Phillips spent his formative years in Stockton, CA, where he founded a band called Bloody Holly, but prior to his 20th birthday Phillips headed to Los Angeles to study film, and he quickly found himself beneath the spell cast by local bands as the Rain Parade and Dream Syndicate. Phillips soon joined with Stockton acquaintance Jeff Clark to form Shiva Burlesque. The band dissolved after two critically acclaimed records, and Phillips soon began writing and demo-ing using the Grant Lee Buffalo alias.
Following some solo dates, Phillips invited former bandmates Joey Peters and Paul Kimble to join him, and the trio signed to Warner subsidiary Slash in 1992. Phillips' golden, honey-soaked voice went largely to waste in Shiva Burlesque, but the new band enabled him to step out as a singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. GLB went on to release four very different LPs, consistent in excellence. A cult following, successful tours, and across-the-board critical acclaim (he was voted Rolling Stone's Male Vocalist of the Year following their second LP) didn't translate into sales, however. Frustrated with his label's dead-on-arrival promotion, Phillips asked for his band to be released from their contract, and he was obliged. (It was erroneously reported that GLB had been dropped.) Phillips dissolved his band, anxious to forge a new path.
In October of 1999, he headed to Jon Brion's studio and recorded a handful of new songs, played exclusively by himself. Dubbed Ladies' Love Oracle, it was self-released the following year online and at his numerous appearances at Largo in Hollywood. After landing a deal with Zoe/Rounder, Phillips issued the excellent Mobilize in 2001. The next year, Rounder reissued Ladies' Love Oracle in time for Phillips' joint tour with Kristin Hersh and Joe Doe. In 2004, he released Virginia Creeper, followed by an album of covers (Nineteeneighties) in 2006. Strangelet appeared in 2007 on Rounder Records, followed by Little Moon (2009), and Walking in the Green Corn (2012) .
Discography
Ladies Love Oracle (2000)
Mobilize (2001)
Virginia Creeper (2004)
Nineteeneighties (2006)
Strangelet (2007)
Little Moon (2009)
Walking in the Green Corn (2012)
CITY OF REFUGE
Grant-Lee Phillips Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You better run to the City of Refuge
You stand before your maker
In a state of shame
Bacause your robes are covered in mud
While your kneel at the feet
Of a woman of the street
They will run with blood!
In the days of madness
My brother, my sister
When you're dragged toward the Hell-mouth
You will beg at the end
But there ain't gonna be one, friend
For the grave will spew you out
It will spew you out!
You'll be working in the darkness
Against your fellow man
And you'll find you're called to come forth
So you'll scrub and you'll scrub
But the trouble is, bud
The blood it won't wash off
No, it won't come off!
The song "City of Refuge" by Grant-Lee Phillips appears to be a message of warning and redemption to people who are headed down dark paths. The recurring phrase "You better run to the City of Refuge" seems to be a call to action for those who are in trouble or danger. The first verse talks about the shame one experiences when they kneel before God with dirty robes, perhaps suggesting that they have strayed from the path of righteousness. The graphic imagery of the gutters running with blood implies that the consequences for these actions will be severe.
The second verse talks about a chaotic time that the singer calls "the days of madness," and warns about being dragged toward the "Hell-mouth." Despite begging for mercy, the singer insinuates that there will be no escape, as even the grave will reject them. The final verse seems to describe someone who has done wrong against others and is desperately trying to make amends by working in the shadows. However, the blood on their hands won't wash off, suggesting that their past actions will always be a part of them.
Line by Line Meaning
You better run You better run and run and run
It is imperative that you flee from your current situation as fast as possible.
You better run to the City of Refuge
Be sure to find and seek protection in an accepting, safe location.
You stand before your maker
You are held accountable by your creator.
In a state of shame
Embarrassed and remorseful about your actions.
Because your robes are covered in mud
You have sullied your reputation and character by making poor choices.
While you kneel at the feet of a woman of the street
You have sought comfort in a potentially harmful, dangerous place.
The gutters will run with blood
There will be violence and death in the near future.
They will run with blood!
The situation will escalate and become more violent and deadly.
In the days of madness
During a period of intense chaos and distress.
My brother, my sister
Referring to other individuals who may be struggling as well.
When you're dragged toward the Hell-mouth
When you're pulled closer and closer to a situation that will damn you.
You will beg at the end
You will plead and beg for mercy when the situation has escalated beyond your control.
But there ain't gonna be one, friend
Unfortunately, there will be no one to save you or help you.
For the grave will spew you out
Death will not be a peaceful release, but a violent and tumultuous one.
It will spew you out!
Death will be an unpleasant and uncomfortable experience.
You'll be working in the darkness
You will be participating in morally questionable, possibly illegal activities.
Against your fellow man
Harming others in the process.
And you'll find you're called to come forth
You'll be asked to come forward and speak the truth.
So you'll scrub and you'll scrub
You'll try to wash away your mistakes and make amends.
But the trouble is, bud
The difficulty lies in the fact that it's not that simple.
The blood it won't wash off
You cannot undo the damage you have caused, no matter how hard you try.
No, it won't come off!
The consequences of your actions will linger indefinitely.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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