Jean Dawson on “Clear Bones“ with I-D:
“I’d like to think it’s my way of respectfully acknowledging that my life is on a shot clock. I think the song is somewhat playfully morbid – how life can be. We live and we die and everything in between is simply wishful thinking (:”
- via peroxides via Genius Annotations
CLEAR BONES
Jean Dawson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Mr. Reaper, let′s play hide and seek
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin' me
Mr. Reaper, you′re a guarantee
Livin' life with a price on my head
Death got a gun with a beam, and it's red
See you messed up tryna be my friend
Tryna make me unsafe
Tryna take my life, well it′s gonna have to wait
(For me)
I know I'll die when it′s my time, I'll be all smiles, I know
I go outside, I take a knife and the Devil′s smile wants more
I know I'll die when it′s my time, I'll be all smiles, I know
I go outside and I got mine, and you got yours, I hope
Mr. Reaper, will you wait on me?
Mr. Reaper, let's play hide and seek
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin′ me
Mr. Reaper, you′re a guarantee (guarantee)
Mr. Reaper, will you wait on me?
Mr. Reaper, let's play hide and seek
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin′ me
Mr. Reaper, you're a guarantee (guarantee)
Which one of y′all wanna go to hell?
I got room in this black minivan
Take a ride with the skull and bones
You're at heaven′s door with a cigarette
No, don't cry, you don't have to cry
Before you′re born it′s like when you die
It's all black
It′s called death
In Jean Dawson's song CLEAR BONES, the artist speaks about his relationship with death and the Reaper. The overall theme of the song is about coming to terms with the inevitability of death and even embracing it.
The song begins with Jean talking to the Reaper himself, asking for him to wait and play hide and seek. The Reaper is seen as a guarantee, meaning that death is something that will eventually come to everyone. The artist then reflects on the state of his life, feeling as if he has a target on his head and that death is constantly looming near.
He refers to the Devil on his shoulder, stating that he is trying to make him unsafe and take his life. However, Jean is not one to fear death and feels as though it can wait. He knows that death is inevitable and when his time comes, he will welcome it with a smile.
The chorus repeats with Jean asking the Reaper to wait, play hide and seek, and watching over him. The artist embraces the idea of dying and knows that death will come eventually and there's no point in running from it.
In summary, CLEAR BONES is a song about accepting the inevitable fate of death and coming to terms with it. It's not a song about giving up on life, but rather understanding that life is fleeting and that at some point, death is going to come.
Line by Line Meaning
Mr. Reaper, will you wait on me?
Asking death, will he wait for life to happen naturally?
Mr. Reaper, let's play hide and seek
Asking death to play a game with life?
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin' me
Acknowledging that death is always present and watching over life?
Mr. Reaper, you're a guarantee
Death is an inevitable outcome that everyone has to face?
Livin' life with a price on my head
Living in constant fear of death, with a possible threat to life?
Death got a gun with a beam, and it's red
Visualising death as a gun with a red beam that aims at life?
See you messed up tryna be my friend
Acknowledging that death is not a friend of life, but rather an adversary?
The Devil on my shoulder burnin' my face
Feeling the temptation and influence of evil in making dangerous choices in life?
Tryna make me unsafe
Making life unsafe and risky for oneself due to the temptation of evil and death?
Tryna take my life, well it's gonna have to wait
Resisting the temptation of death and evil, and not wanting to give up life yet?
(For me)
Wanting control over one's life and choices, rather than giving in to death and evil?
I know I'll die when it's my time, I'll be all smiles, I know
Accepting the inevitability of death and being at peace with it?
I go outside, I take a knife and the Devil's smile wants more
Indulging in dangerous and risky behaviour, with the influence of evil and temptation of death?
I go outside and I got mine, and you got yours, I hope
Carrying weapons in self-defense, and hoping that everyone else has theirs too?
Which one of y'all wanna go to hell?
Challenging others to embrace danger and risk, and join in the temptation of death and evil?
I got room in this black minivan
Offering a ride to others to join in risky behaviour and face the consequences of death and evil?
Take a ride with the skull and bones
Inviting others to join in heading towards danger and death?
You're at heaven's door with a cigarette
Picturing smoking as a vice that leads to death, and not being ready for the afterlife?
No, don't cry, you don't have to cry
Not wanting to mourn death, and rather accept it as a natural and inevitable outcome?
Before you're born it's like when you die
Comparing the state of being before being born with the state of being after dying?
It's all black
Picturing death as a state of nothingness or darkness?
It's called death
Reinforcing the inevitability of death in life?
Writer(s): Jean Dawson, Blake Slatkin, Zachary Alan Ryan Fogarty
Contributed by Dominic K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nawfal Jafri
Lyrics:
[Hook]
Mr. Reaper, will you wait on me?
Mr. Reaper, let's play hide and seek
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin' me
Mr. Reaper, you're a guarantee
[Verse 1]
Livin' life with a price on my head
Death got a gun with a beam, and it's red
See you messed up tryna' be my friend
The Devil on my shoulder burnin' my face
[Pre-Chorus]
Tryna' make me unsafe
Tryna' take my life, well it's gonna have to wait
For me
[Chorus]
I know I'll die when it's my time, I'll be all smiles, I know
I go outside, I take a knife and the Devil's smile wants more
I know I'll die when it's my time, I'll be all smiles, I know
I go outside and I got mine, and you got yours, I hope
[Hook]
Mr. Reaper, will you wait on me?
Mr. Reaper, let's play hide and seek
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin' me
Mr. Reaper, you're a guarantee
Mr. Reaper, will you wait on me?
Mr. Reaper, let's play hide and seek
Mr. Reaper, I see you watchin' me
Mr. Reaper, you're a guarantee
[Outro]
Which one of y'all wanna go to hell?
I got room in this black mini-van
Take a ride with the skull and bones
You're at heaven's door with a cigarette
No, don't cry, you don't have to cry
Before you're born it's like when you die
It's all black
It's called death
Liam
This man sounds like himself, no one else. So authentic and pure, one of a kind.
Morgin Flogs
Idk this song sounds heavily influenced by Manchester based indie rock like The Smiths and The Stone Roses but with a modern Kevin Abstract/Brockhampton esq tinge to it with the production and vocal performance as well as some Mac DeMarco and Pixies inspired guitar work. I will agree that it does sound authentic and it is an extremely good song tho I just feel like he isn’t all that secretive about his influences which isn’t a bad thing at all
seth pedginski
@Andrew Fowler just because it's new to most people doesn't mean he should be praised for innovation when there are people out there that have been doing it for a long time. Not fair to those artists who truly pioneered the sound, and layed the ground work for an artist like Jean Dawson to be successful. As I said in my comment jean dawson is probably my favorite artist right now and there are plenty of reasons he deserves praise, but I don't think it makes me an elitist to recognize the artists that made his sound possible.
Andrew Fowler
@seth pedginski obviously all music is derivative but saying jean's sound isn't unique is just goofy
Andrew Fowler
@seth pedginski this comment comes off elitist as fuck lmao. the sound is new to most people man
Mark B
Nothing against him, but the Smashing Pumpkins, Deftones, pop punk influences are evident.
Tsvnvmii
Jean has a sound of his own. Don't stop making music man
haim
Try out some Dominic fike similar vibes to a few of jeans songs and very good
ParrotPlays
truth
t d
@Nike Onanuga i saw him in santa ana last year and there was like 20 people. he was moshing with the crowd n shit for the last song lol