why haven’t I heard of this band before?” People and critics used to call them one of the best side projects around. With the new record they will simply be one of the best band around.
Now joined by Mathieu and Ryan and featuring talented musicians like Malcolm Bauld, Mara Tremblay, Béatrice Martin, and Keith Douglas and Chuck Robertson of Mad Caddies, “Diamonds in the Ditch”, their 2009 release on Suburban Home Records, is the album they’ve been striving to create over the past nine years. Heavy doses of country, folk, punk rock, and traces of zydeco meld with traditional rock and roll swagger to create a country-rock opera that’s both eclectic and anthemic, firmly defining Yesterday’s Ring’s unique position in today’s music scene.
http://www.myspace.com/yesterdaysringmtl
El Rancho
Yesterday's Ring Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The champagne of beer or the lost of my hope
I' been chasing my own shadow all week...
Let's drive back home
I miss montreal but he (she) wants to move out of here
I miss montreal but he (she) wants to start over again
We still have smiles to give we're still having fun
Last night was good tomorrow will be better...
Let's stay here forever
I miss my girl she wants to be here with me
I miss my friends I really need a cold beer
I miss my friends here in el rancho
The song "El Rancho" by Yesterday's Ring is a love letter to a place that the singer and their friends have found themselves stuck in, but are still trying to make the best of. The lyrics communicate a sense of resignation to their situation, but with a recognition that they still have each other and the possibility of finding joy in the present moment. The opening lines, "There's nothing at all that could make me fall, the champagne of beer or the lost of my hope," suggest that the singer is not easily swayed by external factors and is instead focused on their internal state. Despite feeling like they've been chasing their own shadow all week, they recognize that all they need is to drive back home and be around the people they care about.
The chorus, "I miss Montreal but he (she) wants to move out of here, I miss Montreal but he (she) wants to start over again," speaks to a feeling of conflict within the group. Some members are ready for a change, while others long for the familiarity and comfort of their previous home. The singer acknowledges that they are not done yet and that they still have things to do and smiles to give. The lines "Last night was good tomorrow will be better... let's stay here forever" suggest that even though they may not be in their ideal situation, they are committed to making the most of it and finding ways to enjoy themselves.
Overall, "El Rancho" is a song about finding happiness in the people you're with, rather than the place you're in. It's about making the most of what you have and finding joy in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
There's nothing at all that could make me fall
I am resilient and cannot be brought down by anything
The champagne of beer or the lost of my hope
Neither the best of the worst beer nor a loss of hope can disrupt my spirit
I' been chasing my own shadow all week...
I've been feeling aimless and unsure of my direction lately
Let's drive back home
I want to return to a place that is familiar and comforting
I miss montreal but he (she) wants to move out of here
I long for a city that I once called home, but my partner wants to leave this place behind
I miss montreal but he (she) wants to start over again
I yearn for the familiarity of Montreal, while my partner wants to start fresh somewhere new
We're not done yet we still have things to do
There is still much to be accomplished and experienced in life
We still have smiles to give we're still having fun
There is joy to be shared and enjoyed despite any setbacks or struggles
Last night was good tomorrow will be better...
Despite a good experience in the recent past, there is always the potential for better things to come
Let's stay here forever
I wish that this place and this moment could last forever
I miss my girl she wants to be here with me
I long for the company and presence of my partner who may be absent
I miss my friends I really need a cold beer
I miss the camaraderie of my friends and could benefit from the relaxation of a cold beer
I miss my friends here in el rancho
I miss the company of friends who were once in this particular location
Contributed by Peyton W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.