When Jackson Frank was eleven years old, a furnace exploded at his school, sending a ball of flames down corridors until it ended up in Frank's music classroom in the Cleveland Hill Elementary School in Cheektowaga, New York. The fire killed fifteen of his fellow students and burned Frank over more than half his body.[1] It was during his time in the hospital that he was first introduced to playing music, when a teacher, Charlie Castelli, brought in an acoustic guitar to keep Frank occupied during his recovery. When he was 21, he was awarded an insurance cheque of $110,500 for his injuries, giving him enough to "catch a boat to England."
His eponymous 1965 album, Jackson C. Frank, was produced by Paul Simon while the two of them were also playing folk clubs in England. Frank was so shy during the recording that he asked to be shielded by screens so that Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, and Al Stewart (who also attended the recording) could not see him, claiming "I can't play. You're looking at me." The most famous track, "Blues Run the Game", was covered by Simon and Garfunkel, and later by Wizz Jones, Counting Crows, Colin Meloy, Bert Jansch, Laura Marling, and Robin Pecknold (White Antelope), while Nick Drake also recorded it privately. Another song, "Milk and Honey", appeared in Vincent Gallo's film The Brown Bunny, and was also covered by Fairport Convention, Nick Drake, and Sandy Denny, whom he dated for a while. During their relationship, Jackson convinced Sandy to give up nursing (then her profession) and concentrate on music full-time.
Although Frank was well received in England for a while, in 1966 things took a turn for the worse as his mental health began to unravel. At the same time he began to experience writer's block. His insurance payment was running out so he decided to go back to the United States for two years. When he returned to England in 1968 he was deemed a different person. His depression, stemming from the childhood trauma of the classroom fire, had increased and he had no self-confidence. Al Stewart recalled that: "He [Frank] proceeded to fall apart before our very eyes. His style that everyone loved was melancholy, very tuneful things. He started doing things that were completely impenetrable. They were basically about psychological angst, played at full volume with lots of thrashing. I don't remember a single word of them, it just did not work. There was one review that said he belonged on a psychologist's couch. Then shortly after that, he hightailed it back to Woodstock again, because he wasn't getting any work."
While in Woodstock, he married Elaine Sedgwick, an English former fashion model. They had a son and later a daughter, Angeline. After his son died of Cystic Fibrosis, Frank went into a period of great depression and was ultimately committed to an institution. By the early 1970s Frank began to beg aid from friends. Karl Dallas wrote an enthusiastic piece in 1975 in Melody Maker, and in 1978, his 1965 album was re-released as Jackson Frank Again, with a new cover sleeve, although this did not encourage fresh awareness of Frank.
In 1984, Frank took a trip to New York City in a desperate bid to locate Paul Simon, but he ended up sleeping on the sidewalk. His mother, who had been in hospital for open heart surgery, found him gone with no forwarding address when she arrived home. He was living on the street and was frequently admitted and discharged from various institutions. He was treated for paranoid schizophrenia, a diagnosis that was refuted by Frank himself as he had always claimed that he actually had depression caused by the trauma he had experienced as a child.
Just as Frank’s prospects seemed to be at their worst, a fan from the area around Woodstock, Jim Abbott, discovered him in the early 1990s. Abbott had been discussing music with Mark Anderson, a teacher at the local college he was attending. The conversation had turned to folk music, which they both enjoyed, when Abbott asked the teacher if he had heard of Frank. He recollected: "I hadn’t even thought about it for a couple of years, and he goes, ‘Well yes, as a matter of fact, I just got a letter from him. Do you feel like helping a down-on-his-luck folk singer?"
Frank, who had known Anderson from their days at Gettysburg College, had decided to write him to ask if there was anywhere in Woodstock he could stay after he had made up his mind to leave New York City. Abbott phoned Frank, and then organized a temporary placement for him at a senior citizens’ home in Woodstock. Abbott was stunned by what he saw when he travelled to New York to visit Frank.
"When I went down I hadn’t seen a picture of him, except for his album cover. Then, he was thin and young. When I went to see him, there was this heavy guy hobbling down the street, and I thought, ‘That can’t possibly be him’...I just stopped and said ‘Jackson?’ and it was him. My impression was, ‘Oh my God’, it was almost like the elephant man or something. He was so unkempt, dishevelled.” A further side effect of the fire was a thyroid malfunction causing him to put on weight. “He had nothing. It was really sad. We went and had lunch and went back to his room. It almost made me cry, because here was a fifty-year-old man, and all he had to his name was a beat-up old suitcase and a broken pair of glasses. I guess his caseworker had given him a $10 guitar, but it wouldn’t stay in tune. It was one of those hot summer days. He tried to play Blues Run The Game for me, but his voice was pretty much shot."
Soon after this, Frank was sitting on a bench in Queens, New York while awaiting a move to Woodstock, when someone shot him in his left eye and consequently blinded him. At first no details were known, but it was later determined that children from the neighborhood were firing a pellet gun indiscriminately at people and Frank happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Abbott then promptly helped him move to Woodstock. During this time, Frank began recording some demos of new songs. Frank’s resurfacing led to the first CD release of his self-titled album. In some pressings, Frank's later songs were included as a bonus disc with the album.
Frank died of pneumonia and cardiac arrest in Great Barrington, Massachusetts on March 3, 1999, at the age of 56.
Though he never achieved fame during his lifetime, his songs have been covered by many well-known artists, including Simon and Garfunkel, Counting Crows, Nick Drake, Sandy Denny, Bert Jansch, Laura Marling, and Robin Pecknold (as White Antelope) of Fleet Foxes. Frank's song "I Want To Be Alone", also known as "Dialogue," appeared on the soundtrack for the film Daft Punk's Electroma. Soulsavers covered "Blues Run the Game" on their single "Revival" (7" vinyl, 30 April 2007). Marianne Faithfull covered Frank's arrangement of a traditional song, "Kimbie" on her 2008 album Easy Come, Easy Go and included the song in the repertoire of her 2009 tour. Erland & The Carnival also covered "My Name Is Carnival," apparently Frank's favourite song. Bert Jansch also covered this song as a gesture to Frank.
Sandy Denny's song, "Next Time Around," contains coded references to Frank, her ex-boyfriend. "Marcy's Song" is played by Patrick, John Hawkes' character, in the 2011 film Martha Marcy May Marlene and "Marlene" plays in the closing credits. Laura Barton's BBC Radio 4 programme "Blues Run the Game", first broadcast 20th November 2012, included interviews with Al Stewart, John Renbourn, Jim Abbott and John Kay as well as archive material of Jackson C. Frank talking and singing.
Relations
Jackson C. Frank Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Help me make it through
Why don't you see me lately
I'm sad that I'm true
I looked up the page in your portrait, it was mine
Knew it was the only one of its kind
I pulled out my money on the run
Did not mean to hurt anyone
Might as well defend the whole body
I'm in love with someone
Several years of rubies and pearls are at her breast
She's a demon, she's a demon, she's a demon lover
Just like all the rest
Or else she's filling out her wings
In the many shades of contentment she brings
I got to hide it, baby, because of you
And I hope that you're proud now, honey, it's all I can do
I lit the darkness, darling, come and build up my mind
And I can see the likeness, baby, your painter had to find
Is it any mystery how we come to fall
In and out of love, when sympathy's so small?
And I’m never meaning for some tears to come
Still you leave your silken things all undone
Why don't you call me ‘sugar’ like you used to do
I know that your kisses are just pure poison
But I'm a-counting on you
And I know that your head’s half crazy
And you’re wall-crawling, too
Let’s make some oopsy daisies
I'm a-counting on you
Well, I’m a-counting on you
Well you know I’m counting on you
I’m a-counting on you
The lyrics to Jackson C. Frank's song "Relations" are a complex study of emotions, relationships and emotions that are bound to them. The first stanza talks about the singer making a plea to his lover to see him, to help him get through a difficult time. He then refers to a portrait where he found his page, which was unique, indicating his individuality. The singer does not intend to hurt anyone but still feels like he has to tell his story, for it is something he cares about deeply. He ends the verse by saying he is in love with someone.
The second verse is an ode to the mystery of love and how it is something we fall in and out of, despite its small sympathies. The singer then admits to lighting the darkness, hoping to build his mind. He then talks about seeing the likeness of his lover, which is what the painter had to find. In the end, the singer wonders why he isn't called sugar like before, highlighting the decline of the relationship. But even though he knows kisses are pure poison, he's counting on the lover.
Overall, "Relations" is a song that explores the depth and complexity of human relationships, and how people navigate the ups and downs of love. The singer's pleading tone and raw emotions add to the overall power of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Why don't you cry for me, baby
I am struggling and need your support, but you do not seem to care.
Help me make it through
I need assistance and guidance to overcome my troubles.
Why don't you see me lately
You have not been paying attention to me or acknowledging my presence.
I'm sad that I'm true
My honesty and sincerity lead to sadness and pain.
I looked up the page in your portrait, it was mine
I saw myself in the image you had created of me.
Knew it was the only one of its kind
I realized that the portrait was unique and special to me.
I pulled out my money on the run
I acted impulsively and made a mistake.
Did not mean to hurt anyone
I did not intend to cause harm or damage.
But I got to sing it, baby and I tell it for fun
I express myself through music and enjoy sharing my perspective with others.
Might as well defend the whole body
I feel like I need to protect myself entirely.
I'm in love with someone
I have strong feelings of love for another person.
Several years of rubies and pearls are at her breast
The woman I love is wealthy and has many valuable possessions.
She's a demon, she's a demon, she's a demon lover
Despite her beauty and wealth, I view her as a dangerous and harmful lover.
Just like all the rest
She is no different from other lovers who have caused me pain and heartache.
Or else she's filling out her wings
She may be exploring and experiencing new things in her life.
In the many shades of contentment she brings
She offers a variety of happiness and fulfillment to her life.
I got to hide it, baby, because of you
I feel like I need to conceal my true feelings because of how you may react or judge me.
And I hope that you're proud now, honey, it's all I can do
I am doing my best and hope that you will acknowledge and appreciate my efforts.
I lit the darkness, darling, come and build up my mind
I have found a source of light or hope and am inviting you to join me in uplifting my thoughts and emotions.
And I can see the likeness, baby, your painter had to find
I see a resemblance or similarity between myself and the image you have created of me.
Is it any mystery how we come to fall
We often wonder how and why we end up falling in or out of love with someone.
In and out of love, when sympathy's so small?
It is easy to fall in or out of love, even when there is not much empathy or understanding between partners.
And I’m never meaning for some tears to come
I do not intend to cause sadness or distress to those around me.
Still you leave your silken things all undone
You are careless or neglectful of your belongings or responsibilities.
Why don't you call me ‘sugar’ like you used to do
I miss the affectionate and endearing terms you used to call me.
I know that your kisses are just pure poison
Despite the harm they may cause, I still crave your attention and affection.
But I'm a-counting on you
I have faith and trust in you to support and guide me.
And I know that your head’s half crazy
I am aware that you may be struggling with your own mental health or emotions.
And you’re wall-crawling too
You may also be experiencing your own fears or anxieties.
Let’s make some oopsy daisies
Let's try to make things better or improve our situation together.
I'm a-counting on you
I am depending on you and hoping for your support and guidance.
Well, I’m a-counting on you
I am still depending on you and trusting in your abilities.
Well you know I’m counting on you
I have made it clear that I am relying on you to help me through my struggles.
Contributed by Juliana A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.