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Roller (April Wine song)
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Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = Roller
| cover =
| alt =
| caption = 1979 Capitol US release
| type = single
| artist = April Wine
| album = First Glance
| B-side = Right Down to It
| released = March 1979
| recorded = 1978
| studio = Le Manoir, Oxfordshire, England
| venue =
| genre = Rock
| length = 4:19
| label = *Aquarius (Canada)
*Capitol (US)
| writer = Myles Goodwyn
| producer = *Myles Goodwyn
*Mike Stone
| prev_title = Comin' Right Down on Top of Me
| prev_year = 1978
| next_title = Get Ready for Love
| next_year = 1979
| misc =
}}
"'Roller"' is a song by the Canadian rock band April Wine. Released off the band's seventh studio album 'First Glance' (1978). The song peaked at number 25 on the 'RPM' 100 Singles chart in Canada and number 34 on the Billboard Hot 100 on April 28, 1979 in the United States, becoming their first American hit since 1972.
The song was instantly popular in North America, and helped April Wine regain international popularity, as it was their first hit song outside of Canada since 1972's "You Could Have Been a Lady", after a decade of success limited to Canada. "Roller" has remained a live staple and one of the band's most popular songs, and remains a staple of classic rock radio in both Canada and the United States.
Background
Myles Goodwyn, main singer and songwriter for April Wine, penned the song in 1976, though it wasn't recorded until 1978, and was decided to be released as a single from the album, becoming the album's biggest hit.
Content
The term "roller" and "high-roller" in the song is referring to a woman, who is an upper class traveler and is wealthy, and the narrator talks about leaving for Los Angeles to meet up with her.
"Roller" also talks about the narrator's unrequited love for the unnamed woman, in an upbeat, hard rock form similar to many other April Wine songs.
Charts
Weekly Charts
Year-End Charts
In popular culture
"Roller" has been featured in several films, most notably 'Joe Dirt' (2001), 'Grown Ups 2' (2013), and 'The Heat' (2013). It also has been in several television shows such as 'Freaks and Geeks' season 1, episode 3, "Tricks and Treats"; the "Pilot" episode of 'The Americans' in 2013, season 2, episode 6 "Take Me Away" of 'Being Erica' in 2011; and the 2009 Canadian documentary 'The Beat Goes On: Canadian Pop in the 1970s', which also included several other April Wine songs.
References
Category:1978 songs
Category:1978 singles
Category:April Wine songs
Category:Songs written by Myles Goodwyn
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