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.
Vampires
Cody Jinks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Time was on my side yesterday
So much can change between then and now
Where does time go?
Where do dreams die along the way?
Dreams are all we had yesterday
Who told all the vampires of the world
Where do dreams die?
Who gave who the message?
Who gave who the hands of time?
Who gave who the job to take reason and the rhyme?
Like another Holden Caulfield
I'm a Catcher in the Rye
Who told who to take the dreams out back to die?
Who told who to take the dreams out back to die?
Who gave who the message?
Who gave who the hands of time?
Who gave who the job to take reason and the rhyme?
Like another Holden Caulfield
I'm a Catcher in the Rye
Who told who to take the dreams out back to die?
Who told who to take the dreams out back to die?
Who gave who the message?
Who gave who the hands of time?
Who gave who the message?
Who gave who the hands of time?
Who told all the vampires of the world
They were welcome anyway?
"Cody Jinks's song Vampires" is a deep, melancholic song that contemplates the notion of time and how quickly it can pass us by. The first verse questions where time goes and how it seems to disappear too quickly. The second verse examines the idea of dreams dying along the way, and how they offer hope and comfort until they vanish. The chorus, which also serves as the song's title, references vampires and questions who invited them into our lives in the first place.
The lyrics are open to interpretation, but it seems that Jinks is lamenting the reality that time and dreams are fleeting. The song's mournful tone makes it seem like we're all powerless to stop either of these things from slipping away. Jinks's use of the metaphor of vampires gives an eerie sensation and may indicate that something has been stealing the life out of life's precious moments.
In general, the song is woven with questions, as is evident in the refrain where Jinks asks, "Who gave who the message?" "Who gave who the hands of time?" and "Who gave who the job to take reason and the rhyme?" These lines could be interpreted to be a challenge to the the one running things or the status quo, questioning why things that feel so vital to us get taken away from us too soon.
Line by Line Meaning
Where does time go? It's gone away
The fleeting nature of time and the unfortunate reality that we cannot get it back.
Time was on my side yesterday
A reflection on how time was once plentiful and seemed unending.
So much can change between then and now
Acknowledging the inevitability of change over time.
Where do dreams die along the way?
Questioning the point in time when we lose sight of our aspirations and goals.
Dreams are all we had yesterday
Highlighting the importance of dreams as a source of motivation and hope.
Who told all the vampires of the world They were welcome anyway?
Metaphorically referring to negative influences and obstacles that we allow into our lives without realizing the harm they can cause.
Who gave who the message?
Asking about the origin and spread of harmful beliefs and attitudes.
Who gave who the hands of time?
Questioning who is in control of time and our own lives.
Who gave who the job to take reason and the rhyme?
Reflecting on the loss of logic and order in life.
Like another Holden Caulfield I'm a Catcher in the Rye
Comparing oneself to a literary figure known for his search for authenticity and meaning in life.
Who told who to take the dreams out back to die?
Continuing the metaphor of dreams being killed off, and questioning who is responsible for this destruction.
Who gave who the message?
Repeating the question about the source of negative influences and harmful attitudes.
Who gave who the hands of time?
Repeating the question about who is in control of time and our own lives.
Who gave who the message?
Repeating the question about the origin and spread of harmful beliefs and attitudes.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Cody Jinks
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dakota
on Loud and Heavy
I love the meaning behind songs and not just the music and Cody jinks songs are all of the above!
Ernie
on Loud and Heavy
Duh