Born: 1960s
Origin: Kansas City, Missouri
Genres: a… Read Full Bio ↴Jeff Black
Born: 1960s
Origin: Kansas City, Missouri
Genres: alternative, folk, singer-songwriter
Instruments: vocals, guitar, banjo, piano, harmonica
Years active 1990s - present
Label: Lotos Nile Music
Website: jeffblack.com
Jeff Black is an American singer-songwriter. After critically acclaimed commercial releases on label homes, fan favorite independent releases on his own Lotos Nile Music imprint, song placement on numerous independent films, thirty plus years of celebrated live performing and songs covered by artists as diverse as Alison Krauss, Waylon Jennings, Sam Bush, Blackhawk, Jerry Douglas, John Oates and Dierks Bentley, Jeff Black is recognized as a pioneer in the modern music industry. As an influential independent artist, Boston’s WUMB listeners voted Jeff Black as one of the top 100 most important Folk artists of the last 25 years. Continuing to evolve as a master songwriter and performer in the tradition of the great storytellers, his passionate, soul driven live performances of songs from his vast catalog are not to be missed.
Biography
Jeff Black was born circa 1960 and grew up in Kansas City, Missouri. Black received his first guitar as a present for his tenth birthday. In his twenties Black began performing at Blayney's, a Kansas City blues club where he also worked as a bouncer. Soon Black began touring and eventually relocated to Nashville, Tennessee after receiving a letter from Iris DeMent (Black lends some backing vocals on DeMent's 1992 debut album, Infamous Angel).
Black's own first album, Birmingham Road, was recorded with the members of the band Wilco, minus lead singer, Jeff Tweedy. The songs have been described as "fine portraits of American life without the sappiness or self-consciousness often attributed to the singer/songwriter genre. In 2007 Boston's WUMB listeners voted Jeff Black as one of the top 100 most important Folk artists of the last 25 years.
Discography
* Birmingham Road | Arista 1998
* Honey And Salt | Lotos Nile Music Released 2003
* B-Sides And Confessions Vol. I | Lotos Nile Music Released 2003
* Tin Lily | Lotos Nile Music Released 2003
* Mining | Lotos Nile Music Released 2007
* Sleepy Town | Lotos Nile Music Released 2008
* Christmas Sunshine | Lotos Nile Music Released 2009
* Plow Through The Mystic | Lotos Nile Music Released 2011
* B-Sides and Confessions Vol. 2 | Lotos Nile Music Released 2013
* Folklore | Lotos Nile Music Released 2014
1. Ronnie Lankford, Jr. "Review: Tin Lily", Allmusic 3.5/5 stars
2. Melissa Block, "Singer as DJ: Jeff Black's Podcasts", All Things Considered,
National Public Radio, August 9, 2005
3. Arthur Wood, "From Missouri to Nashville", FolkWax (link requires free subscription)
4. Charlotte Dillon, "Jeff Black: Biography", Allmusic
5. James Chrispell, "Review: Birmingham Road", Allmusic 4/5 stars
6. Arthur Wood, "Review: Honey and Salt, FolkWax, June 11, 2003 (8 out of 10)
7. Arthur Wood, "Review: B Sides and Confessions" , FolkWax, March 26, 2003 (9 out of 10)
8. Arthur Wood, "Another Winner from Jeff Black" (Review of Tin Lily), FolkWax, July 28, 2005
Lemonade
Jeff Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A crocodile a crocodile
Sitting in the mouth of a crocodile
With a glass of lemonade
Fishing for shrimp in a hurricane
A hurricane a hurricane
Fishing for shrimp in a hurricane
Sweet and sour sugar bliss
Tastes just like pure happiness
Pucker up for the perfect kiss
Do you like lemonade
Elephant stepping on my little toe
On my pinky toe yes me thinky so
Elephant standing on my little toe
Let's make some lemonade
Lemon and water and the sugar's fine
The sugar's fine the sugar's fine
Lemon and water and the sugar's fine
Lets make some lemonade
The lyrics for Jeff Black's song "Lemonade" offers a dream-like quality with surreal imagery. The song can be interpreted from various angles since it offers glimpses of different experiences, with lemonade being the only constant. It begins by stating that the singer is sitting in the mouth of a crocodile, drinking lemonade. This can be seen as a metaphor for taking risks, as the crocodile's mouth is a dangerous place to be. But the sweet and sour taste of the lemonade, representing happiness, makes it feel worth it. Similarly, fishing for shrimp in a hurricane is another dangerous activity but, contrasted with the joy of tasting lemonade, it implies that the thrill is worth the risk. The song also mentions an elephant stepping on the singer's little toe, but this too becomes an opportunity to make lemonade with a simple recipe of lemon, water, and sugar.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the taste of lemonade as sweet and sour sugar bliss, which is like pure happiness. The song uses lemonade as a metaphor for finding the sweet moments despite challenging circumstances. The song emphasizes the importance of finding joy even in difficult situations. The simple recipe of lemon and sugar is also symbolic of taking something sour and turning it into something sweet. Overall, the song portrays a sense of childlike wonder and perspective on life, emphasizing the need to focus on the bright side of life instead of dwelling on the negative.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting in the mouth of a crocodile
I feel like I'm in a dangerous situation
A crocodile a crocodile
There's a literal crocodile nearby, emphasizing the danger
With a glass of lemonade
But I'm trying to stay calm and enjoy myself anyway
Fishing for shrimp in a hurricane
I'm trying to do something difficult in the midst of chaos
A hurricane a hurricane
Again, emphasizing the level of chaos and danger
Sweet and sour sugar bliss
Drinking lemonade is providing a very enjoyable, contrasting experience
Tastes just like pure happiness
Lemonade is a small, but significant source of joy in the midst of all the chaos and danger
Pucker up for the perfect kiss
Drinking lemonade is almost like a romantic experience
Do you like lemonade
An invitation for someone else to share in this small source of joy
Elephant stepping on my little toe
Another example of a painful or difficult situation
On my pinky toe yes me thinky so
A silly way of saying that it definitely happened
Elephant standing on my little toe
Re-stating the painful or difficult situation
Let's make some lemonade
Despite the difficulties, let's focus on finding joy and making the best of the situation
Lemon and water and the sugar's fine
Simple ingredients that can come together to create something enjoyable, despite the chaos and danger around us
The sugar's fine the sugar's fine
Emphasizing that it's important to find the 'sweet' moments in life, even in difficult situations
Lets make some lemonade
Re-stating the idea that we can find joy and positivity even in the midst of chaos
Contributed by Brayden Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.