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.
Saint Valentine
Joe Ely Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
With a headlight out and a dent in the side
He swore it wasn't his, it was only a rental
But he drove it every single night
Saint Valentine wore shades and a cowboy hat
He looked straight outta Lonesome Dove
You never saw his eyes but you knew down deep inside
The original lover had a broken heart
To the ground his blood did flow
And for every drop that touch the earth
A red, red rose did grow
Saint Valentine ate pizza every Monday night
And chased it with Johnny Walker Black
The waitresses would stare but he just didn't care
He just wanted his lover back
Saint Valentine wore a T-shirt of the Virgin Madonna
With the sleeves cut out and a tear through the heart
He wore it like a shield to protect his pride and honor
He was tired of livin' so far apart
The original lover had a broken heart
To the ground his blood did flow
And for every drop that touch the earth
A red, red rose did grow
Saint Valentine would circle the shoppin' center mall
With his radio wailin' the blues
He'd park outside the door of the video store
Like he was one of the chosen few
Saint Valentine drove a red Continental
With a headlight out and a dent in the side
He swore it wasn't real, it was only mental
But he drove it every single night
The original lover had a broken heart
To the ground his blood did flow
And for every drop that touch the earth
A red, red rose did grow
Joe Ely's song "Saint Valentine" creates an interesting character of the famous saint who is known for celebrating love and romance. In the song, Saint Valentine drives a red Continental with a headlight out and a dent on the side. He claims the car is a rental, but he drives it every single night. Saint Valentine wears shades and a cowboy hat, reminiscent of Lonesome Dove, and although you can't see his eyes, you feel that he longs for a long lost love. The song is filled with interesting imagery and details about Saint Valentine's life, from eating pizza every Monday night and chasing it with Johnny Walker Black to driving around the shopping mall with the blues blaring from his radio. He also wears a t-shirt of the Virgin Madonna as a shield to protect his pride and honor.
While the song has a melancholic tone, the lyrics are filled with a sense of mystery and beauty. The image of roses growing out of the ground that was touched by the blood of the original lover's broken heart is haunting and unforgettable. The song makes the listener feel as if they are glimpsing into Saint Valentine's life, and getting a sense of the depth and intensity of his love.
Line by Line Meaning
Saint Valentine drove a red Continental
Saint Valentine drove a bright red car
With a headlight out and a dent in the side
The car had a damaged headlight and a dent on one side
He swore it wasn't his, it was only a rental
Saint Valentine was trying to distance himself from the car
But he drove it every single night
Despite the car not being his, he still drove it every night
Saint Valentine wore shades and a cowboy hat
He had a unique style, with sunglasses and a cowboy hat
He looked straight outta Lonesome Dove
His appearance was reminiscent of the Wild West
You never saw his eyes but you knew down deep inside
Saint Valentine was hiding his true emotions
He was longin' for a long lost love
He missed someone he loved who was no longer with him
The original lover had a broken heart
The person Saint Valentine loved had a broken heart
To the ground his blood did flow
This person's heartbreak caused them great pain
And for every drop that touch the earth
Each time he bled, a rose grew in its place
A red, red rose did grow
The roses that grew represented his lost love
Saint Valentine ate pizza every Monday night
He had a regular routine involving pizza
And chased it with Johnny Walker Black
He washed down his pizza with whiskey
The waitresses would stare but he just didn't care
He was indifferent to the attention he received
He just wanted his lover back
His only desire was to be reunited with the person he loved
Saint Valentine wore a T-shirt of the Virgin Madonna
He wore a shirt featuring a religious icon
With the sleeves cut out and a tear through the heart
The shirt was modified to fit his style and show a broken heart
He wore it like a shield to protect his pride and honor
The shirt was symbolic of his emotional armor
He was tired of livin' so far apart
He was yearning for closeness and intimacy
Saint Valentine would circle the shoppin' center mall
He had a specific route he would travel
With his radio wailin' the blues
He listened to music that reflected his mood
He'd park outside the door of the video store
He would park his car outside a specific store
Like he was one of the chosen few
He felt a special connection to the store
He swore it wasn't real, it was only mental
He was ashamed of his attachment to the car
But he drove it every single night
He couldn't stop himself from using the car
The original lover had a broken heart
The memory of his lost love continued to haunt him
To the ground his blood did flow
The intensity of his love and heartbreak was overwhelming
And for every drop that touch the earth
His love was so powerful that it manifested in the form of roses
A red, red rose did grow
His love for this person continued to thrive, even in their absence
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JOE ELY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind