She then participated in numerous Korean musicals of national scale and for which she has often been rewarded. She has even been demanded by one of the Biggest Japanese company of the genre (Sakye), but declined the invitation.
As she did not find suitable fulfilment in these musical environments, due to all their constraints, Youn Sun decided in 1995 to go to Paris in order to study jazz and French songs. She registered at CIM school, one of the oldest jazz school of the French capital, at the National Music Institute of Beauvais and at the Nadia and Lili Boulanger Conservatory. Her natural fondness for jazz reveals itself when she starts playing in the Parisians jazz clubs in 1996-97 with David Georgelet and Yoni Zelnik (still playing together today). She rapidly provokes considerable attention, notably by Jacques Vidal who invites her on his record ‘Ramblin’ (1999). She receives numerous prizes (Jazz à La Defense, Saint-Maur, Montmartre...), continues to comb jazz clubs and also participates at festivals.
Parallel to this French life, Youn Sun performs in Korea. Some opportunities have her living a double life, one in her native country, one in the country that has adopted her. In order to make this feasible, she is working with two different teams. In Seoul, she created her own production structure, Bis Music, with which she produced two records as a leader. Those were distributed by SONY MUSIC. In Paris, she almost exclusively worked with her quintet whose records are produced by an independent label, In Circum Girum.
In 5 years, Youn Sun Nah has recorded 4 albums (2 of which are exclusively distributed in Korea) and has extensively performed in various jazz festivals in France, Europe and Korea. In 2003 she obtains a full recognition by the Korean audience and media who declare her Jazz Artist of the Year. A few months before, she had been broadcast with her quintet on a program for ARTE Channel called Paris Jazz Club – Rue des Lombard. In 2004, the release of Youn Sun Nah5’s ‘So I Am...’ is widely celebrated by the French specialised as well as generalist press which fully recognise her talent and present her now like one of the most remarkable singer of the new generation. Lastly, her live performances are awarded by an impressive jury of jazz professionals at Jazz à Juan Revelation 2005.
Jockey Full Of Bourbon
Youn Sun Nah Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dutch Pink on a downtown train
Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
I'm in the corner on a pouring rain
Sixteen men on a dead man's chest
And I've been drinking from a broken cup
Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest
I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children are alone
Schiffer broke a bottle on Morgan's head
And I've been stepping on the Devil's tail
Across the stripes of a full moon's head
And through the bars of a Cuban jail
Bloody fingers on a purple knife
Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass
I'm on the lawn with someone else's wife
Admire the view from up on top of the mast
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, your children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, your children are alone
I said hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, your children are alone
Yellow sheets on a Hong Kong bed
Stazybo horn and a Slingerland ride
"To the carnival" is what she said
A hundred dollars makes it dark inside
Edna Million in a drop-dead suit
Dutch Pink on a downtown train
Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
I'm in the corner on a pouring rain
Hey little bird, fly away home
Our house is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
House is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, children are alone
Hey little bird, fly away home
Your house is on fire, children are alone now
Youn Sun Nah’s “Jockey Full of Bourbon” tells the story of a man who is full of bourbon and can’t stand up. The song paints a picture of a shadowy and mysterious world with its dark and enigmatic lyrics. The singer is described as being in the corner on a pouring rain, with two pairs of pants, a mohair vest, and a broken cup. He is drinking heavily and is unable to stand up.
Throughout the song, we are introduced to a cast of characters, each with a different story to tell. The lyrics mention Edna Million, Dutch Pink, Morgan, and Schiffer, among others. These characters are introduced in a way that adds to the overall enigma of the song. The singer himself seems to be in some sort of trouble, having stepped on the Devil's tail, been in a Cuban jail and is admiring the view from up on top of the mast with someone else's wife.
The chorus of the song, which serves as a kind of refrain, features the repeated exhortation to "fly away home" because "your house is on fire, your children are alone." The chorus serves to add to the sense of mystery and intrigue that pervades the song. Overall, “Jockey Full of Bourbon” is an enigmatic and haunting song that leaves the listener wanting to know more.
Line by Line Meaning
Edna Million in a drop-dead suit
Describing a well-dressed woman named Edna Million.
Dutch Pink on a downtown train
Describing a type of color on a train in a city.
Two-dollar pistol but the gun won't shoot
Having a cheap gun that isn't functional.
I'm in the corner on a pouring rain
Being alone in a corner while it rains heavily.
Sixteen men on a dead man's chest
Referencing a pirate song and the chest being dead suggests it had already plundered.
And I've been drinking from a broken cup
Drinking from something damaged, alluding to problems and drinking as a form of escapism.
Two pairs of pants and a mohair vest
Wearing second-hand clothes, suggesting a tough financial situation.
I'm full of bourbon, I can't stand up
Being drunk and unable to stand up.
Hey little bird, fly away home
A plea to someone to leave and take care of their loved ones.
Your house is on fire, your children are alone
A metaphorical representation of the chaos that the person will leave behind if left unattended.
Schiffer broke a bottle on Morgan's head
A reference to a fight between two people.
And I've been stepping on the Devil's tail
Engaging in something dangerous or daring, metaphorically stepping on the devil's tail.
Across the stripes of a full moon's head
A visual reference to a night-time setting under a full moon.
And through the bars of a Cuban jail
Reference to being imprisoned in a Cuban jail.
Bloody fingers on a purple knife
Violent imagery involving a knife with blood on it and the color purple.
Flamingo drinking from a cocktail glass
A surreal and quirky image of a bird drinking from a glass.
I'm on the lawn with someone else's wife
Being in a place one shouldn't be, with someone they shouldn't be with.
Admire the view from up on top of the mast
Looking at something from a high vantage point.
Yellow sheets on a Hong Kong bed
Describing colorful sheets on a bed in Hong Kong.
Stazybo horn and a Slingerland ride
Reference to specific musical instruments, suggesting a musical context.
"To the carnival" is what she said
Someone said that they were going to the carnival.
A hundred dollars makes it dark inside
Suggesting that money can buy something, but it can have negative consequences.
Our house is on fire, children are alone
Repeating the plea for someone to go home and take care of their family.
Your house is on fire, children are alone
Another plea to someone to go home.
Your house is on fire, children are alone now
The song ends with a final plea to someone to take care of their loved ones.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, JALMA MUSIC
Written by: Thomas Alan Waits
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind