Jinks is a native of Haltom City in Fort Worth, Texas, and attended Haltom High School. He started learning to play a few country music riffs on the guitar from his father when he was 16, but soon formed a heavy metal band.
Jinks started out as the lead singer of a thrash metal band from Fort Worth named Unchecked Aggression, initially named Silas, that was active from 1998 to 2003. He also played the lead guitar; the other band members were Gary Burkham on bass who left in 2000 and was replaced by Chris Lewis, Anthony Walker on drums, and Ben Heffley on guitar. They were influenced by Metallica and Pantera. An album, The Massacre Begins was released in 2002. Songs they recorded included "Hell Razor" and "Kill Me Again". The band however broke up after a trip to Los Angeles, and Jinks took a year off from music. In around 2005, he started playing country music, the music he grew up with.
Jinks is backed by The Tone Deaf Hippies. He began to release albums in the country genre in 2008. An album titled 30 was released in 2012. He began to develop his own sound in an EP, Blacksheep, which was released in 2013.
2015: Adobe Sessions
The album was recorded at the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas, and the album title was named after a small adobe room they recorded the album in. It was released in January 2015 and charted in Billboard's regional Heatseekers charts – #2 on Heatseekers South Central and #8 on Heatseekers Mountain. Jinks toured in support of Adobe Sessions as an opener for Sturgill Simpson in 2015.
2016: I'm Not the Devil
I'm Not the Devil was released on August 12, 2016. The album was recorded at the Sonic Ranch in Tornillo, Texas. It includes a cover of Merle Haggard's "The Way I Am". The title track was written with Ward Davis; the album was almost finished and the album title had already been decided, but it was retitled with the name of the song they wrote. The album debuted at #4 on the Top Country Albums chart, selling 11,300 copies in the first week. Jinks supported I'm Not the Devil with a co-headlining tour with Whitey Morgan and the 78's in August, September, and October. The album was rated one of the best country albums of 2016 by Rolling Stone.
2017
Jinks released a cover of Pink Floyd's hit song "Wish You Were Here" in January 2017. He also re-released a remixed and remastered version of his 2010 album Less Wise, as Less Wise Modified 2017, with three bonus tracks included.
2018: Lifers
Jinks released the album Lifers on July 27, 2018, via Rounder Records. It was preceded by the lead single "Must Be the Whiskey", which was released on June 15, 2018.
2019: After the Fire and The Wanting
On October 11, 2019, Jinks released the album After the Fire. The album was independently produced and released by his own label, Late August Records, marking a departure from Rounder Records, with whom he produced 2018's Lifers. The album was preceded by two singles, "Ain't a Train" and "Think Like You Think". Jinks also promoted the song "William and Wanda", which was written about his late grandparents. For the week of October 26, 2019, the album was #2 on the Billboard Top Country Albums chart.
One week later, October 18, 2019, Jinks released a second album, The Wanting. Similar to After the Fire, the album was independently produced. It was preceded by two singles, "Same Kind of Crazy as Me" and "Which One I Feed".
On October 24, 2019, both albums held the # 1 and 2 spots for Top Albums on iTunes and Apple Music.
Me Or You
Cody Jinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go on and go
If you're sure it's the right thing to do
You know I was never the kind for dragging things out and I thought neither were you
It hurts me to see you unhappy. And it hurts me to know
it's me that's made you that way
so maybe it's me that should go
so you don't go on hating
I don't like walking the tightrope
It ain't always easy but I've always been true
And You don't have to tell me if you've done any different
God only knows its how this one goes
Is it me or you
If I may just leave you one question
What took so long
What's kept you around all this time?
If I'd known somethin was wrong I could've changed things but it's too late and it seems that I'm blind I've been so wrong for so long with no way of knowing what for
At least if have tried if I'd known
It don't matter
Anymore
I don't like walking the tightrope
It ain't always easy but I've always been true
And You don't have to tell me if you've done any different
God only knows its how this one goes
Is it me or you
God only knows its how this one goes
Is it me or you
The lyrics of Me or You by Cody Jinks express a person's realization that their relationship is not working out and that it may be time to end it. The song begins with the person telling their partner that if they are thinking of leaving, they should do so. They acknowledge that they were never the type to drag things out and thought that their partner was the same way. They continue to say that it hurts them to see their partner unhappy and that it is because of them. The person then suggests that maybe they should be the one to leave so that their partner does not continue to hate them.
In the second half of the song, the person asks their partner a question, "What took so long? What's kept you around all this time?" They express regret that if they had known something was wrong, they could have changed things. However, they acknowledge that it is too late now and that they have been "so wrong for so long." They conclude the song by asking, "Is it me or you?" implying that both parties may be at fault for the relationship's failure.
The lyrics of Me or You are a poignant and honest reflection of a relationship that is no longer working out. The song does an excellent job of capturing the emotions and complexities of a failing relationship, with both parties attempting to understand why their relationship has not worked out. It is a sad but realistic portrayal of relationships and how they can sometimes come to an end.
Line by Line Meaning
If You're thinking of leaving tonight.
If you have decided to leave me tonight.
Go on and go
Just leave without hesitation.
If you're sure it's the right thing to do
If you are certain that leaving is what you need to do.
You know I was never the kind for dragging things out and I thought neither were you
We both know that we're not the type of people who would prolong a situation unnecessarily.
It hurts me to see you unhappy. And it hurts me to know it's me that's made you that way
I am pained to see you sad and even more so to know that it is because of my actions.
so maybe it's me that should go so you don't go on hating us both for just one more day
Perhaps it is better for me to leave, so that you do not continue to hate us both for another day.
I don't like walking the tightrope
I do not enjoy being in a delicate situation.
It ain't always easy but I've always been true
It has not been easy, but I have always been honest.
And You don't have to tell me if you've done any different God only knows its how this one goes
You do not have to confess if you have not been honest, but we both know how this situation will play out in the end.
Is it me or you
Which one of us is the problem here?
If I may just leave you one question
May I ask you one question?
What took so long
Why did it take you so long to decide to leave?
What's kept you around all this time?
What has made you stay all this while?
If I'd known somethin was wrong I could've changed things but it's too late and it seems that I'm blind
If I had known that something was going wrong, I would have tried to fix things, but now it is too late, and I was unaware of the problem.
I've been so wrong for so long with no way of knowing what for
I have made mistakes for a long time without knowing the consequences.
At least if have tried if I'd known
I would have at least tried to do better if I had known what was happening.
It don't matter Anymore
It does not matter anymore.
God only knows its how this one goes
Only God knows how this situation will end.
Is it me or you
Which one of us is to blame?
Writer(s): Cody Jinks
Contributed by Leah J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Muha Agrawli
If You're thinking of leavin' tonight
Go on and go
If you're sure it's the right thing to do
You know I was never the kind for draggin' things out
And I thought neither were you
It hurts me to see you unhappy, and it hurts me to know
It's me that's made you that way
So maybe it's me that should go
So you don't go on hatin' us both for just one more day
I don't like walkin' the tightrope
It ain't always easy, but I've always been true
And You don't have to tell me if you'd done any different
God only knows it's how this one goes
Is it me or you?
If I may just leave you one question
What took so long?
What's kept you around all this time?
If I'd known somethin' was wrong
If I could'a changed things
But it's too late and it seems that I'm blind
I've been so wrong for so long
With no way of knowing what for
At least I'd have tried if I'd known
But it don't matter anymore
Kody McCauley
Ever reached a point in your life that songs took on a whole new meaning? This last year has been crazy. Thank you for helping me get through it all.
April Daze
My Favorite Voice of all time!!!
John Culler
I'm having problems in my life with relationships it just hits home awesome song
josh77711
John Culler same here Brother. I swear his songs talk to you. I’m a music buff, but I swear I’ve never in my 43 years heard a voice and compilation of chords that touches me the way he does.
Patricia Arnold
Cody thank you for sharing YOUR TALENT.... You put the words together of my scrambled mind. 🙏💛
G Watts
CODY F-IN JINKS.
Incredible song.
Every time this song plays, a pop country record should spontaneously combust until they’re all gone.
Carl Ramsey
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣BRAVO!!!! THATS AN ABSOLUTE GREAT IDEA!!!👍
Brian Leslie
sheesh.....every song this guy writes is a hit and his band smokes
Emily
Such a beautiful and sad song. Every time I hear it, I think "why don't more people know this exists?"
Carl Ramsey
Pssssst, (how bout we just keep it to ourselves)