1. Jim White, a… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists with this name, including:
1. Jim White, a drummer in several bands: Xylouris White, a duo with lute player Giorgos Xylouris and Dirty Three; he has also played on records and toured with Marisa Anderson, Cat Power, Smog, P. J. Harvey, and Nina Nastasia (Nina Nastasia And Jim White).
https://www.xylouriswhite.com/
2. Jim White is a Southern Gothic alt-country singer-songwriter. He has released seven albums as a solo artist. While his music is based in Americana, he borrows elements from rock, rhythm and blues, and even electronica, often piecing sounds together in the lo-fi cut-and-paste fashion of artists like Tom Waits. His albums have featured a wide variety of collaborators, such as Victoria Williams, Morcheeba, Aimee Mann, Barenaked Ladies, and Joe Henry. He is signed to David Byrne's Luaka Bop label and appeared in the BBC documentary, Searching for the Wrong-Eyed Jesus, which looks at musicians inspired by the culture of the American South.
http://www.jimwhite.net/
http://www.myspace.com/officialjimwhite
Jailbird
Jim White Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And a girl in my heart and a state of mind
Jesus is the man with a plan
He's a short haired Mexican friend of mine
This small town crowd should've dragged you down
Can't leave your past behind
Wipers in the rain tap out time
I wanna be a jailbird
From the prison of my own damn mind
Gonna get me a fast car
Set out and see what I can find
Brick up the well of tears and disappear
Leave myself behind
Gonna be a jailbird
From the prison of my own damn mind
Midnight, take a short cut
Through the downtown cemetery
No stepping on graves
Check the statue of the Virgin Mary
She's catching moonlight in the shadows
Revealing spider webs
Can you see the black widow
Hung between our lady's hands?
I wanna be a jailbird
From the prison of my own damn mind
Gonna get me a fast car
Set out and see what I can find
Brick up the well of tears and disappear
Leave myself behind
Gonna be a jailbird
From the prison of my own damn mind
Now used to be when I was young
I was so hungry for oblivion
My thoughts would linger
Like fingers in a deadly web
But in time as sorrow showed it's face
In kind I learned to ache for grace
To work and pray to one day
Be delivered whole, alive and free
I wanna be a jailbird
From the prison of my own damn mind
Gonna get me a fast car
Set out and see what I can find
Brick up the well of tears and disappear
Leave myself behind
Gonna be a jailbird
From the prison of my own damn mind
At its core, Jim White's song "Jailbird" is about the overwhelming desire to break free from the self-imposed limitations of one's own mind. The opening lines of the song juxtapose Dixie, a southern state that represents both a source of pride and a painful history, with the singer's own state of mind. The singer acknowledges that just like Dixie can be both a scourge and a state of mind, their personal struggles can be both external and internal. The next line introduces Jesus as a friend and a mentor. The mention of his short hair and Mexican heritage suggests that the singer sees him as a counterpoint to more familiar versions of the savior. Together, the three images set the tone for the song - an introspective yearning that draws on familiar southern iconography while striving for a new way of seeing things.
The first verse focuses on the idea that one can't escape their past. The "small town crowd" represents the social structures and expectations that can make it difficult for someone to move beyond their history. The line "wipers in the rain tap out time / coming up on a new state line" suggests that the singer is driving away from something, but they know that they can't simply leave their problems behind. The chorus introduces the idea of being a "jailbird" - someone who is in prison but determined to find a way out. The singer sees their own mind as the prison, and they're eager to find a way to break free. The line "brick up the well of tears and disappear / leave myself behind" suggests that this journey will be difficult and require a great deal of sacrifice. In the second verse, the singer takes a shortcut through a cemetery at midnight. The graveyard represents death, but it's also a place where one can connect with the past in a more profound way. The Virgin Mary statue is another religious image, but it's surrounded by spider webs and a black widow. This contrasts with the earlier mention of Jesus, suggesting that even objects of devotion can be dangerous or corrupt. The final verse walks back some of the earlier ideas - the singer no longer craves oblivion, but instead hopes to find grace and freedom. This ties back to the ending of the chorus, which emphasizes the singer's desire to leave their old self behind and start anew.
Line by Line Meaning
Dixie is a scourge and a scar
To me, Dixie represents a combination of both pain and beauty. It reminds me of the scars of the deep south and the tragedies that have occurred there.
And a girl in my heart and a state of mind
Dixie is a state of mind and the memories of the girl who left me are intertwined with this region.
Jesus is the man with a plan
Jesus is my friend, the man who helps me to make sense of my life and my choices.
He's a short haired Mexican friend of mine
Jesus is my friend, but he is also an outsider in this community.
This small town crowd should've dragged you down
It seems like this small town would be suffocating, but I will not let it defeat me. I have to move on from my past.
Can't leave your past behind
The past is not always easy to escape from; sometimes it just drags you down.
Wipers in the rain tap out time
Life is like a metronome, and each tap is one second closer to the end.
Coming up on a new state line
When I cross this line, I will start anew and leave everything behind.
Brick up the well of tears and disappear
I have to let go of the past and forget the tears I shed while keeping all that pain hidden away in a box of my own making.
Leave myself behind
I have to leave behind the memories that haunt me and start new.
Midnight, take a short cut through the downtown cemetery
I am retracing the memory lanes of my past and looking for guidance in the midst of darkness and fear.
No stepping on graves, check the statue of the Virgin Mary
Some things should never be disturbed, and the statue of the Virgin Mary holds a special meaning for me.
She's catching moonlight in the shadows, revealing spider webs
There is something magical about the night and its darkness, and even the spider webs seem to be made of light.
Can you see the black widow, hung between our lady's hands?
This poisonous spider reminds me of the dangers that lurk in the shadows and the pain that can be caused by love.
Now used to be when I was young, I was so hungry for oblivion
When I was young, I wanted to forget everything and just let go. But now, I realize that there are things worth holding onto.
My thoughts would linger like fingers in a deadly web
My mind used to be consumed by my pain, making it difficult to escape from the grasp of my own thoughts.
But in time as sorrow showed its face, in kind I learned to ache for grace
As time passed and more pain came my way, I realized that I needed to seek something greater than myself, something that would bring me grace and redemption.
To work and pray to one day be delivered whole, alive and free
I believe that there is a lot of work and effort involved in achieving freedom from the scars of the past, but it is something that I strive for constantly.
I wanna be a jailbird from the prison of my own damn mind
I want to break the chains of my own thoughts and escape from the prison that I have built around myself.
Gonna get me a fast car, set out and see what I can find
I am going to start on this journey with fervor, seeking out new experiences and new opportunities.
Gonna be a jailbird from the prison of my own damn mind
I will continue to work towards escaping from the chains of my own mind, and if that means being a jailbird, then so be it.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Jim White
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WINTERS (musician)
Feel sorry for anyone not knowing this song. Love the story behind it, too.
Mizzie Morawez
Wonderful song about a feeling many can relalte to - not fitting in!
Simple, pure, authentic, heartfelt & a rare gemstone****
STI Rifle Slings
Gorgeous tune... thank you for being you, Jim White.
David Hardcastle
My favourite Jim White song - magical! Love it!
Ethan McGregor
Same here. Cheers (3 years after commenting ;) )
Patrick McCarthy
One of my favorite songs of Jim's. Great version.
Frank Vyvyan
Beautiful song and great harmonica playing which reminds me of Neil Young's Out On The Weekend.
K T
In my opinion one of the best lyricists of all time
Matthew Conroy
What a beautiful sad song. Thank you, Jim.
DreamingCatStudio
Exquisite song. Harp awesome too.