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.
The Way I Am
Cody Jinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A bamboo cane stuck in the sand
But the road I'm on, don't seem to go there
So I just dream, keep on being the way I am
Wish I enjoyed, what makes my living
Did what I do, with a willing hand
Some would run, naw but that ain't like me
The way I am, don't fit my shackles
The way I am, reality
I can almost see, that bobber dancin'
So, I just dream, keep on being the way I am
The way I am, don't fit my shackles
The way I am, reality
I can almost see, that bobber dancin'
So, I just dream, keep on being the way I am
So, I just dream, and keep on being the way I am
The lyrics to Cody Jinks’s “The Way I Am” reflect the artist’s desire to live a different life, one that is simpler, closer to nature, and freer from the constraints of modern society. This is illustrated in the opening lines where Jinks wishes he could be on a blue bayou, a place that represents serenity and escape from the world. However, the road he is on doesn’t seem to lead there, so he resigns himself to dreaming about it and keeping on being the way he is. In the second verse, Jinks laments that he doesn’t enjoy what he does for a living but because he is true to himself, he keeps at it. He acknowledges the fact that some people would rather run from their problems, but he’s not like that. Instead, he just keeps dreaming about the life he wishes he had.
The chorus of the song asserts that the way Jinks is, doesn’t fit the shackles of society. He acknowledges that he’s an outsider in some ways and deals with the reality of this by continuing to dream. The final line, “So, I just dream, and keep on being the way I am”, reinforces the theme that even though the life he leads may not be one he imagined, he won't change for anybody.
Line by Line Meaning
Wish I were down, on some blue bayou
I wish I could escape from my current situation to a peaceful and scenic place.
A bamboo cane stuck in the sand
Visual imagery of a relaxing atmosphere on a beach.
But the road I'm on, don't seem to go there
The path I have taken in life won't lead me to my desired destination.
So I just dream, keep on being the way I am
Instead of changing my course, I will continue to dream and remain true to myself.
Wish I enjoyed, what makes my living
I wish I found pleasure in the work I do to earn a living.
Did what I do, with a willing hand
I wish I could approach my work with enthusiasm and cheerfulness.
Some would run, naw but that ain't like me
Others might have given up or run away, but that's not my style.
The way I am, don't fit my shackles
I am not content with the restrictions that society places on me.
The way I am, reality
My current state of being is the truth of who I am.
I can almost see, that bobber dancin'
I can visualize a peaceful and enjoyable moment of fishing.
So, I just dream, keep on being the way I am
I will continue to dream and remain true to myself regardless of external factors.
The way I am, don't fit my shackles
I am not content with the restrictions that society places on me.
The way I am, reality
My current state of being is the truth of who I am.
I can almost see, that bobber dancin'
I can visualize a peaceful and enjoyable moment of fishing.
So, I just dream, and keep on being the way I am
I will continue to dream and remain true to myself despite the challenges and constraints of life.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Sonny Throckmorton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CaptainJack-qu6bw
Cody, the measure of a musician isn't in the amount of records he sells; it's in the way he touched the listener and the impact he has on their emotions. I'm bordering on being an old bastard and I've seen a lot of musicians perform in the last 50 years. I truly believe that you have touched more of your fans and listeners than 99% of the musicians that came out of Nashville in the last 2 decades. Take pride because you are one of the last few of a dying breed.
@Mark8395217
Captain Jack you are tellin the stone cold truth
@kimgatlin1715
Hey
@robertjensen1094
As a old bastard myself I can assure you that the previous old bastard is telling the truth.
@davebaker6506
I'm a young old bastard and I agree
@spacewrangler68
Damn right.
@DELTA19ACTUAL
I hung up the phone all those years ago, and knew the clock was ticking, so I ask my girl friend to marry me, we were married that afternoon, the next morning I went to Vietnam, tomorrow thanks to my daughter, my wife of 48 years and I will see Cody Jinks in concert, I heard this song a few years ago, and my wife and I sorta adopted him as our favorite, it has been many years since attending a concert, so I am like a kid going to a candy store, and this song touches you where only love resides !
@davebaker6506
Thank you for your service Semper Fi
@renots365
I'm not crying because Im 24 and miss merle Haggard. I'm crying because I'm 24 and in 2019 there still hope for country music after all.
@BlacktopAngel66
Finally! An artist that knows country music!! I stopped listening to country along time ago, as it took a turn I didn't care for. But you Cody Jinks.. You got me listening to yours! I am old school country. Waylon, Johnny, George and the list goes on and on.. And my friend you are bringing the legends back, through your music!! heart Wish my Dad was here to hear your music.. :) But I am sure he hears you on the other side.. :) Peace out brother..