Shortly after high school, in 1970, with fellow Lubbock musicians Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Butch Hancock, he formed The Flatlanders. According to Ely, "Jimmie was like a well of country music. He knew everything about it. And Butch was from the folk world. I was kinda the rock & roll guy, and we almost had a triad. We hit it off and started playing a lot together. That opened up a whole new world I had never known existed." In 1972, the band released their first and— until 2002's Now Again— only album, but have appeared together on each other's albums. Since the band's initial break-up just after their album was cut, the three musicians have followed individual paths.
Ely's own first album, self titled, was released in 1977. The following year, his band played London where he met punk rock group The Clash. Impressed with each other's performances, the two bands would later tour together, including appearances in Ely's hometown of Lubbock, as well as Laredo and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico, across the border from El Paso, Texas.
Since then, a steady stream of albums have followed, most on the MCA label. Ely's live performances have become legendary, and he has released a live album roughly every ten years (the last was Live at Antone's in 2000). He has had a genre-crossing career, performing with Bruce Springsteen, Los Super Seven, David Grissom, and James McMurtry in addition to his early work with The Clash and more recent acoustic tours with Lyle Lovett, John Hiatt, and Guy Clark.
In the late 1990s, Ely was asked to write songs for Robert Redford's movie The Horse Whisperer, which led to reforming The Flatlanders with Gilmore and Hancock for an appearance on the movie soundtrack. A new album from the trio followed in 2002, with a third in 2004.
In February 2007, Ely released "Happy Songs From Rattlesnake Gulch" on his own label, Rack 'Em Records. A book of Ely's writings was published in early 2007 by the University of Texas Press. Ely also released a second album of old lyrics that he has finally recorded.
Several other reissues of Ely's previous work were due out later in 2007 on Rack 'Em.
Fingernails
Joe Ely Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So they click when I play the piano
I keep my fingernails long
So they click when I play the piano
I'm gonna keep 'em that way
Till the swallows get back from Texarkana
I keep my fingernails long
So they click when I play the piano
So they click when I play the piano
I'm gonna keep 'em that way
Till the swallows get back from Louisiana
Well, I used to chew 'em off
I was nervous over you
I missed that clickin', tickin' sound
Honey, what I'm gonna do
Is keep my fingernails long
So they click when I play the piano
I keep my fingernails long
So they click when I play the piano
I'm gonna keep 'em that way
Till the swallows get back from Alabama
At first glance, Joe Ely's "Fingernails" appears to be a simply structured song, with its repeated lines and constant reference to fingernails clicking while playing the piano. However, upon further exploration, the song appears to be about the complexity of breaking bad habits and the ways in which we use subtle distractions to cope with feelings of nervousness and anxiety.
Ely begins the song by explaining his reason for keeping his fingernails long - so he can hear them click when he plays the piano. He then references a specific geographic location and time frame, noting that he plans to maintain his long nails until the swallows return from their journey. This repetition of both his motivation and the specific reference to time highlights the importance of routine and constancy that can help to ease feelings of unease.
The song's chorus seems to allude to an earlier struggle, as Ely explains that he used to chew his nails because he was nervous over someone. He then notes that he missed the clicking sound, and decides that he will keep his nails long to reclaim that habitual noise. Ultimately, Ely's explanation of his routine provides a glimpse into the ways in which we use small comforts to help work through anxiety and difficult emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
I keep my fingernails long
I maintain the length of my fingernails at an extended measure
So they click when I play the piano
To produce an audible effect when pressing the piano keys
I'm gonna keep 'em that way
I plan to maintain the length of my fingernails in its current state
Till the swallows get back from Texarkana
Until the return of the swallows from their migration to Texarkana
Well, I used to chew 'em off
I previously had the habit of biting my nails
I was nervous over you
I had anxiety related to you or our relationship
I missed that clickin', tickin' sound
I longed for the clicking and ticking noise my long fingernails made
Honey, what I'm gonna do
I express a desire to determine a solution to my situation
Is keep my fingernails long
My solution is to retain my long fingernails
Till the swallows get back from Alabama
Until the swallows return from their migration to Alabama
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE ELY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hautebush
Love Joe! Awesome to see Joe, Jesse, Lloyd, Ponty and company again. How many hours did I spend with them at the Cotton Club? Viva la Joe Ely Band!!!!!!!!!!! RIP - Jesse Taylor
Ty Tipton
What a rocker! I think I see my parents in the audience
Rob Pierce
Ponty Bone? Jessie Taylor? Damn right I'm there. Great version.
Larry Holloway
Joe Ely does it all, what a bad ass band, Jesse Taylor is my ultimate guitar hero
Grocker
Lloyd Maines is alive & well!
Kimberly Slack
Saw him in San Marcos, TX in 1985. He sang that song and it was great.
micr0minee
LOL!! when i saw him at the belly up in the late 90's he put on such a great fucking show!! i got a poster signed after the show and tried to take him home with me, but my boyfriend at the time laughed and carried my drunk ass out of there. good times!! :p
Carmen Hardy
Someone I know claimed she did manage to take him home, lol we'll never know.
André Verhage
Rock and roll!
André Verhage
that's rock and roll!