Born to a working-class family, Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before pursuing a career in music. In 1970 he began to assemble the rock band Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances in London, and took the role of lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieved immediate international success with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972, containing a rich multitude of sounds, which reflected Ferry's interest in exploring different genres of music. Their second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), further cultivated the band's unique sound and visual image that would establish Ferry as a leading cultural icon over the next decade.
Ferry began a parallel solo career in 1973 by releasing These Foolish Things, which popularized for the first time the concept of a contemporary musician releasing an album covering standard songs and was a drastic departure from his ongoing work with Roxy Music. His second album, Another Time, Another Place (1974), featured as its cover image Ferry posing by a pool in a white dinner jacket and represented one of his most impactful fashion statements. Over the next two years, Roxy Music released a trilogy of albums, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974) and Siren (1975), which broadened the band's appeal internationally and saw Ferry take greater interest in the role of a live performer, reinventing himself in stage costumes ranging from gaucho to military uniforms.
Ferry disbanded Roxy Music following the release of their best-selling album Avalon in 1982 to concentrate on his solo career, releasing further singles such as "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" and the UK no. 1 album Boys and Girls in 1985. Including his work with Roxy Music, Ferry has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
As well as being a prolific songwriter, Ferry has recorded many cover versions, including standards from the Great American Songbook, in albums such as These Foolish Things (1973), Another Time, Another Place (1974), Let's Stick Together (1976), Taxi (1993) and As Time Goes By (1999), as well as Dylanesque (2007), an album of Bob Dylan covers. In 2019, Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Ferry
Studio albums
These Foolish Things (1973)
Another Time, Another Place (1974)
Let's Stick Together (1976)
In Your Mind (1977)
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)
Boys and Girls (1985)
Bête Noire (1987)
Taxi (1993)
Mamouna (1994)
As Time Goes By (1999)
Frantic (2002)
Dylanesque (2007)
Olympia (2010)
The Jazz Age (2012)
Avonmore (2014)
Bitter-Sweet (2018)
Ja Nun Hons Pris
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Adroitement, se dolantement non
Mais par effort il faire chancon
Mout ai amis, mais povre sunt li don
Bryan Ferry's "Ja Nun Hons Pris" is a cover of a 12th century French song that was originally attributed to the poet Richard Löwenherz. The song is a tale about a noblewoman who is the subject of admiration for a group of knights. The title, "Ja Nun Hons Pris," roughly translates to "Yes, Now I Am Taken" and signifies the woman's acceptance of their admiration. However, rather than expressing her feelings outwardly, she remains stoic and unresponsive. The lyrics express the idea that a person's true feelings are not always explicitly stated, and that sometimes they are expressed through the things left unsaid.
The first two lines of the verse describe how the woman refuses to reveal her thoughts or intentions. The following line acknowledges that she is able to express herself through song, putting her feelings into music instead of words. The final line expresses that despite having many friends, she remains poor in terms of wealth. In this context, the notion of poverty is not tied to money, but to emotional expression or the lack thereof. The woman's emotional poverty contrasts with her rich inner life, as expressed through her song.
Line by Line Meaning
Ja nun hons pris ne dira sa raison
The one who is captured will not reveal their reasons for being captured
Adroitement, se dolantement non
Silently, without complaining
Mais par effort il faire chancon
But despite this, he manages to compose a song
Mout ai amis, mais povre sunt li don
I have many friends, but their gifts are meager
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRYAN FERRY, COLIN GOOD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind