Bonamassa was born in Utica, New York. He started playing guitar at age four, encouraged by his father, who was an avid music fan and exposed him to British blues rock records by Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck, greatly inspiring him. At 11 years old Joe was mentored and trained by American guitar legend, Danny Gatton. When he was 12 years old, he had his own band called Smokin' Joe Bonamassa, which gigged around western New York and Pennsylvania, including cities such as Scranton and Buffalo, but only on weekends since Joe had school on weekdays. Bonamassa played a crimson 1972 Fender Stratocaster he called "Rosie", which his father had bought in Utica, New York.
When he was 12 years old, Bonamassa opened for B.B. King. In the last 13 years Bonamassa has put out 15 solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which 11 have reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues charts. Bonamassa has played alongside such artists as Stephen Stills, Eric Clapton, Blondie Chaplin, Foreigner, Buddy Guy, Steve Winwood, Warren Haynes, Solomon Hicks,and Derek Trucks among others.[4] His career highlights include performances at the Royal Albert Hall and has had three Grammy Award nominations in 2013, for his collaboration album with Beth Hart "Seesaw", in 2016 for the album "Live at the Greek Theatre" and 2022 for the album "Royal Tea". In addition to his music career, Joe Bonamassa runs a nonprofit organisation called the Keeping the Blues Alive Foundation, whose mission is to further music education by funding scholarships and providing music education resources to schools in need. in 2020, he added an extension to the foundation. Called Fuelling Musicians, it provides $1500 cheques to struggling musicians affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
in 2021, he broke his own record for having more #1 Billboard blues albums than anyone in history. The album "Time Clocks" clocked up his 25th #1 album.
He is also known for his enormous collection of vintage guitars and related gear.
Story Of A Quarryman
Joe Bonamassa Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Board up the windows and head for the trails
And that's what I get for sticking my chin out
Well a kick in the teeth and a mind full of doubt
I brought this on for my own hands
The precious disgrace from my own hands
If I could freeze time in my own hands
Left my home with the shirt on my back
Built my empire on a dry haystack
To break it down a one by one
And back in Cali and tired and alone
I brought this on by my own hands
The precious disgrace from my own hand
If I could freeze time in my own hands
Story of a quarryman
Traces of life blowing in the sand
The cornerstone of my piece of dry land
So hand me that hop and some of that wine
I'll drink you away by the end of this line
I brought this on by my own hands
The precious disgrace from my own hands
If I could freeze time in my own hands
Story of a quarryman
Story of a quarryman
In Joe Bonamassa's "Story of a Quarryman," the singer reflects on the choices he's made in life and the consequences that have ensued. The opening lines suggest a sense of desperation to escape his current situation, boarding up windows and hitting the trails with only a hammer and a bucket. However, this is juxtaposed with a sense of regret, as he realizes that he's brought this predicament on himself by sticking his chin out and facing the consequences of his actions.
As he reflects further, the singer acknowledges his past successes, building an empire from scratch but also recognizes the cost of breaking it down, leaving him feeling tired and alone in California. Throughout the song, the theme of personal responsibility and accountability is evident. He recognizes that what he has achieved has also resulted in a precious disgrace, a burden he must carry along with him.
The chorus serves as a reminder of the power of personal choices as the singer reflects on the consequences of his actions, wished he could back in time, and freeze the moment to avoid the current predicament. Though the song isn't explicitly autobiographical, it speaks to a struggle that many can relate to of recognizing choices made and wishing for a different outcome.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna buy me a bucket and a hammer of nails
I am going to gather the tools I need to board up my windows and leave civilization behind.
Board up the windows and head for the trails
I will cover my windows and leave my old life behind, venturing into the unknown.
And that's what I get for sticking my chin out
I have learned that taking risks can have negative consequences.
Well a kick in the teeth and a mind full of doubt
After taking a chance and failing, I am left feeling unsure of myself and my abilities.
Left my home with the shirt on my back
I left my former life behind with nothing but the clothes on my back
Built my empire on a dry haystack
I have pieced together a life from seemingly small or insignificant opportunities.
To break it down a one by one
Piece by piece, my life is crumbling apart and I am losing my empire.
And back in Cali and tired and alone
I have returned to my former life, exhausted and without any companionship.
Traces of life blowing in the sand
Memories and fragments of my former life are all but lost and scattered like sand in the wind.
The cornerstone of my piece of dry land
The foundation of my life, once seemingly solid, has disintegrated beneath me.
So hand me that hop and some of that wine
To forget my troubles, I drink and indulge in distractions like alcohol.
I'll drink you away by the end of this line
Through drink, I am able to forget my struggles and move on to a new chapter in my story.
I brought this on by my own hands
I acknowledge that the consequences of my choices and actions are my own responsibility.
The precious disgrace from my own hand
I am aware of the pain and suffering that my choices have caused, but also understand that these experiences have shaped me.
If I could freeze time in my own hands
If I only had the power to stop time, perhaps I could prevent the negative consequences of my actions.
Story of a quarryman
This is the story of a man who took risks, faced hardships, and learned from his mistakes.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOE BONAMASSA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Brennan
Best lead guitar tone ever created... It's so smooth, has perfect amount of sustain and top end so it's punchy but not shrill..
This and Gilmour and Moore. All great tones
David Hightower
And Peter Green!
etcrobb
Epic Joe Bonamassa right there! Awesome song and by far my favorite blues musician of all time! Always inspires me to want to continue to learn how to play guitar! Thanks for inspiring me!
вадим лузин
Творческих успехов вам и вашим близким,удачи, здоровья, ангела хранителя.
M. Lou
"Story of a Quarryman" is from my most favorite concert of all time.
Joe showcases total excellence throughout the entire concert!
I believe he wrote the song. Great DVD!
Polymathese
I really love the concert at the Royal Albert Hall - it has everything including two drummers: Anton Fig and Bogie Bowles. They worked really well together and the sound with the rest of the band was fantastic!
Kurjistaja
In this song there seems to be no purpose for two drummers.
jesse van es
great audience....hope they truly appreciated, what they were witnessing...& yes Joe is truly becoming/being 1 of my all time favorites
Александр Башканков
Потрясающая композиция! Великолепное исполнение!
elena skrypnikova
EPIC, EXCELLENT, POWERFUL, MINDBLOWING. OMG, I love all this performance and stereodrummers... mmm it was a great Idea. Just great!