Raised in Syracuse, New York, she found success in the 70s as a model, working in New York and Paris (where she shared an apartment with Jerry Hall and Jessica Lange), before rising to public prominence as a singer and personality.
Jones secured a record deal with Island Records, which resulted in a string of club hits. The three disco albums she recorded - Portfolio (1977), Fame (1978), and Muse (1979) - generated dance singles such as Sorry That's The Trouble, I Need A Man, and a classic cover of La Vie En Rose. During this period, she also became a muse to Andy Warhol, appearing in his portraits and accompanying him to Studio 54 on many occasions.
As the 70s drew to a close, Jones adapted the emerging New Wave music to suit a different style, a significant departure from her previous output that resulted in some of her strongest work. Still with Island, and now working with producers Alex Sadkin and Chris Blackwell at Compass Point Studios, and with the considerable talents of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (Sly & Robbie) behind her, she released the acclaimed Warm Leatherette (1980) and Nightclubbing (1981). These included re-imaginings of songs by Sting, Iggy Pop, The Pretenders, Roxy Music, Flash And The Pan, The Normal, and Tom Petty, as well as originals like the innuendo-filled Pull Up To The Bumper and the haunting I've Seen That Face Before (Libertango). Parallel to her musical shift was an equally dramatic visual departure; Jones - working heavily with style artist Jean-Paul Goude - adopted a severe, androgynous look that enhanced her already striking presence, the iconic cover of Nightclubbing exemplifying this new identity. Her collaboration with Sadkin and Blackwell continued with the dub reggae-influenced album Living My Life, which featured Nipple To The Bottle, The Apple Stretching, and the Jones-penned and much-sampled My Jamaican Guy.
Later in the 80s, she worked with Trevor Horn for the conceptual musical collage Slave to the Rhythm (1985), and with Nile Rodgers for Inside Story (1986) - her first album away from the Island label. Inside Story produced her last US Hot 100 hit to date, I'm Not Perfect (But I'm Perfect For You), while Bulletproof Heart in 1989 produced the #1 US club hit Love on Top of Love - Killer Kiss, produced by C+C Music Factory's David Cole and Robert Clivilles. Though a chart regular in the UK Grace Jones never achieved mainstream musical success in the US, but most of her singles became huge hits in the dance underground.
Jones' strong visual presence was extended to her stage work. Her performances were unique spectacles as she adopted various personas and wore outlandish costumes throughout, particularly during her years with Goude. Her most memorable performances include the Paradise Garage in 1985, wherein she collaborated with legendary visual artist Keith Haring for her costume and the extraordinary One Man Show filmed in Drury Lane Theatre London and in New York and released on video in 1982 (it is yet to be re-released).
In 2008 she returned with the album "Hurricane".
Bullshit
Grace Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's alright baby, just let me go,
If I get tired of all those assholes,
It's alright cause' I want them to know.
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
Same shit, (? )
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
(? )
And feeling sorry, makes me fell mad,
Someday, baby I couldn't (? ).
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
Same shit, (? )
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
Same shit, (? )
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
And if I wonder down the wrong road,
It's alright baby, just let me go,
If I get tired of all those assholes,
It's alright cause' I want them to know.
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
Same shit, (? )
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
The lyrics of Grace Jones's song Bullshit are a defiant and empowering anthem to break free from societal norms, the judgment of others and to live life without apologies. The first verse speaks about wandering down the wrong path and encountering ignorance, but the message is to let oneself be free from those who try to impose their beliefs and thoughts on you. Jones conveys a strong message that if she gets tired of being surrounded by fake and insensitive people, then she has the right to walk out without any guilt. The chorus reveals that Jones is tired of being fed up with the same situations and seeks divine intervention to save us all.
The second verse highlights the strength one gains by letting go and not feeling sorry for making tough decisions, despite the judgment and criticism. The repeated line of "I'm sick and tired of all this bullshit, same shit," shows the level of frustration Jones feels and how much more she wants life to be meaningful. The final chorus is a repetition of the first and second. The song acts as a call to action that those who are aware of the meaningless situations they are in can rise above them, and seek something more profound.
Line by Line Meaning
And if I wonder down the wrong road,
If I make a mistake, don't worry about it.
It's alright baby, just let me go,
It's no big deal, just let me learn from my mistakes.
If I get tired of all those assholes,
If I'm exhausted by all those terrible people,
It's alright cause' I want them to know.
It's okay because I want to stand up for myself.
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
I'm exhausted by all these lies and nonsense.
Same shit, (? )
It's the same garbage over and over again.
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
We need divine intervention to make things better.
(? )
I can't keep pretending that everything is okay.
And feeling sorry, makes me fell mad,
Apologizing for who I am makes me feel angry.
Someday, baby I couldn't (? ).
Someday, I'll be strong enough to not let the haters get me down.
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
I'm exhausted by all these lies and nonsense.
Same shit, (? )
It's the same garbage over and over again.
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
We need divine intervention to make things better.
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
I'm exhausted by all these lies and nonsense.
Same shit, (? )
It's the same garbage over and over again.
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
We need divine intervention to make things better.
And if I wonder down the wrong road,
If I make a mistake, don't worry about it.
It's alright baby, just let me go,
It's no big deal, just let me learn from my mistakes.
If I get tired of all those assholes,
If I'm exhausted by all those terrible people,
It's alright cause' I want them to know.
It's okay because I want to stand up for myself.
I'm sick tired of all this bullshit,
I'm exhausted by all these lies and nonsense.
Same shit, (? )
It's the same garbage over and over again.
And jesus come on down and save us, save us, (? ).
We need divine intervention to make things better.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BARRY REYNOLDS (GB)
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind