The band made its recording debut in 2001 with Blackwater, following up in 2004 with Lochloosa (both released under the name Mofro; both albums reissued by Alligator). In 2007 the band, with it's current name, released Country Ghetto, followed by the 2008 album Orange Blossoms. With the release of 2010’s Georgia Warhorse, the band stepped further into the mainstream view with the AAA radio breakout single The Sweetest Thing. In 2011 the full fury of the band’s live show was captured on the live CD/DVD Brighter Days.
April 2013 brings the release of the band's sixth studio album, This River. Named for the St. John’s River, a centering point for Grey's childhood near Jacksonville, Florida, b]This River flows from freewheeling celebrations (Florabama) to dark inner journeys (Somebody Else), from late night, beer-soaked testimonials (Your Lady, She’s Shady) to heartfelt ballads of the almost-forgotten (The Ballad Of Larry Webb), and ends with the title track and a singularly devastating vocal performance. With Dan Prothero at the helm as producer, JJ and the band once again returned to Retrophonics Studio in nearby St. Augustine, Florida and muscled out some of JJ’s strongest material to date.
The band has played countless festivals, including Lollapalooza, Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Austin City Limits Festival, Byron Bay Blues Festival (Australia), Montreal Jazz Festival and Fuji Rock (Japan). Over the course of his career, Grey has shared stages with the likes of Lenny Kravitz, B.B. King, The Allman Brothers Band, The Black Crowes, Los Lobos, Jeff Beck, Ben Harper, Booker T. Jones, Mavis Staples and many others. In 2011 the band extensively toured the UK. That same year, back in the U.S.A., Grey embarked on his first-ever solo tour, playing packed-to-capacity clubs. The band returned to Europe in 2012, playing multiple dates in the UK, Germany and The Netherlands.
JJ’s songs have appeared in film and network television including House, Flashpoint, Crash, Friday Night Lights, The Glades, The Deadliest Catch and the film The Hoot. In November 2009, JJ wrote his first film score for the critically-acclaimed, Emmy Award-winning documentary The Good Soldier, that appeared in theatres and on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. In 2010, JJ played piano, sang and contributed a song (The Wrong Side) to Buckwheat Zydeco’s Grammy-winning Alligator Records album Lay Your Burden Down. JJ also appears on Shemekia Copeland’s Grammy-nominated 2012 CD 33 1/3.
Turpentine
JJ Grey & Mofro Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Breathe it til your head ache
Working for six dimes
Breathe it til the ground shake
Lord and that fever′s high
Hard luck life
Hurry boy
Deep in the piney wood
Hell in its own place
Working that sticky gold
Flowing from a cat face
Lord and that fever's high
Hard luck life ⁄ Hurry boy
The sun is going down
Deep in the piney woods
Hell in its own place
Lungs can′t breathe
Poisoned heat
Fever's high
Hard luck life
Heavy load
Like a stone
Hurry boy
The sun is going down
The lyrics of "Turpentine" by JJ Grey & Mofro depict a scene in the deep woods where workers are inhaling the potent fumes of turpentine, a solvent commonly used as a paint thinner. The song illustrates the difficult and dangerous conditions of those working in the turpentine industry. It emphasizes the physical toll and the challenges faced by the workers as they toil in the forest.
The repetition of "breathe it til your head ache" and "breathe it til the ground shake" suggests the intoxicating and overwhelming nature of the fumes. The reference to "six dimes" implies that the workers are paid very little for their laborious efforts.
The mention of a "sticky gold" flowing from a "cat face" refers to the harvesting of turpentine from the cuts made in pine trees. Turpentine resin oozes out of these cuts, resembling gold and giving it a sticky consistency. This line serves as a metaphor for the workers extracting a valuable resource from nature.
The chorus, with its repetition of "Lord and that fever's high, hard luck life, hurry boy, the sun is going down," signifies the urgency and desperation felt by the workers. The "fever's high" suggests the physical and mental toll of the job, while "hard luck life" speaks to the hardships and struggles faced by the workers. The urgency to finish their work before the sun sets symbolizes the limited time they have to extract the turpentine.
Overall, "Turpentine" sheds light on the difficult lives and dangerous working conditions of those employed in the turpentine industry. It captures the physical toll, the desperation, and the fleeting nature of their labor.
Line by Line Meaning
Deep in the piney woods
In the heart of the dense forest
Breathe it til your head ache
Inhale the intoxicating substance until your head hurts
Working for six dimes
Struggling to earn a meager living
Breathe it til the ground shake
Inhale it forcefully, shaking the very ground beneath you
Lord and that fever's high
Oh my, the intensity of the fever is overwhelming
Hard luck life
A life filled with constant misfortune
Hurry boy
Move quickly, my friend
The sun is going down
The day is coming to an end
Hell in its own place
A hellish existence confined within a specific location
Working that sticky gold
Laboring to harvest the valuable substance
Flowing from a cat face
Dripping from the sapwood of a tree resembling a cat's face
Lungs can't breathe
The lungs are unable to take in air
Poisoned heat
The oppressive and toxic atmosphere
Fever's high
The fever is at an alarming level
Hard luck life
A life filled with continual misfortune
Heavy load
Burden or weight that is difficult to bear
Like a stone
Similar to a heavy rock
Hurry boy
Move quickly, my friend
The sun is going down
The day is coming to an end
Writer(s): John Grey Higginbotham
Contributed by Savannah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.