Most recently, Wesley has performed as sideman, guitarist/vocalist for critically acclaimed Atlantic/Roadrunner Records U.K.-based recording act Porcupine Tree, during the In Absentia, Deadwing, Fear of a Blank Planet, and The Incident world tours. Wesley's versatility shows from his diverse touring background. In recent years he has performed lead guitars and background vocals for White Lion front man Mike Tramp, subbed on lead guitar and bass for Gainsville's Sister Hazel, and as lead guitarist for Scottish neo-prog band Fish on many lengthy European, American and South American Tours and on several U.S. and European Solo dates.
In 2005, Wesley produced and recorded his fifth studio release, Shiver, co-produced by Mark Prator, and mixed by Steven Wilson of Porcupine Tree.
He has an official fan website at http://www.john-wesley.com where fans can read lyrics, view photos and preview album clips.
On the 24th August 2007, John Wesley announced that he was making the majority of his solo material available for free download on his website http://www.john-wesley.com, in what he called his "Share the Wes" policy. He will still be offering certain CDs and new releases for purchase at gigs and online.
2. John Wesley was an American soul singer of the 1960s, who released most of his music on the Melic record label. Most of his recordings were credited to John Wesley & The Four Tees, except for a 1966 single called 'Love Is Such a Funny Thing', which was recorded with The Four Tees but credited to Wesley alone.
Pretty Lives
John Wesley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We are the focus of our own lies
Tread the well worn path to respectable
Abusing the promise of our pretty lives
We so often thought ourselves invincible
We'd drink and laugh and challenge the very gods in the sky
Now we become invisible
Carry the ashes of our pretty lives
These are the moments that make up our pretty lives
These are desires that keep us down
Desperate and drowning in all but the candles we light
These are the wishes to never be found
These are wishes we never should have found
There was a time we were invincible
holes in the armour come from our own knives
Punch drunk, we stagger in the firelight of principle
And gather the ashes of our pretty lives
In John Wesley's song "Pretty Lives," the lyrics explore the idea of a self-centered existence, where individuals prioritize their own desires and aspirations above all else. The opening lines of the song describe us as "the center of a spectacle" and "the focus of our own lies," implying that we construct our own reality and often distort it to fit our worldview. We follow the "well worn path to respectable," conforming to social norms and expectations, but in doing so, we abuse the promise of our "pretty lives," or the potential for beauty and fulfillment that is inherent to the human experience.
The chorus of the song suggests that our desires and aspirations are ultimately what hold us back and cause us to "drown" in the complexity of life. The lyrics describe these wishes as "desperate" and "never should have found," indicating that they are unhealthy or even dangerous, preventing us from living authentically and finding true meaning in our lives. The final verse, with its imagery of being "punch drunk" and "gathering the ashes" of our lives, suggests that we are left with nothing but the remnants of our own mistakes and the consequences of our choices.
Overall, "Pretty Lives" is a poignant and thought-provoking song that asks us to reflect on the ways in which we construct our own realities and prioritize our own desires above all else. It encourages us to consider what truly matters in life and to avoid becoming trapped in a cycle of self-centeredness that ultimately leads to emptiness and despair.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the center of a spectacle
We are always seeking attention and constantly want to be the center of attention.
We are the focus of our own lies
We delude ourselves with lies and convince ourselves that we are better than we actually are.
Tread the well worn path to respectable
We follow the path that is considered acceptable by society to appear respectable.
Abusing the promise of our pretty lives
We take advantage of the opportunities that come our way and waste our lives for temporary pleasures.
We so often thought ourselves invincible
We felt untouchable and thought we could do anything without consequences.
We'd drink and laugh and challenge the very gods in the sky
We indulged in all kinds of vices and took unnecessary risks without any fear of consequences.
Now we become invisible
As we age, we realize that our importance and influence in society wanes.
Carry the ashes of our pretty lives
We carry the burden and scars of our past mistakes and wasted opportunities.
These are the moments that make up our pretty lives
We must cherish each moment of our lives because they shape our overall existence and define us.
These are desires that keep us down
Our desires, when not kept in check, can lead us down the wrong path and hinder our progress in life.
Desperate and drowning in all but the candles we light
We often feel helpless and lost, and tend to find solace in the smallest of things.
These are the wishes to never be found
We have wishes and desires that we keep hidden because we fear rejection or judgment from others.
These are wishes we never should have found
Some of our wishes and desires are inherently wrong or harmful, and we should never have discovered them.
There was a time we were invincible
We look back to a time when we felt unbeatable and powerful.
holes in the armour come from our own knives
We are often responsible for our own failures and shortcomings.
Punch drunk, we stagger in the firelight of principle
We become disoriented and confused when trying to live our lives according to moral principles.
And gather the ashes of our pretty lives
We suffer the consequences of our actions and mistakes, and have to live with the results of our past decisions.
Contributed by Adalyn S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.