Lowe was born into a coal-mining family with Irish roots, and raised in County Durham, England, where he grew up witnessing the decline of the coal-mining industry that had defined the region's economic profile for generations. A great many of Lowe's compositions address the economic distress that the North Country has suffered as a result of this industrial decline, and the social repercussions thereof. "Galloways," "Nearer to Nettles," and "These Coal Town Days" are among the songs that directly address economic conditions. In the much larger category of social impact songs, well known Lowe compositions are "Big Meeting Day," "Greek Lightning," and "Last of the Widows." Numerous other songs by Lowe deal with the general issues of poverty and limited social opportunity in the region. This may give the impression that Lowe is a deadly serious singer-songwriter and he is, but the seriousness is leavened by an ever-present sense of humour.
In addition to singing his songs, Lowe accompanies himself and The Bad Pennies on guitar, harmonica, cittern, and piano.
The Lazarus Dance
Jez Lowe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back to soar the sky another day,
And music tricked the sick and lame get up and out of bed,
And Lazarus up and dancing as the band began to play.
The band was manned by Django and the whole damn Tamla crew,
Sir Duke arching his brows across the keys,
I stretched my neck to check them out, on drums was Chris Makuch,
George and John were mortal, singing love songs in the wings,
Judy, Jimi and Jesus followed suit,
And Marilyn walked past us arm in arm with Dr. King,
And Lazarus up and dancing raised his fist in bold salute.
Me dad was pulling pints for all the shift of fifty one,
Me mother came in, a rose in summer bloom,
Me father grabbed her like he did before I came along,
And Lazarus up and dancing shouted "Johnny, get a room!"
The Kennedys in the corner shouted "Order for a song!"
And closed the night with "The Holy Ground once more",
Mandela and Peter Bellamy stood to harmonise along,
And Lazarus up and dancing was the last man on the floor
Lazarus called who's up for dancing,
I want you's all to get up on your feet,
Lazarus called What's better than dreaming?
You never know who a feller could meet.
The song "The Lazarus Dance" by Jez Lowe has a surreal and dreamlike quality to it as it tells the story of watching the phoenix rise and Lazarus coming back to life to dance. The music is described as a healing power, helping people overcome their ailments and illnesses. The band members are a mix of famous names from different genres and time periods, such as Django and Sir Duke, creating an eclectic and mesmerizing sound. Lazarus, who was once dead, is now up and dancing and falls to his knees like Elvis. Other historical figures are also mentioned, such as George and John singing love songs, Jimi Hendrix, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
The setting of the song is in a pub, with the singer's parents present, and the Kennedys ordering a song. The song ends with people harmonizing along and Lazarus being the last one on the dance floor. The chorus repeats the words "Lazarus called who's up for dancing, I want you's all to get up on your feet," emphasizing the joy and celebration of being alive and dancing.
The song is a beautiful representation of how music can heal and bring people together. It also shows how in dream logic, historical figures and different genres of music can coexist and collaborate to create something magical. The mention of Lazarus, who was raised from the dead in the Bible, adds a spiritual undertone to the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I dreamed I saw the phoenix rising overhead,
In my dream, I witnessed the mythical bird, phoenix, flying high up in the sky once again, representing hope and renewal.
Back to soar the sky another day,
The phoenix was energized and ready to take on the world, symbolizing the idea that there is always another chance to soar and excel.
And music tricked the sick and lame get up and out of bed,
The power of music was so strong that it could motivate those who were physically ill or struggling to get out of bed, into a state of motion.
And Lazarus up and dancing as the band began to play.
Lazarus, a biblical character who had risen from the dead, was excited by the music and started dancing with renewed energy.
The band was manned by Django and the whole damn Tamla crew,
A group of talented musicians, including Django, were in charge of playing the music and entertaining the crowd.
Sir Duke arching his brows across the keys,
The legendary musician, Sir Duke, was intently focused on playing the piano and creating beautiful music.
I stretched my neck to check them out, on drums was Chris Makuch,
The singer was curious about the band members and noticed that Chris was playing the drums particularly well.
And Lazarus up and dancing fell like Elvis to his knees.
Lazarus was dancing so hard that he fell to his knees, much like the iconic musician Elvis Presley.
George and John were mortal, singing love songs in the wings,
The famous duo, George Harrison and John Lennon, were singing love songs offstage, highlighting the fact that they were still human beings despite their fame.
Judy, Jimi and Jesus followed suit,
Other legendary figures such as Judy Garland, Jimi Hendrix, and Jesus Christ were also present in the dream.
And Marilyn walked past us arm in arm with Dr. King,
The iconic actress Marilyn Monroe was seen walking with civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
And Lazarus up and dancing raised his fist in bold salute.
Lazarus was so caught up in the energy of the moment that he raised his fist in a powerful salute.
Me dad was pulling pints for all the shift of fifty one,
The singer's father was working as a bartender and serving beer to everyone in the room who was born in 1951.
Me mother came in, a rose in summer bloom,
The singer's mother entered the room, looking beautiful with a rose in full bloom like summer.
Me father grabbed her like he did before I came along,
The singer's father was affectionate towards his wife, much like he was before their child was born.
And Lazarus up and dancing shouted 'Johnny, get a room!'
Lazarus was feeling playful and joked with the couple, telling them to find a private room.
The Kennedys in the corner shouted 'Order for a song!',
Members of the Kennedy family were present and requested a song to be played.
And closed the night with 'The Holy Ground once more',
The night ended with the song 'The Holy Ground' being played for the last time.
Mandela and Peter Bellamy stood to harmonise along,
Nelson Mandela and Peter Bellamy joined in on the singing, creating beautiful harmonies.
And Lazarus up and dancing was the last man on the floor
Lazarus kept dancing until the very end, becoming the last person on the dance floor.
Lazarus called who's up for dancing,
Lazarus made a call for everyone to join him on the dance floor.
I want you's all to get up on your feet,
He urged everyone to stand up and move to the music.
Lazarus called What's better than dreaming?
Lazarus questioned what could possibly be better than the experience of being in a dream-like state.
You never know who a feller could meet.
He pointed out the possibility of meeting unexpected people or experiencing new things while having such a great time.
Contributed by John N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.