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
Starlight and Static
Jeffrey Foucault Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a city in the footlights
Shining in the darkness
I couldn't see your eyes
They all thought they knew you
But nobody knew you
And I wanted no one
To know me too
I saw you out there
In the starlight and static
Singing like the spark
On a mile of coiled wire
But you looked so lonely
Like no one was ever lonely
And I wanted to be
Lonely too
I remember once you told me
You had a dream
A crowded street
You saw the ghost of James Dean
But no one could see him
No one could see him
And he cried in his love
I saw you standing
Up against a building
Smoking like a river
In the dark before the dawn
And I asked you for nothing
And you became nothing
You were just a ghost
And then the ghost was gone
In "Starlight and Static," Jeffrey Foucault describes his experience of seeing someone who captivated him. The singer is in a darkened room or theater when they first lay their eyes on this mysterious person. The person is on stage, and their brilliance is compared to that of a city in the footlights. From where the singer stands, they can't see the person's eyes, but they still feel drawn to them. Despite how well-known the person may be, the singer feels that they are still a stranger to everyone, and they want to help preserve that sense of mystery.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you up there*
I noticed your presence
Like a city in the footlights
You stood out like a shining city on a stage
Shining in the darkness
You lit up the darkness around you
I couldn't see your eyes
I couldn't tell what you were thinking
They all thought they knew you
People assumed they understood you
But nobody knew you
In reality, nobody truly knew you
And I wanted no one
I didn't want anyone
To know me too
To get to know me on a deeper level
I saw you out there
I saw you from a distance
In the starlight and static
Amidst the twinkling stars and noise
Singing like the spark
You sang with passion and intensity
On a mile of coiled wire
With energy and tension
But you looked so lonely
You appeared lonely despite your performance
Like no one was ever lonely
As if nobody ever felt as lonely as you did
And I wanted to be
I felt drawn to feeling
Lonely too
The same loneliness you felt
I remember once you told me
I recall a time you shared a dream with me
You had a dream
You had a vision or goal
A crowded street
A heavily populated area
You saw the ghost of James Dean
You witnessed an otherworldly presence
But no one could see him
Others could not perceive the presence
And he cried in his love
The ghost expressed emotions of love through tears
I saw you standing
I saw you standing again
Up against a building
Leaning on a building structure
Smoking like a river
Smoke flowing like a river around you
In the dark before the dawn
Just before the sunrise
And I asked you for nothing
I made no demands or requests of you
And you became nothing
You were easily forgotten
You were just a ghost
You were just a remnant of a memory
And then the ghost was gone
You faded away into the morning light
Contributed by Gianna S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.