Dane Schmidt, better known by his stage name Jamestown Story, is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Dane Schmidt, better known by his stage name Jamestown Story, is an American alternative acoustic singer-songwriter from Minneapolis, Minnesota now residing in Nashville, Tennessee. Previously the main vocalist and songwriter of Jamestown Story, Schmidt chose to keep the band's name and continue on after the band dissolved in 2007. Schmidt released his first album under the name And Then I Turned Seven in late 2003 and has since released 4 albums, 7 EP’s, as well as numerous singles and split EP’s.

Discography
Albums:
* Broken Summer (2003)
* Love vs. Life (2008)
* Find A Way (2011)
* Show Me Tomorrow (2012)
* A Jamestown Story Christmas (2013)
EP's:
* The Jamestown Story (2005)
* One Last Breath (2007)
* The Prologue (2008)
* Never Enough (2009)
* A Collection Of Covers (2010)
* A Walk Through Time (2011)
* Jamestown Story & Friends (2013)
Split EP's:
* Stephen Jerzak & Jamestown Story EP (2009)
* The Nashville Sessions (2012)
* Hard Days EP (2013)

Current member:
* Dane Schmidt - lead vocals, acoustic guitar, piano, drums (2003–present)
Former members:
* Brandyn Anderson - piano(2010–2012)
* Kieren Smith - violin, guitar (2005–2008)
* Pat Tarnowski - guitar (2005–2007)
* Chris Lee - drums (2005–2007)
* Chad Snell - bass (2006–2007)
* Sam Dean - bass (2005-2006)
* Trevor MacKenzie - bass (2005)

http://www.jamestownstory.com/

Have You Ever Danced With the Devil In the Pale Moonlight?
Jamestown Story Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've been searching for some questions found in questions I don't know to ask
All bottled up inside my head and never making any sense but now I understand
You see my thought process is burried deep beneath a life of self-abuse
There's too much damage to rebuild and what's left remains a shield to tame future use
And as the wagon rolls away I still march on...
My life is all a waiting game
Long waits to feel straight but it never stays
So doctor fill my forged prescription cause I'm addicted to addictions and blame

The past's still presently my home, which keeps recovery on hold
I'll escape this stranglehold somehow

Look into my eyes, past the lines, and you'll see how desperate I am to see clear
I've tried I swear I've tried, to hide, but when I stand to run I get headstrung and fall

Yeah I stand to fall

There's one more thing that I'd like to make clear
My words are nothing more than days

That I have lived and struggled through
Only to learn, that things will never change....

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jamestown Story's song "Have You Ever Danced With the Devil In the Pale Moonlight?" deal with the singer's struggle with addiction and his challenges with recovery. The opening lines reveal the singer's confusion and frustration with his own thoughts, as he seeks answers to questions that he does not even know how to ask. He recognizes that his addiction has caused him to damage his life and create a "shield" that prevents him from moving forward. Despite this, he still finds the strength to carry on with his life and move towards recovery.

The second verse highlights the ongoing struggle that the singer faces as he tries to escape the "stranglehold" of addiction. He asks a doctor to fill his "forged prescription," emphasizing the cycle of addiction and blaming that he has fallen into. The line "The past's still presently my home, which keeps recovery on hold" suggests that the singer is struggling to let go of the past and the behaviors that have led him to this point. However, he remains hopeful that he will eventually overcome his addiction and "escape this stranglehold somehow."

The final lines of the song are powerful in their resignation and acceptance of the reality of addiction. The singer acknowledges that his words are simply a reflection of the struggles he has faced, and that change may never come. However, by sharing his story, he may inspire others to seek help and find their way towards recovery.

Line by Line Meaning

I've been searching for some questions found in questions I don't know to ask
I'm confused and lost, trying to find answers to questions that I can't even identify

All bottled up inside my head and never making any sense but now I understand
The thoughts in my head have been jumbled and incomprehensible, but I'm beginning to make sense of them

You see my thought process is burried deep beneath a life of self-abuse
My tendency to harm myself has affected my thinking and decision-making in a profound way

There's too much damage to rebuild and what's left remains a shield to tame future use
My past trauma has left me damaged beyond repair, and I now have to learn how to protect myself from future harm

And as the wagon rolls away I still march on...
Despite everything, I keep moving forward, even though it feels like I'm being left behind

My life is all a waiting game
I feel like I'm simply waiting for something to change, without any control over my own life

Long waits to feel straight but it never stays
Even when I do manage to feel better, those feelings never seem to last

So doctor fill my forged prescription cause I'm addicted to addictions and blame
I'm caught in a cycle of addiction, constantly turning to unhealthy coping mechanisms instead of truly dealing with my problems

The past's still presently my home, which keeps recovery on hold
I'm unable to move forward and heal because I'm constantly dwelling on my past experiences

I'll escape this stranglehold somehow
Despite my struggles, I believe that there's a way out of this situation

Look into my eyes, past the lines, and you'll see how desperate I am to see clear
I'm struggling to overcome the confusion and pain in my life, and it's obvious when you really look at me

I've tried I swear I've tried, to hide, but when I stand to run I get headstrung and fall
I've tried to bury my problems and ignore them, but they always catch up to me and bring me down

There's one more thing that I'd like to make clear
I have one final message that I want to convey

My words are nothing more than days
Everything I say and do is a reflection of my experiences, my pain, and my struggles

That I have lived and struggled through
I've been through a lot of difficult times, and it's shaped who I am today

Only to learn, that things will never change....
Despite my efforts, I feel like my situation will never truly improve

Contributed by Oliver W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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