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
Pretty Girl in a Small Town
Jeffrey Foucault Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was nowhere you could stay
Save your red ears, fingers flushed
Lay them on the back of my neck
Tea with honey, tell me who
Bent the branch inside of you?
A dark and silent waiting in your eyes
Promise me you'll never do it
No one likes to see you down
Or hold your head too high or ever say goodbye
Once you've been the homecoming queen
I used to wait to see your lights
Run my wall those late spring nights
When nothing else was real as trying
To keep your heart above high water
The lyrics to Jeffrey Foucault's song Pretty Girl in a Small Town depict a story of a girl living in a small town, who is admired by the singer. They used to walk together to escape the mundane life of the small town. The girl seems to be struggling with something, as she has a dark and silent waiting in her eyes. The singer tries to comfort her, asking her who or what caused the pain she's feeling. The chorus of the song speaks to the girl's reputation in the town - she was once the homecoming queen, and others don't like to see her down. However, the singer promises to be there for her, no matter what.
The bridge of the song speaks to the singer's admiration for the girl. He used to wait to see her lights at night and would imagine her running her hands on his wall. The last line of the bridge speaks to the power of the girl's presence in the singer's life - to him, keeping her heart above high water is the only thing that matters.
Overall, the lyrics of Pretty Girl in a Small Town paint a picture of a girl who is struggling in a small town, who the singer admires and promises to support. The song speaks to the power of empathy, and the importance of being there for others in their time of need.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to walk to get away
Walking was our escape from reality
There was nowhere you could stay
There was no place you felt truly at home
Save your red ears, fingers flushed
You've been out in the cold for so long your ears and fingers hurt
Lay them on the back of my neck
Let me comfort you by warming your cold hands on my neck
Tea with honey, tell me who
Let's have a warm drink and talk about what's troubling you
Bent the branch inside of you?
What has caused you to feel broken on the inside?
A dark and silent waiting in your eyes
Your eyes portray sadness and a sense of waiting
Promise me you'll never do it
Promise me you won't harm yourself
Pretty girl in a small town
You are beautiful but live in a small town where everyone knows everyone's business
No one likes to see you down
No one wants to see you sad or struggling
Or hold your head too high or ever say goodbye
Don't act like you're above everyone else and don't leave us behind
Once you've been the homecoming queen
You were once the most popular girl in school, but that doesn't matter anymore
I used to wait to see your lights
I used to wait for you to turn on your bedroom lights to know you were okay
Run my wall those late spring nights
I used to run along the wall outside your house on warm spring nights
When nothing else was real as trying
Those nights were all about trying to keep your spirits up
To keep your heart above high water
To keep you from drowning in your emotions
Contributed by Lillian I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.