1) Christopher Paul Jones, credited on albums as Chris Jones, (November 11, 1958 - September 13, 2005) was an American musician (guitars, vocals) and composer. He was born in Reno, Nevada, but lived in Germany ever since he had joined the U.S. Army for three years.
At the age of five, Jones began playing the guitar. A few years later, he decided to become a professional musician and when he was 11 years old, he got admitted to a program at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore, Maryland. There he discovered the idol of his younger years, Johann Sebastian Bach, to whom he dedicated his Sonata in D. For this sonata, Jones was awarded the conservatory's Young Composer of the Year award.
Shortly thereafter, he discovered the blues and started listening to Robert Johnson, James Taylor and Little Feat.
In 1976, Jones joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Adenine's, Germany. During this time, the foundation for his musical career in Europe was laid. Over the following decades, he played guitar on albums of artists like Sara K., Allan Taylor and Reinhard Mey. He also toured and recorded solo and with the Blues harp musician Steve Baker.
In August 2005, Jones was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma in an advanced stage. He died on September 13, 2005, in Northeim, Germany.
Like many American musicians, he did not have any health insurance and was not able to pay the hospital fees, but friends and other musicians helped him out either personally or by staging charity concerts.
In 2000, Chris began to return to the states on a regular basis to visit various ailing family members, starting with his brother, Jan, who died shortly after. When Chris was on the east coast he would stay with friend Darin D'Onofrio and along with many shows at Darin's club, Otter Point Station, he would also play house concerts. With Allen Taylor, Chris played The Kennedy Center in Washington DC, amazing many of DC's elite with his ability to use a guitar to produce pure emotion. "If this is the end of the line, you ain't gonna hear me cryin', cause it's been a damn good run!" Christopher Paul Jones 2005
2) Singer, producer, writer and former fashion model, Chris Jones, has recently finished as an advisor and background singer for his sister, Grace Jones' new album "Hurricane".
His debut album "Strong" is about the daily experiences of life & love, and the things we have to deal with from day to day. "Strong" is a combination of R&B, Electro, Dance and Pop Music. This album has been recorded in the UK, NY and Belgrade Serbia.
Chris Jones has produced three artists of genres: Rock & Roll, Reggae and Pop. These artists will be released under his label, Diamond Records, in the near future. He is currently working on a new album which has a variety of music for everyone.
3) New Zealand artist Chris Jones' piano-led rock has been entertaining New Zealanders for more than two decades.
Roadhouses & Automobiles
Chris Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Vers 1:
It's a long row of zeros,
shining in that dashboard light,
another millions miles in some rental cars,
another highway in the night.
another day, another week, another month,
away from my family,
but I'll be lying if I told you,
there's somewhere I rather be.
Living in roadhouses and automobiles,
There's a poor boy hunting june bugs,
And I know just how he feels.
Living out of suitcases,
Living out of fantasy,
There won't be nothing left, when this road gets done,
with me.
Vers 2:
Now it's a long road that brings me here,
a lot of pain and folks (left) behind,
and if the music hadn't pulled me through,
I'd have probably lost my mind.
I bet (hope) my woman she understands it,
our little daughter understands it too,
they both love me for who I am,
and separable from what I do.
I'm a stranger to my children,
I'm a stranger to myself, sometimes,
but that don't mean it's just another sad song,
to read between the lines.
Between the lines it's just...
Vers 1 (repeated) (some words added):
a long road of zeros,
shining in that dashboard lights,
another millions miles in some rental cars,
another highway in the darker night.
another day, another week, another month,
away from my family,
but I'll be lying if I told you,
there's somewhere I rather be.
The song "Roadhouses & Automobiles" by Chris Jones talks about the life of a musician who spends most of his time on the road traveling in rental cars, living out of suitcases, and away from his family. The first verse highlights the monotony of the life of a musician, as symbolized by the long row of zeros in the dashboard light. Despite being away from his family for long periods, there's nowhere else he'd rather be. The lyrics suggest that the musician has resigned himself to a life on the road, living in roadhouses and automobiles, just like the poor boy hunting june bugs. He understands that there won't be anything left of him once this road gets done with him.
In the second verse, the musician reflects on the sacrifices he has had to make to pursue his passion for music. He has left behind loved ones and suffered pain, but music has always pulled him through. While his wife and daughter understand the nature of his job, being away from his children has made him a stranger to them and even to himself at times. However, he declares that this isn't just another sad song with its nuances between the lines. Instead, he invites listeners to read between the lines and seek out the underlying message.
Line by Line Meaning
It's a long row of zeros,
Driving on endless highways, watching the mileage rack up on the dashboard.
shining in that dashboard light,
Watching the odometer light up and glow in the car's dash.
another millions miles in some rental cars,
Traveling long distances in rental cars, putting more and more miles on them.
another highway in the night.
Driving on another dark, lonely highway at night.
another day, another week, another month,
Spending endless amounts of time away from home and loved ones, with no end in sight.
away from my family,
Being constantly separated from family due to the demands of life on the road.
but I'll be lying if I told you,
Admitting that the life of a traveling musician is hard, but also acknowledging the attraction it holds.
there's somewhere I rather be.
Despite the hardships, feeling a pull to continue traveling and performing.
Living in roadhouses and automobiles,
Describing the experience of living and performing in a constant state of motion, never settling in one place for long.
There's a poor boy hunting june bugs,
Reflecting on the difficult journey that led to the current lifestyle, identifying with others who struggle to make ends meet.
And I know just how he feels.
Empathizing with the trials of the poor boy, having experienced similar struggles.
Living out of suitcases,
Moving from place to place, never staying in one location for long, with all belongings in a suitcase.
Living out of fantasy,
Creating a world of dreams and imagination as a way to cope with the harsh realities of the present.
There won't be nothing left, when this road gets done, with me.
Acknowledging the toll the road takes on a person, knowing that one day it will all be in the past.
Now it's a long road that brings me here,
Reflecting on the journey that led to the current moment, acknowledging its length and difficulty.
a lot of pain and folks (left) behind,
Leaving behind loved ones and experiencing emotional pain as a result.
and if the music hadn't pulled me through,
Suggesting that music was the catalyst that helped overcome hardships and kept going despite difficulties.
I'd have probably lost my mind.
Acknowledging that without music, mental stability may not have been possible.
I bet (hope) my woman she understands it,
Acknowledging that family may not fully understand the life of a traveling musician, but hoping for their support and understanding.
our little daughter understands it too,
Believing that even though their daughter is young, she may be able to sense the reasons behind the travels.
they both love me for who I am,
Feeling loved and accepted by family, despite the challenges and separations that come with the lifestyle.
and separable from what I do.
Being loved for who they are outside of their music persona.
I'm a stranger to my children,
Feeling distant from children due to constant separation from them.
I'm a stranger to myself, sometimes,
Losing a sense of self-identity due to the constant state of motion and separation from loved ones.
but that don't mean it's just another sad song,
Acknowledging the challenges, but framing them as something more than just a typical sad song.
to read between the lines.
Suggesting that there are deeper meanings and emotions that lie beneath the surface of the lyrics.
Vers 1 (repeated) (some words added):
Returning to the opening verse, adding emphasis and detail to the previously established struggles of a life on the road.
another millions miles in some rental cars,
Continuing to accrue more mileage in rental cars, further emphasizing the constant state of motion and traveling.
another highway in the darker night.
Traveling on another dark, lonely highway at night, highlighting the loneliness and isolation of a traveling musician.
Contributed by Daniel F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Paolo Bellutta
It's a long row of zeros
Shining in that dashboard light
Another millions miles in some rental car
Another highway in the night
Another day, another week, another month
Away from my family
But I'll be lying if I told you
There's somewhere I rather be
Living in roadhouses and automobiles
There's a poor boy hunting june bugs
And I know just how he feels
Living out of suitcases
Living out of fantasy
There won't be nothing left, when this road gets done
With me
Now it's a long road that brings me here
A lot of pain and folks left behind
And if the music hadn't pulled me through
I'd have probably lost my mind
I bet hope my woman she understands it
Our little daughter understands it too
They both love me for who I am
And separable from what I do
I'm a stranger to my children
I'm a stranger to myself, sometimes
But that don't mean it's just another sad song
If you read between the lines
Between the lines it's just...
A long road of zeros
Shining in that dashboard light
Another millions miles in some rental car
Another highway in the dark of night
Another day, another week, another month
Away from my family
But I'll be lying if I told you
There's somewhere I rather be
Patrycja Jeżyna
...just discovered him. I am in love with his voice, music and especially lyrics.. so so sad that now he plays his beautiful songs in heaven.. thank you for posting this, I'll buy his albums for sure. Rest in peace, Chris. Hope to see you some day..
Dan Curtis
He was an incredible talent as is another who is similar and still with us his name is Michael Jerome Browne
VioletGiraffe
It is indeed a superb quality recording (and really great vocals by Chris Jones, as well as guitar picking skills).
ComandanteJ
This is high end recording at it's peak. Every Stockfisch recording is. And of course, a fucking great musician that everybody should know and listen too. RIP.
Nic B
Holy shit the vocal recording quality on this song is incredible, I've rarely heard anything like it.
Shubham Rastogi
Hats off for such a great artist!
bencoaudio
great song , great album , amazing artist ! buy this album , its a very good recording , play it on a high end stereo system .... its an eargasm !
Fred Andrade
Já não se fazem músicas assim...
Greetings, from Brazil...
Yohan Séguin
When I entered the world of audio, I was naive and unorganized with my own thoughts. I eventually kept growing my musical spirit through different genres... but something came across my path. I discovered him with Long after you're gone. And when I first listened to this song here, It blew my mind. I cannot believe that such a talented man died to cancer while he could've had a career and spread his wisdom and magic. Rest in peace Chris, we miss you.
micheloderso
Mr.Jones R.I.P.. You are honored by your music.
I am very impressed about this song meets the daily impress of all "normal" people live through.....
The sound is incredible! Thank you, team of "stockfisch", thank you for your extraordinary work on this masterpieces of what can be......