Jimmy started his career in 1987 with the QMI/MCA debut release Kick the Wall by Jimmy Davis & Junction. The title song and first single “Kick the Wall” was a top 40 AOR hit as well as an MTV hit video. The group was known for its live appearances and toured all over America.
In 1996, Davis, with guitarist and Junction bandmate Tommy Burroughs, re-formed The Riverbluff Clan, a Memphis rockin'-country-bluegrass outfit from the ‘70's. The band released two critically acclaimed independent CDs. The Clan also appeared in the award winning independent film The Poor & Hungry, directed by Craig Brewer (Hustle and Flow), performing Davis' "Honeysuckle and Kudzu."
In 2004, Jimmy made his solo debut with a CD of self-penned songs entitled Jimmy Daddy's Acoustic Song List. Songs like "Grandmother's Quilt," "Devil's Den," "I Gotta Roll" and "Waiting in the Wings" honor every style of music Davis has ever approached. The Commercial Appeal called it "an unassuming triumph and as honest a record as you're likely to hear."
March of 2006 brought Campfire Songs to the world. It features Jack Holder, Tommy Burroughs, Jim Dickinson, Reba Russell, Alvin Youngblood Hart, Susan Marshall, Richard Bailey, Cowboy Eddie Long and the River Bluff Clan. As the title implies, some songs were actually written around the campfire on hiking and camping trips. Bluegrass and country, stories and hauntings, it's all here.
An Invitation to Love
Jimmy Davis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I set out to build the monuments that would surely win love's favour
And when the work was complete,
I penned an invitation, beseeching love to come
Love, I have gilded you a palace, bedecked with roses and with ivy
Thy place of rest within I have scented with jasmine
and with frankincense
If you will join me to dine, I will have my cooks prepare succulent meats
My minstrels will compose epic odes to honour thee and, dancing girls
with sparkling eyes will whirl for thy delight
Say you will come honour my great offering
I sealed the invitation and hired the swiftest couriers in the land,
And they returned that very day, with love's reply in hand
I am busy working in the fields, enjoy your finery
My hot tears of shame fell freely upon love's brief and brutal note
The truth hurts and the truth cuts quick to the very core
I saw the magnitude of my folly and with self loathing boiled
Sinking, sobbing to the floor like a child
that has disappointed its mother
I barely noticed the muddied servant who tried to help me up
'Leave me, I am nothing!' I cried out in bitter grief
Seeking to offer my burning pain as fresh sacrifice to love
But the servant persisted, and bringing me to my knees,
asked in a soft and gentle tone, 'if you are nothing,
then with whom will I share the feasting
and the revels this invitation promised?'
My heart skipped a beat as the moment's truth flooded me
Love's ineffable infinity, where words cease to have meaning,
washing over me in wave upon wave
I pressed my lips to love's feet, my tears falling joyous now
as wordless offerings of gratitude
Love raised me up, embarcing me, beaming a smile
that would inspire starlight
He said, 'my child this smile is for you.
I have plenty more for the stars'
But come, let us eat, let us play, let us grow,
let us sing, let us make music
For the truth is my child,
Existence, is the sound, of LOVE
In this song, the singer longs for the love and grace of a personified Love. To win Love's favor, the singer builds a grand palace, scents it with jasmine and frankincense, and prepares a feast with succulent meats, honey treats, and dahls beyond compare. The singer writes an invitation to Love, asking Love to come honor the great offering. The response from Love is brief and brutal: Love is busy working in the fields and the singer is left with tears of shame for their stunning amount of self-loathing. The singer sinks to the floor, barely noticing the muddied servant who tries to help them up.
In a moment of realization, the singer understands that the true offering of love is the sharing of feasting and revels with another. Love is infinite and ineffable, and the singer presses their lips to Love's feet, offering wordless gratitude. Love raises the singer up, embracing them and beaming a smile that inspires starlight. Love invites the singer to eat, play, grow, sing, and make music because the truth is that existence is the sound of love.
The lyrics of this song are poetic and profound, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and self-realization. It speaks to the human condition of struggling to win the affections of others, only to find that the true offering of love is the sharing of joy and connection with another. The song also suggests that love is infinite and ineffable, with no words that can fully describe it.
Line by Line Meaning
I wished that love would visit me, and bestow upon me grace
I longed for love to come and bless me with its grace
So I set out to build the monuments that would surely win love's favour
I endeavored to construct impressive structures that would surely win love's favor
And when the work was complete, I penned an invitation, beseeching love to come
After completing the task, I wrote a letter inviting love to join me
Love, I have gilded you a palace, bedecked with roses and with ivy. Thy place of rest within I have scented with jasmine and with frankincense
Love, I have embellished a splendid palace for you, ornamented with roses and ivy. The dwelling is filled with the fragrances of jasmine and frankincense
If you will join me to dine, I will have my cooks prepare succulent meats and honey treats, and dahls beyond compare
If you will accept my invitation, I will be pleased to have my cooks prepare a mouthwatering meal for you, with flavorful meats, sweet honey desserts, and unmatched dahls
My minstrels will compose epic odes to honour thee and, dancing girls with sparkling eyes will whirl for thy delight
In your honor, my musicians will create grand songs, and delightful dancers with sparkling eyes will twirl for your amusement
Say you will come honour my great offering
Please let me know you will come and appreciate my grand gesture
I sealed the invitation and hired the swiftest couriers in the land, And they returned that very day, with love's reply in hand
I sent the letter and hired the fastest messengers in the area. They brought love's response back on the same day
I am busy working in the fields, enjoy your finery
I cannot attend your occasion as I am already engaged in working in the fields. Have a good time with your extravagance
My hot tears of shame fell freely upon love's brief and brutal note
I was ashamed, and my tears flowed profusely when love's message was short and harsh
The truth hurts and the truth cuts quick to the very core
The truth can hurt and pierce deeply into one's soul
I saw the magnitude of my folly and with self loathing boiled sinking, sobbing to the floor like a child that has disappointed its mother
I realized how foolish I was, and with self-hatred, I broke down to the ground, weeping like a disappointed child
I barely noticed the muddied servant who tried to help me up 'Leave me, I am nothing!' I cried out in bitter grief
I scarcely noticed a dirty servant trying to help me up. I yelled in anguish, 'Let me be, I am worthless!'
Seeking to offer my burning pain as fresh sacrifice to love
I aimed to present my intense agony as a new sacrifice to love
But the servant persisted, and bringing me to my knees, asked in a soft and gentle tone, 'if you are nothing, then with whom will I share the feasting and the revels this invitation promised?'
The servant kept pursuing me, and helping me kneel, asked in a sympathetic, friendly voice, 'If you are nothing, then who will join me in enjoying the food and festivities you promised?'
My heart skipped a beat as the moment's truth flooded me Love's ineffable infinity, where words cease to have meaning, washing over me in wave upon wave
I was stunned and filled with recognition as a profound realization flooded me. Love's boundless, indescribable limitlessness washed over me like waves, beyond language
I pressed my lips to love's feet, my tears falling joyous now as wordless offerings of gratitude
I kissed love's feet with my lips, and my tears dropped joyfully as an expression of my thankfulness, beyond words
Love raised me up, embracing me, beaming a smile that would inspire starlight
Love lifted me up, hugged me, and shone a smile that could motivate starlight
He said, 'my child this smile is for you. I have plenty more for the stars'. But come, let us eat, let us play, let us grow, let us sing, let us make music
Love said, 'My child, this smile is for you. I have countless more for the stars. But now, come, let us have food, fun, and celebration. Let us grow, sing, and create music'
For the truth is my child, Existence, is the sound, of LOVE
Because the truth, my child, is that LIFE itself is the sound of LOVE
Contributed by Hunter L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.