Foley grew up in Texas. He performed in a gospel band called The Fuller Family with his mother and sisters. After leaving home, he performed in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and finally Austin, Texas, where even in this city of non-conformists his unusual character was noticed. He slept on friend's couches or under pool-tables in bars. He made the Austin Outhouse his home. He was close friends with another Texas legend Townes Van Zandt.
His song "If I Could Only Fly" became a hit in the interpretation of Merle Haggard. His song "Election Day" was covered by Lyle Lovett on his 2003 album "My Baby Don't Tolerate" and his song "Clay Pigeons" was covered by John Prine on his Grammy Award winning 2005 album "Fair and Square."
In 1989, Foley was shot to death while helping his friend Concho January defend himself from his violent son Carey January. Carey January was acquitted of murder in the first degree by reason of self-defense. Friends of Foley were outraged at the verdict.
Blaze Foley jokingly claimed to be the illegitimate son of Red Foley and Blaze Starr.
Blaze had a love affair with duct tape. Initially he placed duct tape on the tips of his cowboy boots to mock the "Urban Cowboy" crazed folks with their silver tipped cowboy boots. This love of duct tape grew until he'd made a suit out of duct tape that he used to walk around in. At his funeral, his casket was coated with duct tape by his friends. Townes Van Zandt was quoted as saying that "he'd have to dig Blaze up to get the pawn ticket for his guitar that was in his pocket".
The very emotional songs Foley wrote were marked by honesty. They were about all things in life, from love songs to sharp political commentary. Because of the latter one of his master tapes is rumored to have been confiscated by the FBI (or the DEA).
Foley worked with, amongst others, Townes Van Zandt and Calvin Russell.
The song "Drunken Angel" by Lucinda Williams, which appears on her 1998 album "Car Wheels on a Gravel Road", is a tribute to Foley.
Gurf Morlix released a song on his 2009 album, Last Exit to Happyland entitled "Music You Mighta Made" about his longtime friend, Foley. On February 1, 2011, Morlix released Blaze Foley's 113th Wet Dream, a 15-song collection of Foley's songs.
Three songs, posthumously co-written by Jon Hogan at the request of the Foley estate, were released in 2010 on the album "Every Now and Then: Songs of Townes Van Zandt & Blaze Foley." They include "Every Now and Then," "Safe in the Arms of Love," and "Can't Always Cry."
Foley's music featured prominently in a feature-length documentary film about him entitled "Blaze Foley: Duct Tape Messiah," released in 2011 by filmmaker Kevin Triplett
Moonlight
Blaze Foley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Moonlight shining down on me
Lights the way for lovers in the dark
Moonbeams dance on rain drenched trees
Sparkle for our eyes to see
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Moonlight beys the world around
Here among the trees and things we love
Shines on friends. All far away
Takes us to another day
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Layin with the one I love
Lookin at the moon above
Being where we really wanna be
The autumn winds for now are still
The moon turns on and always will
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
The opening lyrics of Blaze Foley's song "Moonlight" depict the natural beauty of the moonlit night - how the moonlight shining through the trees and dancing on the rain-drenched trees creates a mesmerizing sight, which lights the way for lovers in the dark. The moonlight is compared to a paradise that the singers have found, which takes them to another day, shining on friends far away. The song talks about being with the one you love, looking at the moon above, and being where you really want to be.
The song presents the idea of finding solace in nature and being grateful for the beauty it offers. The moon is portrayed as a symbol of hope and a calming force that shines on all, making the night peaceful and serene. Blaze Foley's tender and empathic voice adds a layer of vulnerability and emotional depth to this song about finding love and peace in the natural world.
Overall, "Moonlight" is a beautifully crafted song that captures the essence of natural beauty, love, and peace. It calls upon the listener to cherish the moments of togetherness and appreciate the beauty that surrounds them.
Line by Line Meaning
Moonlight shining through the trees
The moonlight beams are filtering through the trees
Moonlight shining down on me
The moonlight is shining directly on the singer
Lights the way for lovers in the dark
Moonlight acts as a guide for couples in the dark
Moonbeams dance on rain drenched trees
The moonbeams are creating a dancing effect on trees that are wet from the rain
Sparkle for our eyes to see
The glitter of the moonbeams is a beautiful sight for the eyes
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
The singer is asking the moonlight to continue shining on them
Moonlight beys the world around
The moonlight is creating a world of its own
Paradise that we have found
The singer and their lover have found their own paradise
Here among the trees and things we love
They are spending time in a place surrounded by trees and things they love
Shines on friends. All far away
The same moonlight is shining on friends who are far away
Takes us to another day
The moonlight takes them to another day
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
The singer is again asking the moonlight to shine on them
Layin with the one I love
The singer is lying down with their lover
Lookin at the moon above
They are looking up at the moon
Being where we really wanna be
They are exactly where they want to be
The autumn winds for now are still
The autumn winds have calmed down for now
The moon turns on and always will
The moon will always be shining
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
The singer is asking the moonlight one last time to continue shining on them
Contributed by Gavin R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Adam Wilson
Moonlight shining through the trees
Moonlight shining down on me
Lights the way for lovers in the dark
Moonbeams dance on rain drenched trees
Sparkle for our eyes to see
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Moonlight beys the world around
Paradise that we have found
Here among the trees and things we love
Shines on friends. All far away
Takes us to another day
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Layin with the one I love
Lookin at the moon above
Being where we really wanna be
The autumn winds for now are still
The moon turns on and always will
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Moonlight shine on down and shine on me
Viewer4474
One day, I will meet a man who will want to waltz with me to this song.
Paul Birrell
I really hope you do, you have great taste in music, he's out there somewhere, and he'll be a lucky guy,
Viewer4474
Thank you! You have a lovely name, so that sounds great.
Jack Chiefton
me too
Ringolevio
😜
perry scott
Nice to meet you...may I have this dance?
The Outlaw
You look at this man, who looks like he could just tear ya apart, part biker/part bear, and then the songs he writes are the most gentle and heartfelt tunes you ever hear.
Kevin L
So tragically sad how he died!
He had a special gift!!
Barnflat Wyngarde
Once you hear Blaze, the world seems somehow different.
Somehow simpler, somehow better.
Robert Miller
True...
And finite...