Joanne Shaw Taylor (born 1986, England) is a British blues rock guitarist a… Read Full Bio ↴Joanne Shaw Taylor (born 1986, England) is a British blues rock guitarist and singer, who was discovered by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics at the age of 16.

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).

The Dirty Truth
Joanne Shaw Taylor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

This can't be good, my baby's got that look again
Like he's about to come undone, grab his gun and count to ten
I'm in the line of fire, he's shooting sparks like a live wire
My love's grown old so he wants to throw my soul to the coals & fire

I've been careful where I'm treading,
Dreading the road that's ahead
He's depending on it ending with me winding up dead

He's up for raising hell
In his mind, I've been tried and ruled untrue

But he'll be the first to hit the ground
That's the low down
The dirty truth

I've tried to let it slide but he's defined by his foolish pride
He's in deep, he can't eat
I've tried to creep out while he's asleep
If he can't have me then no one will
But what he doesn't know is that I'd rather shoot
Than be killed

This can't be good, my baby's got that look again
I've just watched him come undone, grab his gun and he's three from ten
I've been wrestling with confessing but it's a blessing
that there's no proof
But I just shot my baby down

And that's the low down
The Dirty Truth

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Joanne Shaw Taylor's song "The Dirty Truth" explore a tumultuous relationship between two lovers, one of whom seems to be on the brink of violence due to pride and jealousy. The singer is aware of the danger she is in, as her partner is prone to explosive outbursts and has a gun. However, she also reveals that she is not entirely blameless in the situation, having contemplated her own violent response if she feels threatened.

The chorus describes the inevitable violent end to this volatile relationship. The line "He's up for raising hell, In his mind, I've been tried and ruled untrue" suggests that the male partner already sees the relationship as having ended, and is plotting his revenge. The singer recognizes that she cannot continue to evade his wrath, and ultimately decides to take matters into her own hands by shooting him.

Overall, the song highlights the destructive nature of jealousy and pride, and the danger of staying in an unhealthy relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

This can't be good, my baby's got that look again
I can see from his expression that he's about to do something dangerous or harmful.

Like he's about to come undone, grab his gun and count to ten
He's reaching the end of his rope and is ready to take extreme measures.

I'm in the line of fire, he's shooting sparks like a live wire
His anger is directed at me and is intense and unpredictable.

My love's grown old so he wants to throw my soul to the coals & fire
He's resentful that our love has changed and is willing to hurt me to make up for it.

I've been careful where I'm treading,
I've been aware of the danger and trying to avoid provoking him.

Dreading the road that's ahead
I'm afraid of what might happen and what I might need to do to protect myself.

He's depending on it ending with me winding up dead
He's hoping to kill me or for me to harm myself because of his actions.

He's up for raising hell
He's willing to cause chaos and destruction in pursuit of his goals.

In his mind, I've been tried and ruled untrue
He believes that I've betrayed him or am disloyal, and has already sentenced me.

But he'll be the first to hit the ground
He will be the one to feel the consequences of his actions first.

That's the low down
That's the unpleasant truth.

The dirty truth
The harsh reality that has been kept hidden until now.

I've tried to let it slide but he's defined by his foolish pride
I've tried to overlook some of his behavior, but it's clear that his ego won't let him change.

He's in deep, he can't eat
His obsession with me and his own anger is affecting his physical and emotional health.

I've tried to creep out while he's asleep
I've tried to escape from him without his knowledge or awareness.

If he can't have me then no one will
He would prefer that I die rather than be with anyone else.

But what he doesn't know is that I'd rather shoot
I am willing to use violence to defend myself and survive.

Than be killed
I value my own life and safety above everything else.

I've just watched him come undone, grab his gun and he's three from ten
He's on the verge of losing control and has already begun the countdown to his breakdown.

I've been wrestling with confessing but it's a blessing
I've been considering coming forward and taking responsibility for my actions, but it might be better if I don't.

that there's no proof
There's no evidence that I did what I did, and that might be enough to keep me out of trouble.

But I just shot my baby down
I've killed him in self-defense or to protect myself from harm.

And that's the low down
That's the unpleasant truth that I now have to face.

The Dirty Truth
The reality of what I've done and what I've been through is finally coming to light.

Contributed by David F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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