Early life
Thornton was born in Arkansas to Billy Ray Thornton, a high school history teacher and basketball coach, and Virginia R. Faulkner, a psychic. Thornton has three younger brothers, Jimmy Don, born in 1958 and now deceased, Jim Bean, and John David, born in 1969. Thornton lived in both Alpine, Arkansas and Malvern, Arkansas during his childhood, and also spent time with his grandfather, Otis Thornton, a forest ranger, in a small shack in the woods. He attended Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, where he studied psychology but dropped out after two semesters. Thornton is the cousin of noted professional wrestlers Dory Funk, Jr. and Terry Funk, which Terry Funk notes in his autobiography Terry Funk: More Than Hardcore.
In the late 1980s, Thornton settled in Los Angeles to pursue his career as an actor alongside future writing partner Tom Epperson. Thornton initially had a difficult time succeeding as an actor, and worked in telemarketing, off-shore wind farming and fast food management while auditioning for acting jobs. He also played drums and sang with South African rock legend Piet Botha's band Jack Hammer. While Thornton worked as a waiter for an industry event, he served film director Billy Wilder and struck up a conversation with Wilder, who advised Thornton to consider a career as a screenwriter.
Career
Thornton first came to semi-prominence as a cast member on the CBS sitcom Hearts Afire with John Ritter and Markie Post. His role as the villain in 1992's One False Move brought him to the attention of critics. He also had small roles in the early 1990s films Indecent Proposal, On Deadly Ground, Bound By Honor, Grey Knight, and Tombstone.
Thornton put Wilder's advice to good use, and went on to write, direct and star in the independent film Sling Blade, which was released in 1996. The film, an expansion of a short film titled Some Folks Call It a Sling Blade, told the story of Karl Childers, a mentally retarded man. Sling Blade garnered international acclaim. Thornton's screenplay earned him an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, a Writers Guild of America Award, and an Edgar Award, while his performance received Oscar and Screen Actors Guild nominations for Best Actor. Thornton adapted the book All the Pretty Horses into a 2000 film with the same name, starring Matt Damon and Penélope Cruz. Also in 2000 he and Tom Epperson wrote The Gift which starred Cate Blanchett, Hilary Swank, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes and Giovanni Ribisi.
During the late 1990s, Thornton, who has had a life-long love for music, began a career as a singer-songwriter. He released a roots rock album entitled Private Radio in 2001, and two more albums, The Edge of the World (2003) and Hobo (2005). Thornton was the singer of a blues rock band named Tres Hombres. Guitarist Billy Gibbons referred to the band as "The best little cover band in Texas", and Thornton bears a tattoo with the band's name on it.[2] He also performed the Warren Zevon song The Wind on the tribute album Enjoy Every Sandwich: Songs of Warren Zevon. Thornton also recorded a cover of the Johnny Cash classic Ring of Fire for the Oxford American magazine's Southern Music CD in 2001. As of September 2006, Thornton is working on another album.[3]
Thornton's screen persona has been described by the press as that of a "tattooed, hirsute man's man".[1] He appeared in several major film roles following Sling Blade 's success, including 1998's Armageddon and A Simple Plan, 2001's Monster's Ball and 2004's The Alamo, in which he played Davy Crockett. He played a malicious mall Santa Claus in 2003's Bad Santa, a black comedy that performed well at the box office and established Thornton as a leading comic actor. Thornton has stated that following Bad Santa's success, audiences "like to watch [him] play that kind of guy"[1] and "they [casting directors] call me up when they need an asshole. It's kinda that simple... you know how narrow the imagination in this business can be".[4] His most recent role is in the comic film School for Scoundrels, which was released on September 29, 2006. In the film, he plays a self-help doctor; the role was written specifically for Thornton.[1] His upcoming roles include The Astronaut Farmer, a drama scheduled for a February 23, 2007 release; another comedy, Mr. Woodcock, in which Thornton will play a sadistic gym teacher; and the drama Peace Like A River, which is scheduled to begin filming in early 2007. Thornton has also expressed an interest in directing another film, possibly a period piece about cave explorer Floyd Collins,[5] based on the book Trapped! The Story of Floyd Collins by Robert K. Murray and Roger Brucker.
Thornton received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on October 7, 2004.
Personal life
Thornton has stated on several occasions that he has obsessive-compulsive disorder; he and rock singer Warren Zevon became close friends after sharing their common experiences with the disorder.[6] He is known for various idiosyncratic behaviors, well-documented in interviews with the actor. Among these is a phobia of antique furniture, something shared by the Dwight Yoakam character in the Thornton-penned Sling Blade. That trait was also added to Thornton's character in the 2001 film Bandits. Additionally, he has stated that he has a fear of certain types of silverware,[7] a trait which was included for his character in 2001's Monster's Ball, in which his character requests a plastic spoon each time he consumes his daily bowl of chocolate ice cream.
Thornton lives in Los Angeles. He has been married five times, perhaps most notably to actress Angelina Jolie. The pair were known for their eccentric behavior, including reports that they wore vials of each others' blood around their necks; he later clarified this to be that the two of them wore small lockets that contained a drop of blood from each of them inside.[1][8] Thornton and Jolie adopted a child from Cambodia renamed Maddox. Jolie's divorce petition named the child as being both hers and Thornton's offspring and requested the Court grant her custody and Thornton reasonable parenting time.[9] He is the father of four other children: Amanda Spence with his first wife, Melissa Gatlin; William Langston and Harry James with his fourth wife, Pietra Cherniak; and Bella, with Connie Angland, who is Thornton's current girlfriend. Thornton has also stated that he will likely not marry again; he has specified that he believes that marriage "doesn't work" for him.[1]
On September 11, 2003, Thornton had received word that his ex-Hearts Afire star, John Ritter had passed away, while filming the last movie Bad Santa, which was dedicated to him. He along with Markie Post attended Ritter's funeral four days after his co-star's death.
Smoking In Bed
Billy Bob Thornton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a hundred miles form reality
Take a big drag-suck it all in
Blow it out the window, let it ride on the wind
I see indigo wheels of purple and blue
People on TV, look like me and you
There's spiders on the ceiling and buzzards on the wall
Smoking in bed, smoking in bed
It's bad for my body, good for my head
I like to lay around the house and smoke in bed
Have any y'all ever seen a mattress burn
While listening to the Byrds sing "Turn, Turn, Turn"
I've seen it happen, I'm living proof
If you don't believe me look at the hole in my roof
Now I can lay around the here and look at the sky
And watch the fuzzy black dragons as they fly by
I think it's time to roll a bog ole fatty
And try to find the phone to call Miss Paisley Patty
Smoking in bed, smoking in bed
It's bad for my body, good for my head
I like to lay around the house and smoke in bed
Smoking in bed, smoking in bed
It's bad for my body, good for my head
I like to lay around the house and smoke in bed
The lyrics of Billy Bob Thornton's song "Smoking in Bed" give a glimpse into the life of a person who is detached from reality and finds solace in smoking. The first stanza talks about lightning bugs buzzing around a piss elm tree and the singer being a hundred miles away from reality. This indicates that the person is lost in his/her thoughts and is disconnected from the world around them. The line "Blow it out the window, let it ride on the wind" not only refers to blowing smoke but also to the singer's desire to let go of their problems and let them fly away.
The second stanza describes the person's hallucinations, possibly resulting from excessive smoking. The "indigo wheels of purple and blue" and "fuzzy black dragons" are not real, and the buzzards on the wall and spiders on the ceiling could be metaphors for the singer's inner demons. The line "If I could find the telephone, I'd give you a call" suggests that the singer is alone and possibly longing for human connection.
The chorus, "Smoking in bed, smoking in bed, It's bad for my body, good for my head. I like to lay around the house and smoke in bed" sums up the lyrics' meaning. The person knows that smoking is bad for their body, but they find it comforting and escape their troubles by smoking and laying around the house.
Overall, the song "Smoking in Bed" portrays a person's attempt to cope with real-life problems and the consequences of addiction through smoking.
Line by Line Meaning
Lightning bugs buzzing 'round the piss elm tree
Fireflies are flying around a tree while I'm lost in my thoughts.
I'm a hundred miles form reality
I'm dreaming and caught up in my own world far from reality.
Take a big drag-suck it all in
Take a deep inhalation and let the smoke fill your lungs.
Blow it out the window, let it ride on the wind
Exhale the smoke out the window and let it float away in the air.
I see indigo wheels of purple and blue
I'm experiencing synesthesia and seeing colorful shapes and patterns.
People on TV, look like me and you
People on TV seem relatable and similar to us.
There's spiders on the ceiling and buzzards on the wall
There are strange and creepy things around me.
If I could find the telephone, I'd give you a call
If I could figure out reality right now, I'd call you.
Smoking in bed, smoking in bed
I'm smoking cigarettes while lounging in bed.
It's bad for my body, good for my head
Smoking is harmful to my physical health, but it's enjoyable and relaxing for my mind.
I like to lay around the house and smoke in bed
I enjoy being lazy and smoking in bed.
Have any y'all ever seen a mattress burn
Do you know what it's like to see a mattress on fire?
While listening to the Byrds sing "Turn, Turn, Turn"
This event happened while the Byrds were singing their popular song 'Turn, Turn, Turn'.
I've seen it happen, I'm living proof
I've witnessed such an event myself and can testify it's true.
If you don't believe me look at the hole in my roof
The evidence of the previous event is still present, seen in the hole in my roof.
Now I can lay around the here and look at the sky
I can now relax and stare at the sky.
And watch the fuzzy black dragons as they fly by
I'm seeing weird imaginary creatures flying in the sky.
I think it's time to roll a bog ole fatty
I'm going to roll a large marijuana joint.
And try to find the phone to call Miss Paisley Patty
Then I'll look for the phone and try to call my friend Miss Paisley Patty.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BILLY BOB THORNTON, MARTY STUART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind