The group formed in 1981 as a trio consisting of Brad Merritt (bass), Ian Franey(drums), and Neil Osborne (vocals). In 1983, Phil Comparelli was added on guitar and vocals, and Franey was replaced by Darryl Neudorf. Matt Johnson replaced Neudorf on drums by 1986. The band announced in March of 2005 that Comparelli had officially passed on guitar duties to Dave Genn, formerly of Matthew Good Band.
The band's self-titled second album, released in 1986, began to attract attention from radio and record buyers across Canada, with the single "Baby Ran" gaining significant radio airplay. The band's third album, Show Me, became their commercial breakthrough in Canada, with the hits "One Gun" and "One Day in Your Life".
Although the band was popular on college radio in the United States, they never had a commercial breakthrough -- 1992's Dear Dear was their first album not to have a U.S. release. Ironically, though, it was their best-selling album in Canada, leading to a new U.S. contract for the follow up, Smilin' Buddha Cabaret, which had a significant hit in "Ocean Pearl".
The band's song I Go Blind was covered in the mid-1990s by American band Hootie & the Blowfish.
The band's most recent album is 2008's Northern Soul released September 30th,2008 and they wrapped up their tour of Canada at the end of November 2008.
She's A Jones
54-40 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To know the change and to feel it
She forgot the stars the sun and the moon
And her eyes were wild lips were starved turning to poison
It's a beauty that must die Like a murmur in the wind
I can't let her go
Got to have her she's a Jones
One day I wrote her name in the sand
And the waves came and washed it back
I wrote it again with a second hand and
All for love, nothing back
Painful pleasure turns to pleasing pain at the end of my mind
It's a beauty that must die
Like a murmur in the wind
In and out and in my head you go with me alive or dead
In and out she got to be a dream girl
It's not about looking at each other
But together in the same direction
Like they did in the golden age
They put their lives in the trust of heaven
And the kindest words she'll ever know are still waiting to be said
It's a beauty that must die
Like a murmur in the wind
The lyrics to 54-40's "She's A Jones" are beautifully poetic and describe the intense fixation the singer has on a woman who appears to be unpredictable and wild. The song begins with a reference to the night bird, which is often associated with mystery and intrigue. The woman in question is described as forgetting about the usual celestial bodies, like stars and the moon, because her eyes are so filled with a hunger and possibly even anger. The imagery of "turning to poison" is stark and suggests the danger that this woman represents.
Despite this, the singer can't let her go and declares that she's a "Jones," meaning he's addicted to her. He's tripping on a dream girl, caught up in the fantasy of this dangerous woman. The second verse includes a poignant metaphor about writing her name in the sand and having it washed away, only to try again and again out of love. The final lines of the verse reflect on the blurred lines between pleasure and pain in the pursuit of love.
The song concludes with a more hopeful image that implies a mutual trust between the singer and his dream girl. They're looking in the same direction, focused on a common goal, and putting their faith in something greater than themselves. The final line suggests that there are still kind words to be said and a beauty to be appreciated, even if it's fleeting like a murmur in the wind.
Line by Line Meaning
Where the night bird sings on earth's human shores
In a place where humans exist, there is a bird that sings at night
To know the change and to feel it
To recognize and experience transformation
She forgot the stars the sun and the moon
She disregarded the celestial bodies in the sky
And her eyes were wild lips were starved turning to poison
Her appearance and behavior were erratic, desperate, and harmful
It's a beauty that must die Like a murmur in the wind
This beauty is transient and fleeting, like a soft sound carried away by the breeze
I can't let her go
I am unable to release my hold on her
Got to have her she's a Jones
I desperately need her, like an addiction or obsession
Tripping on a dream girl
I am infatuated with an imaginary ideal of a girl
One day I wrote her name in the sand
At a beach, I inscribed her name in the ground
And the waves came and washed it back
But the tide erased the letters
I wrote it again with a second hand and
Undeterred, I rewrote it with my other hand and
All for love, nothing back
I did it out of love, without expecting anything in return
Painful pleasure turns to pleasing pain at the end of my mind
My conflicting emotions of anguish and joy become enjoyable suffering in my thoughts
In and out and in my head you go with me alive or dead
You exist in my mind, whether I am alive or dead
In and out she got to be a dream girl
You are like a fantasy girl who comes and goes
It's not about looking at each other
The essence of a relationship is not merely exchanging glances
But together in the same direction
But moving forward with the same purpose
Like they did in the golden age
Like people did in the past when everything seemed perfect
They put their lives in the trust of heaven
They relied on fate and destiny for their well-being
And the kindest words she'll ever know are still waiting to be said
There are kind thoughts and compliments that I have not expressed to her yet
It's a beauty that must die Like a murmur in the wind
This beauty is destined to fade away, like a soft sound carried away by the breeze
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind