He developed a method of tuning his guitar that complemented his voice and worked with his background as a bass player. Finding his niche in indie rock circles, Molina made home recordings under the names 'Songs: Albian', 'Songs: Radix', and 'Songs: Unitas' to pass out at live shows. Settling on 'Songs: Ohia', Molina released a single on Palace Records in 1996. The first 'Songs: Ohia' full-length followed in 1997; released on the Secretly Canadian label.
By 2001, Molina had given his tenor guitar a rest in favor of a regular six-string instrument and had put together a full band to back him. However, 2002's Didn't it Rain saw Molina working with members of neo-bluegrass outfit Jim & Jennie & the Pinetops, achieving an almost gospel sound that was a vast departure from the dense feel of Ghost Tropic. Constantly recording and writing new songs, Songs: Ohia released a handful of singles and EPs in 2002, including a split EP with Louisville's My Morning Jacket and a collaborative EP (under the name Amalgamated Sons of Rest) with Will Oldham and Alasdair Roberts. Pyramid Electric Co. and Magnolia Electric Co., originally conceived as a double album, were released separately in early 2003. The former, a sparse solo album, was recorded with Mike Mogis (from Lullaby for the Working Class) while the latter featured a full band and was recorded by Steve Albini.
Jason Molina died, at age 39, on 18. March 2013 from complications of alcoholism.
Honey
Jason Molina Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's killing her head
She finally let him have it
Here practice yelling at yourself instead
She nearly burned the town again
With the look that she gave him
She covers her heart with her hands and says
It's like nothing's got a pulse
In this whole damn place
Right down to the clocks
Nothing's got a pulse
Remember darling how quiet it got
Leave her alone, let her go home
So she don't have to see you
How pathetic you can be
So she won't hate herself to death
Know what I mean
She's covering he heart with her hands and says
A little useless praying never hurts anything
That must be her up there
Perfume and cigarette smoke in her wild hair
She smells a little like a train
Hauling lilacs through the rain
I can't tell that she's crying
I'll pretend again
But she sees them total destruction
As she goes running to them
I'm finally showing her the switch
How I learned to hold it
In my teeth
How she's got to keep
One razor sharp bloody piece
Of her old broken heart
How she's got to use that edge to carve
Across her new heart
Something deep enough to hurt
So it always reminds her
Deep enough to last
Darlin' honey, watch your ass
The song "Honey Watch Your Ass" by Jason Molina tells a story of a woman who is trapped in a toxic relationship. The singer of the song is warning her to leave her abusive partner and take care of herself. The smoke tastes like gray lead, and it's killing her head implies that the woman is smoking to escape the pain or that she is being poisoned by the toxic relationship. When she nearly burned the town again with the look that she gave him, it shows how intense her emotions are, which can lead to self-destructive habits. She prays and covers her heart with her hands, which indicates that she is still hopeful and does not want to lose faith.
The chorus indicates that everything around the singer seems lifeless and dull, including the clocks. This shows that she is stuck in a place where nothing is progressing, and there is no chance for growth. The line, "so she won't hate herself to death," is perhaps the most poignant in the song. The woman has been blaming herself for everything that has gone wrong in the relationship, and the singer is warning her to stop doing so. Finally, the song ends on a note of hope. The singer tells the woman to watch her ass, implying that she can take care of herself and make a better life for herself.
Line by Line Meaning
The smoke tastes like gray lead
The cigarette smoke tastes terrible, like poison
It's killing her head
It's causing her a lot of pain and discomfort
She finally let him have it
She finally yelled at him and expressed her anger
Here practice yelling at yourself instead
It's better to yell at yourself instead of taking it out on others
She nearly burned the town again
She almost caused a lot of damage or harm again
With the look that she gave him
With the angry or threatening expression on her face
She covers her heart with her hands and says
She protects her heart and prays
A little useless praying never hurts anything
Praying may not make a difference, but it can't hurt either
It's like nothing's got a pulse
Everything seems lifeless and without energy
In this whole damn place
In this entire area or situation
Right down to the clocks
Even the clocks seem to lack a heartbeat or energy
Remember darling how quiet it got
Do you remember how quiet and still everything was?
Leave her alone, let her go home
Don't bother her, let her leave and go home
So she don't have to see you
So she can avoid seeing you
How pathetic you can be
You are so pitiful and sad
So she won't hate herself to death
So she won't feel so bad about herself that it leads to self-destructive behavior
Know what I mean
Do you understand what I'm saying?
That must be her up there
I think I see her up there
Perfume and cigarette smoke in her wild hair
Her hair smells like both perfume and cigarette smoke
She smells a little like a train
She has a strong scent, like a train passing by
Hauling lilacs through the rain
Carrying flowers, even in difficult or rainy conditions
I can't tell that she's crying
I can't see that she's crying, but I suspect she is
I'll pretend again
I'll act like everything is fine, even though it's not
But she sees them total destruction
But she sees the potential for complete destruction
As she goes running to them
As she runs towards the source of that potential destruction
I'm finally showing her the switch
I'm finally teaching her how to use the switch
How I learned to hold it
How I learned to control it
In my teeth
With my teeth, like a weapon
How she's got to keep
How she needs to maintain control
One razor sharp bloody piece
One sharp and dangerous piece, that's covered in blood
Of her old broken heart
From her previous heartbreak and pain
How she's got to use that edge to carve
How she needs to use that sharp edge to protect her new heart
Across her new heart
Over her new heart, to protect it
Something deep enough to hurt
Something that's powerful enough to cause pain
So it always reminds her
So she never forgets
Deep enough to last
Powerful enough to be effective for a long time
Darlin' honey, watch your ass
Be careful, honey, and protect yourself
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Jason Molina
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel Cowman
Thanks for posting this.