The band also included bassist Danna Pentes, guitarists Aaron Pitkin, Gary White, and later, Errol Stewart, as well as drummers Marc Mueller, later replaced by Clay Richardson.
Albums included 1985's Cabin Flounder, 1986's Bad Pumpkin, 1987's Galaxy 500 and 1989's Monster.
Jesse James
Fetchin Bones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A very meticulous man
Deep concern with detail
A sense of some big plan
His mind turns like a wheel
Wagon wheel through dust
He can count the spokes
Turning down, coming 'round
He counted stars
He committed crimes
He was a robber
He stole men's time
A man like Jesse James
A very serious man
His wife, his children
Their love dwelled in a tame land
As he rode backwards from them
The journey of a lifetime
A twister across the plains
The black vortex his brain
The world weighs heavy on a man
It kicks him in his pains
He comes home to a place he doesn't know again
He counted the stars
He wept inside
He was a robber
He stole men's time
He loved his children
He kissed them goodbye
He lost the sky
He rode out of time
Now he knows he can't go back
He blazed his trail so well
A parade of dust
He leads a bold red swatch through time
A man like Jesse James
The "Jesse James" in Fetchin Bones's song could refer to the infamous outlaw of the Wild West, whose story has been widely romanticized throughout history. The lyrics paint a picture of a man who is highly meticulous, detail-oriented, and constantly planning for something big. He is constantly turning his thoughts like a wagon wheel through the dust, counting every spoke as he goes. We see enough concern for his people as he rides backward from them on his journey, feeling the weight of the world on his shoulders. A man like Jesse James is serious, yet passionate, and his love dwells in a tame land.
The chorus of the song portrays him as a man who counted stars, committed crimes, robbed men's time, wept inside, and loved his children. It is a portrait of a man who has been torn between his responsibilities and his ambitions, and who has struggled to maintain a balance between the two. He has ridden out of time, leaving behind his loved ones and everything that was familiar to him. He blazed his trail so well that he knows he can't go back.
Line by Line Meaning
A man like Jesse James
Describing Jesse James as a person
A very meticulous man
He was a very careful and precise individual
Deep concern with detail
He had a keen interest in the minute specifics of things
A sense of some big plan
He possessed a sense of grand design and purpose
His mind turns like a wheel
He had a restless and active intellect
Wagon wheel through dust
The image of a wagon wheel moving through dust is used to depict his thought processes
He can count the spokes
He can mentally calculate the number of spokes on a wagon wheel
Turning down, coming 'round
A continuation of the wagon wheel metaphor depicting the flow of his thoughts
Walking up, a tap on his back
Someone approaching him from behind and tapping him on his back
He counted stars
He kept track of the number of stars in the sky
He committed crimes
He engaged in various criminal activities
He was a robber
He mainly stole things from people
He stole men's time
He was responsible for wasting people's time or causing them inconvenience
A very serious man
He had a serious and somber demeanor
His wife, his children
The people closest to him were his wife and children
Their love dwelled in a tame land
Their love was simple and uncomplicated
As he rode backwards from them
He left them behind when he went on a journey
The journey of a lifetime
The trip he embarked on was a significant one
A twister across the plains
He rode through a tornado on the plains
The black vortex his brain
The storm had an effect on his mental state
The world weighs heavy on a man
The burdens of the world are a lot to bear
It kicks him in his pains
The struggles of the world cause him physical pain
He comes home to a place he doesn't know again
Returning home after facing adversity, he realizes that things have changed
He wept inside
He experienced emotional pain internally
He loved his children
He felt strong affection for his kids
He kissed them goodbye
He gave his children a farewell kiss
He lost the sky
He feels as if he has lost something immense and intangible
He rode out of time
He moved on from his old ways
Now he knows he can't go back
He understands that he cannot undo his past actions
He blazed his trail so well
He was successful in his endeavors and left a significant legacy
A parade of dust
His progress is marked by a constant stream of kicked up dirt
He leads a bold red swatch through time
He creates a significant impact with his actions and time
A man like Jesse James
The song ends with a repeat of the opening line
Contributed by Matthew A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.