Foucault is married to fellow singer/songwriter Kris Delmhorst.
No Depression Magazine describes him as: "the bard of small-town anywhere... his poetry rich with details ... his worn-in voice like an old down jacket... frayed... gritted... plaintive poetry in the troubadour tradition... delivery so raw and real it fairly throbs."
His 2001 debut album, Miles from the Lightning, won much praise from critics and helped to kick-start a career of tours across the United States, Canada, and Europe. MOJO praised Miles as "A striking debut. [Foucault] comes out sounding like the love-child of Chris Whitley and Kelly Joe Phelps... strong songs, a voice and blues guitar that sound wiser than his years." Along the way, he has played with such artists as Guy Clark, Greg Brown, Gillian Welch, Todd Snider, Chris Smither, and Rosanne Cash.
In 2003, Foucault, Delmhorst, and Peter Mulvey released an album entitled Redbird. Foucault's 2004 album, Stripping Cane, was produced by David "Goody" Goodrich, and included collaborations with Redbird's Mulvey and Delmhorst.
In 2006, Foucault released his third solo album, Ghost Repeater. Produced by Bo Ramsey, the album includes guest appearances by Dave Moore on harp and accordion and Son Volt's Eric Heywood on pedal steel.
In 2009 he released his tribute to John Prine: "Shoot the Moon Right Between the Eyes: Jeffrey Foucault Sings the Songs of John Prine"
In 2010 Foucault released "Cold Satellite"; and in 2011 "Horse Latitudes".
www.jeffreyfoucault.com
Heart to the Husk
Jeffrey Foucault Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Let them writhe
The love and the lack
Let the blue meet the black
Let my words become fire
I burned your letters
Cold or kind
From the heart to the husk
Every word became fire
We dream our love
For a while
Into flesh out of dust
The rage and the rust
All gone as it came
Please tell me something
I want to know
Where does love go?
In the song "Heart to the Husk" by Jeffrey Foucault, the lyrics are reflective of a relationship that has ended, with the singer asking for his letters to be burned and suggesting that the love and lack within them should be consumed by flames. He mentions that he has already burned the letters he received in return by a river at dusk, indicating that he too has let go of the memories associated with their relationship. The use of fire and destruction in the lyrics symbolizes the end of the passion and intensity that was once present between the two lovers.
The singer then reflects on how love can be so consuming in the moment, but once it's gone, it leaves behind only "the husk," a shell of what used to be. He wonders where love goes after it's gone, questioning if it just disappears into nothingness. The song's theme of loss and heartache is compounded by the haunting melody and stripped-down instrumentation, emphasizing the raw emotions expressed in the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
Please burn my letters
I am asking you to burn the letters I wrote to you
Let them writhe
Let the letters twist and turn
The love and the lack
The feelings of love and emptiness
Let the blue meet the black
Let the sadness merge with darkness
Let my words become fire
Let my words burn and turn into flames
I burned your letters
I already burned the letters you wrote to me
Cold or kind
Whether they were mean or nice
By a river at dusk
I burned them by a river during sunset
From the heart to the husk
From deep emotions to ashes
Every word became fire
Each word on the paper turned into flames
We dream our love
We imagine love
For a while
For some time
Into flesh out of dust
From nothing to tangible emotions
The rage and the rust
The anger and deterioration
All gone as it came
Everything disappeared as quickly as it came
Please tell me something
I'm asking you to share something with me
I want to know
I'm curious to learn
Where does love go?
I want to know what happens to love after it fades away
Writer(s): jeffrey foucault
Contributed by Taylor S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jefffourez
Tragic and beautiful. The opening riff has been my ringtone for years.
@ryhisner
This one and "Goners Most" from that album are as good as it gets. Both are among Foucault's five best songs ever, and that's saying something.
@amandaleopold1687
I burned your letters Cold or kind By a river at dusk From the heart to the husk Every word became fire...beautiful and poetic.
@Swordfish7952
It’s a perfect song.
Poem
@fabreezy1969
so many emotions show in this song i literally balled it was that damn beautiful...