Jeffrey Foucault (born January 1976 in Janesville, Wisconsin) is an America… Read Full Bio ↴Jeffrey Foucault (born January 1976 in Janesville, Wisconsin) is an American singer-songwriter grown out of the americana/folk troubadour tradition. Foucault's musical career was seeded at seventeen, when he began playing John Prine tunes on his father's beat up mail-order guitar, and spent long evenings in his bedroom, spinning piles of old records on a hand-me-down turntable. When he was 18 he stole a copy of Townes Van Zandt: Live and Obscure from a friend, and a few years later, having quit school to work as a farm-hand and a house-carpenter Foucault turned to writing songs.
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

Idaho
Jeffrey Foucault Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I know it isn't Idaho
Where the sun goes when it goes
Down, over the river

Strange birds on the fence line
It's going to get cold tonight
I know it isn't Idaho

How many shades of blue
Are dying from me to you?
Are the stars only soldered to the sky
Salt tears gone white and dry?

Who could leave it all behind
Metal flesh bone and brine?
I know it isn't Idaho

Horses heart blood and wine

That's the color of the sun when it's dying
Down, over the river, down, over the river

Overall Meaning

The Jeffrey Foucault song Idaho is a melancholy and introspective piece that explores themes of loss and displacement. The refrain "I know it isn't Idaho" is repeated throughout the song, but the meaning behind the sentiment is not immediately clear. The opening lines, "Where the sun goes when it goes down, over the river" evoke a sense of finality and suggest a farewell to someone or something that is being left behind, without any hope of return.

The second verse asks "How many shades of blue are dying from me to you?" which suggests a sense of loss or longing for a connection that has been lost. The lines "Are the stars only soldered to the sky, salt tears gone white and dry?" further describe the poet's sense of loneliness in the world. The final two verses describe the beauty of the surroundings, with "Strange birds on the fence line" and the "color of the sun when it's dying" being notable images. However, this beauty is tinged with sadness and regret.

Overall, the lyrics to Idaho are both haunting and emotionally resonant, reflecting a feeling of being lost and cut off from something meaningful.

Line by Line Meaning

I know it isn't Idaho
I am aware that this place is not Idaho

Where the sun goes when it goes
Idaho is a place where the sun sets beautifully

Down, over the river
The sun sets over the river in Idaho

Strange birds on the fence line
There are unusual birds sitting on the fence

It's going to get cold tonight
The weather is going to get chilly tonight

How many shades of blue
There are many shades of blue

Are dying from me to you?
Are we losing these shades of blue as we move apart?

Are the stars only soldered to the sky
Are the stars only fixed in the sky?

Salt tears gone white and dry?
Have our tears dried up already?

Who could leave it all behind
Who can just leave everything behind?