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).
Who Do You Love?
Joanne Shaw Taylor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
THE FIRE IS DOWN TO SMOKE
BURNT OUT, STRUNG OUT
TRYING NOT TO CHOKE
LEANING ON A LOVER
FOR DESIRE WE CAN'T RECOVER
I'M RUNNING ON THE FUMES
OF US BURNING UP TOO SOON
HANGING FROM THE WIRE
ON A LINE YOU SAID TO TREAD
TURNED ROUND, GOT SHOT DOWN
BY WORDS YOU NEVER SAID
I'M TRYING NOT TO FIGHT
CAUSE I LOVE THE GETTING HIGH
BUT THE WEIGHT OF MY WORLD
IS LITTLE MORE THAN SKY
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
IT'S NOT ME YOUR THINKING OF
JUST ANOTHER CANDLE
YOU CAN COUNT OUT IN THE WIND
JUST ANOTHER WAR
THAT WAS NEVER RAGED TO WIN
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
IT'S NOT ME YOUR THINKING OF
The lyrics of Joanne Shaw Taylor's song "Who Do You Love?" speak to the feelings of insecurity and doubt that can arise in relationships when one partner feels neglected or unimportant. The opening lines convey a sense of desperation, with the singer feeling burnt out and strung out, trying not to choke on the fumes of a relationship that burned too bright too soon. The line "leaning on a lover for desire we can't recover" suggests that the singer is clinging to a relationship that has lost its spark, desperately hoping to reignite the flame.
The second verse continues this theme of disappointment and frustration, with the singer feeling like they have been let down by someone they trusted. The line "turned round, got shot down by words you never said" suggests that the singer feels hurt by something that their partner failed to do or say, even though they never explicitly expressed their expectations. However, despite this pain, the singer is still willing to overlook their partner's shortcomings for the thrill and excitement of being in love.
The chorus of the song repeatedly asks the question "who do you love?" as if the singer suspects that their partner is in love with someone else. The repetition of this question drives home the singer's uncertainty and insecurity, and the line "it's not me you're thinking of" suggests that their fears may be rooted in reality.
Overall, "Who Do You Love?" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the complex emotions of love and heartbreak. It speaks to the universal human experience of longing for connection and validation, and the fear that we may not be enough for the people we love.
Line by Line Meaning
WAKE UP BABY
It's time to come out of your state of indifference
THE FIRE IS DOWN TO SMOKE
The passion in our relationship is dying out
BURNT OUT, STRUNG OUT
I'm exhausted and stressed out from trying to keep this relationship alive
TRYING NOT TO CHOKE
I'm struggling to keep going and not give up
LEANING ON A LOVER
I'm relying on you for support and comfort
FOR DESIRE WE CAN'T RECOVER
We've lost the love and passion we once had and we can't get it back
I'M RUNNING ON THE FUMES
I'm barely hanging on, with very little left to give
OF US BURNING UP TOO SOON
Our love burned out too quickly
HANGING FROM THE WIRE
I'm in a dangerous and precarious situation
ON A LINE YOU SAID TO TREAD
I trusted you and followed your lead, but it led me to a bad place
TURNED ROUND, GOT SHOT DOWN
You rejected me and left me feeling even worse
BY WORDS YOU NEVER SAID
Your silence hurt me more than anything you could have said
I'M TRYING NOT TO FIGHT
I don't want to argue, but it's hard not to when things are so bad
CAUSE I LOVE THE GETTING HIGH
I love the rush of our relationship, but it's not enough to sustain us
BUT THE WEIGHT OF MY WORLD
I'm carrying a heavy burden
IS LITTLE MORE THAN SKY
My hopes and dreams are all I have left
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
Who is it that you truly care for?
WHO DO YOU LOVE?
Who do you give your affection to?
IT'S NOT ME YOUR THINKING OF
I know that you're not thinking of me when you're with someone else
JUST ANOTHER CANDLE
I'm just a small and insignificant part of your life
YOU CAN COUNT OUT IN THE WIND
You can easily forget and discard me
JUST ANOTHER WAR
Our relationship is just another internal battle
THAT WAS NEVER RAGED TO WIN
That was never meant to be victorious
Contributed by Samuel P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.