Taylor has toured Europe with the supergroup D.U.P. with fellow band members Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Candy Dulfer (Prince), Mudbone Cooper (Parliment-Funkadelic) and Jimmy Cliff. If you can imagine the love child of Stevie Ray Vaughan and Dusty Springfield then you are beginning to get a feel for Taylor's mixture of fiery guitar playing, sultry vocals and 100% pure soul. But unlike many other young phenoms, she has quickly developed a resumé to back up the hype. Born and raised amidst the coal mines of Britain's Black Country, she picked up a guitar and got turned on to the blues as a very young teenager.
Dave Stewart first discovered Joanne when he saw her play at the tender age of 16. He describes his reaction as follows. 'I have played with all sorts of blues musicians all over the world, such as R.L. Burnside and Jesse-Mae Hemphill. I heard something I thought I would never hear, a British white girl playing blues guitar so deep and passionately it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end! Not only was I in total shock but it took me a good few minutes to ask her how long she had been playing like that. "A few years," she replied. "How old are you now?" "Sixteen." I woke up a few seconds later on the floor.'
Taylor has toured the U.K. with her own band since she was 14, headlining top clubs such as Ronnie Scott's and the Marquee; she has also performed at several of the top European festivals, playing alongside many of her heroes like B.B. King. It is a safe bet that Taylor is the only teenage girl invited to sit in on one of Bill Wymans recording sessions.
Her own writing has led her to something beyond the blues, a soulful mix of roots and pop influences sung in a haunting smoky voice. Taylor has written with Bruce McCabe (Jonny Lang) and grammy winning songwriter/producer Kevin Bowe (Jonny Lang, Etta James, Paul Westerberg).
Dead And Gone
Joanne Shaw Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
SAT RIGHT DOWN
WATCHED ME WADE IN THE WATER
THEN HE WATCHED ME DROWN
THE THINGS HE HAD TO SAY
HE'S RIGHT AND I WILL PAY
(I FEAR) THIS OL' WORLD
WON'T HOLD ME ANOTHER DAY
SOON I'LL BE GONE
IF THATS WHAT HE
WANTS IT WON'T BE LONG
WHEN THE MORNING COMES
I'LL BE DEAD AND GONE
WHEN THE MORNING COMES
I'LL BE DEAD AND GONE
WHEN THE MORNING COMES
I'LL BE DEAD AND GONE
THERE'S SIN'S SOLD TO MY NAME
I HOLD MY HEAD HIGH TO THE BLAME
MAKES NO ODDS TO ARGUE
IF THE OUTCOMES STILL THE SAME
I'M NOT RIGHTOUS OR MISLEAD
I'LL BE BURNED FOR WHAT I DID
BUT THE HEALING'S WORTH THE HURT
IF THE HURT IS NOT MISREAD
The lyrics of Joanne Shaw Taylor's "Dead and Gone" are a reflection of a person's struggles and fears. The first verse describes the devil watching the singer wading in the water, waiting to watch them drown. The devil's presence represents the singer's internal conflicts and fears, as they feel as though they are being watched and judged.
The second verse talks about how the singer is resigned to their fate. They know they have committed sins and are ready to take responsibility for their actions. The singer has reconciled with their past and is at peace with the consequences of their actions, even if that means death.
The chorus talks about how the singer will be dead and gone, implying their acceptance of their fate. They know that their sins have caught up with them, and they are ready to face the consequences, no matter how harsh they may be.
Overall, the lyrics capture the struggle between sin and redemption, and the human desire to be accepted and forgiven for our wrongdoings.
Line by Line Meaning
DEVIL CAME IN
The singer is referring to a negative presence that arrived
SAT RIGHT DOWN
The presence settled down and stayed to watch
WATCHED ME WADE IN THE WATER
The presence observed the singer as they entered a difficult or challenging situation
THEN HE WATCHED ME DROWN
The artist was unable to overcome the challenge and the negative presence watched the artist fail
THE THINGS HE HAD TO SAY
The negative presence had criticisms or warnings for the artist
HE'S RIGHT AND I WILL PAY
The singer acknowledges the validity of the negative presence's critique and expects to face consequences for their actions
(I FEAR) THIS OL' WORLD WON'T HOLD ME ANOTHER DAY
The singer feels that they do not have a place in the world and that they may face an untimely death
SOON I'LL BE GONE
The artist anticipates an imminent departure or death
IF THATS WHAT HE
The artist considers the desires or intentions of the negative presence
WANTS IT WON'T BE LONG
The artist expects that their death will come soon if it is the desire of the negative presence
WHEN THE MORNING COMES
A future point in time is referenced
I'LL BE DEAD AND GONE
The artist will have died by the time the referenced future point arrives
THERE'S SIN'S SOLD TO MY NAME
The singer acknowledges past wrongdoing
I HOLD MY HEAD HIGH TO THE BLAME
The singer takes responsibility for their actions and is not ashamed
MAKES NO ODDS TO ARGUE
The singer sees no need to dispute their guilt or the consequences they face
IF THE OUTCOMES STILL THE SAME
The artist is resigned to their fate even if they had acted differently in the past
I'M NOT RIGHTOUS OR MISLEAD
The artist acknowledges that they are not morally superior or especially wise
I'LL BE BURNED FOR WHAT I DID
The singer expects to face dire consequences for their past actions
BUT THE HEALING'S WORTH THE HURT
The singer believes that enduring the consequences will ultimately lead to spiritual healing
IF THE HURT IS NOT MISREAD
The artist knoees that the consequences are painful but necessary to achieve long-term spiritual relief
Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.