In the 1980s, Leven released two singles - Love Is Shining Down On Me and Uptown - under his own name. Unfortunately, this failed to turn into a career as he was the victim of an unprovoked attack in 1983. Strangled and nearly killed, Jackie lost his voice for a year and became addicted to heroin. Conquering his addiction, he set up the CORE Trust, a charity aiming for a holistic approach to drug addiction whose patrons included Princess Diana.
Jackie returned to music in the early 1990s with a series of live shows, before the release of his first new solo album, The Mystery of Love is Greater Than the Mystery of Death, in 1994. Since then, Jackie's songs have followed a dark, gloomy theme - Jackie describes his songs as "saying shit happens" and then helping people to deal with it.
Leven also read poems and stories set to music on his albums; examples include the poem "A Blessing" by James Wright on the Forbidden Songs of the Dying West and the short story "Faces" by Rainer Maria Rilke on Shining Brother Shining Sister. During his career he collaborated with many poets and authors, including Robert Bly (on more than one occasion) and Ian Rankin, as well as avant-garde musician David Thomas of cult band Pere Ubu.
Jackie Leven died on Monday, 14 November 2011. He had been suffering from prostate cancer.
Farm Boy
Jackie Leven Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
working in snow
putting up fences
in shadow of skiddaw
it was cold in the morning
and my hands couldn't feel
but the hammers keep raining down
and the sky made me frightened
with shape and with sound
configuration
to menace the ground
but I found in my heart
such peace and respite
from the nightmare of being young
in a cold caravan
as I lay in the dark
the silence was better
than any song ever sung
but the weather was changing
sweet spring in the air
I left the farmhouse
on a song and a prayer
and I came to your city
and the trash they call fame
where the hammers keep raining down
as the fence in your name
but whenever I ride north
and I look from the train
I can still see the farm boy
alone in the rain
but I found in my heart
such peace and respite
from the nightmare of being young
in a cold caravan
as I lay in the dark
the silence was better
than any song ever sung
but whenever I ride north
and I look from the train
I can still see the farm b
oy
alone in the rain
The lyrics of Jackie Leven's "Farm Boy" describe the songwriter's memories from his younger days working on a farm. The song paints a picture of cold, hard work, represented by the hammering of wet posts into the ground, and the unsettling presence of the sky, with its ominous shapes and sounds. Despite these physical and emotional struggles, the farm boy finds solace in the peace and quiet of his surroundings. This peace allows him to escape the "nightmare of being young," a phrase that encapsulates the difficulties and anxieties of growing up.
As the song progresses, the farm boy leaves the farm and heads to the city, where he faces a different kind of struggle. Here, the hammers still fall, but now they are building a fence in someone else's name. The city represents the cold, hard reality of fame and fortune, and the farm boy's journey is a commentary on leaving behind a simpler way of life and trying to find success in the big city. Despite this new environment, the farm boy still looks back on his past with some fondness, as he imagines himself as a solitary figure, still braving the rain on the farm where he grew up.
Overall, "Farm Boy" is a song that reflects on the universal experience of growing up and leaving behind what is familiar. It speaks to the difficulties of finding one's way in a world that can be cold and unforgiving, but also highlights the importance of finding solace in small moments of peace and respite.
Line by Line Meaning
when I was a farm boy
Back when I was just a country boy
working in snow
Working hard in the winter snow
putting up fences
Building fences to mark off land
in shadow of skiddaw
In the shadow of nearby Skiddaw mountain
it was cold in the morning
Early mornings were particularly chilly
and my hands couldn't feel
Hands were numb from the cold
but the hammers keep raining down
Despite the cold, work continued relentlessly
on wet posts of steal
Working on metal fence posts that were damp from the snow
and the sky made me frightened
The gray stormy sky terrified me
with shape and with sound
It was both the appearance and noise of the sky that was terrifying
configuration
Appearance and shape of the sky
to menace the ground
As if it were threatening to ruin everything on the earth below
but I found in my heart
Despite the harsh conditions, I came to find solace
such peace and respite
A sense of inner calm and relief
from the nightmare of being young
Finding solace from the turmoil of youth
in a cold caravan
Living in a freezing, mobile home
as I lay in the dark
While I was lying in bed at night
the silence was better
The quiet of the countryside was better than any noise
than any song ever sung
It was more peaceful than any music I'd heard before
but the weather was changing
Conditions were starting to improve
sweet spring in the air
Spring had arrived and was bringing warmth
I left the farmhouse
I departed from my familial home
on a song and a prayer
Leaving with only hope in my heart
and I came to your city
Moved to a bustling urban metropolis
and the trash they call fame
Found myself in the company of those who seek notoriety
where the hammers keep raining down
Just like on the farm, relentless work continued
as the fence in your name
Building a fence to mark off your property
but whenever I ride north
Traveling in a specific direction
and I look from the train
Looking out the window while passing by
I can still see the farm boy
I still remember my younger self
alone in the rain
Out on my own in bad weather
Contributed by Micah K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.