Henry was born in Charlotte, North Carolina, but grew up in the Detroit area where he met Melanie Ciccone, Madonna's sister, whom he married in 1987. In 1985 he moved to Brooklyn, New York, where he played at small clubs. His debut album Talk of Heaven came out in 1986. He signed to A&M Records and released two albums, Murder of Crows (1989) and Shuffletown (1990)
After Henry and his wife moved to Los Angeles in 1990, he left A&M in 1992 to join the independent label Mammoth, located in North Carolina. He released Short Man's Room and Kindness of the World, on which members of the Jayhawks provided instrumental backing.
In the mid-1990s Henry decided "to do something decidedly more eclectic" instead of continuing with country-rock. He turned to producer Patrick McCarthy, in making his next album Trampoline (1996). Trampoline also employed metal guitarist Page Hamilton, who demonstrated his own eagerness to stretch by collaborating on the album.
Asked to contribute a song to a benefit album for singer Vic Chesnutt in 1996, Henry also collaborated with his famous sister-in-law on a cover of Chesnutt's "Guilty by Association" (Sweet Relief II: Gravity of the Situation, The Songs of Vic Chesnutt, 1996).
In 1999 Henry released the experimental album Fuse with trip hop shadings. His eighth album, Scar, followed in 2001. The band on the record consisted mainly of jazz musicians (Marc Ribot, Brian Blade and Brad Mehldau among others) and Jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman guesting on the track "Richard Pryor Addresses a Tearful Nation".
In 2001, Henry sang on the song "Alleluia" from Julia Fordham's album, Concrete Love. His self-produced album Tiny Voices appeared on Epitaph's Anti label in 2003.
Henry produced Teddy Thompson's 2000 album Teddy Thompson, a critically acclaimed album from the son of British folk legends, Linda Thompson and Richard Thompson. Henry also produced Solomon Burke's 2002 album Don't Give Up On Me, which won Best Contemporary Blues Album at the 2003 Grammy Awards. 2005 releases produced by Henry include Ani DiFranco's Knuckle Down, Aimee Mann's 1970s concept album The Forgotten Arm, and Bettye LaVette's I've Got My Own Hell to Raise.
He also produced the multi-artist album I Believe to My Soul, which featured Allen Toussaint, Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles, Irma Thomas and Billy Preston.
In 2006, Henry teamed with Toussaint, producing his collaborative album with Elvis Costello, The River in Reverse.
In September of 2006, Henry and his longtime hero Loudon Wainwright III began composing the music for the Judd Apatow movie Knocked Up. Snippets of instrumentals were used as background score for the film, but the full versions of the songs make up Wainwright's 2007 album Strange Weirdos. Henry produced Mary Gauthier's 2007 album Between Daylight and Dark.
Henry's 10th album, "Civilians," was released in 2007 on the Anti label. His 11th album, Blood From Stars, followed in 2009, and his 12th, Reverie, was released in 2011.
http://www.joehenrylovesyoumadly.com/
Medicine
Joe Henry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left me on my back,
Everybody knows that this is
Just my medicine;
I staked it like a claim
And it pushed me like a broom
Now I’m straighter than a razor,
Well anyway, I will be soon
Come sit down beside me
Your cripple little king,
The day once fell away and left
Its rose on everything;
But now the sun, it keeps above
My head the meanest kind of blue
I keep myself behind a cloud
Almost safe from you
I’m going to move myself into
That room above the bank,
And I think I’m going to buy myself
A brand new pair of shoes;
I can feel it, everything’s
About to change and soon,
And I won’t even have to try
If I can just change you
The song "Medicine" by Joe Henry is a reflective piece that captures the challenging times a person goes through when they're down and out. The lyrics signify an individual going through a tough time or phases of depression, where they use their situation as a form of medicine to get better. They've staked their medicine and have been pushed around just like a broom. The lead singer notes how this experience has made him straighter than a razor, or in other words, toughened him up mentally.
The chorus has a melancholic and reflective tone to it as the lead singer invites someone to sit down beside him "your cripple little king." Interestingly, the singer recognizes that something he once had, a rose had departed and left behind something mean and troubled, represented here through the blue sky that he's keeping himself hiding behind a cloud, perhaps because he's not ready to face the world or people who are judgmental about his current situation.
Despite the tough times, the song has an optimistic ending, with the lead singer forging ahead with the hope of a better tomorrow. He talks about moving into a new room, above the bank, and buying himself a brand new pair of shoes, representing the start of anew. The song ends on a positive note, with the singer talking about the impending change and that it won't require too much effort on his part, considering the healing effect that changing someone else can have.
Line by Line Meaning
Everybody knows the crash
The public is aware of my struggle and fall.
Left me on my back,
My adversity has left me in a vulnerable position.
Everybody knows that this is
It is a common knowledge that my current state is inevitable.
Just my medicine;
This hardship is a bitter, yet necessary pill to swallow for growth.
I staked it like a claim
I took ownership of my troubles and embraced them.
And it pushed me like a broom
I was forced to face my challenges relentlessly.
Now I’m straighter than a razor,
I am stronger and more determined as a result of my misfortune.
Well anyway, I will be soon
I will overcome and be more resilient soon enough.
Come sit down beside me
Join me and witness my struggle.
Your cripple little king,
Despite my powerlessness, I am still trying to lead.
The day once fell away and left
The past has vanished and has left me alone to deal with my present.
Its rose on everything;
Despite the past being gone, it has left its imprint everywhere.
But now the sun, it keeps above
The present moment has its own harsh realities.
My head the meanest kind of blue
My thoughts are consumed with sadness and distress.
I keep myself behind a cloud
I try to hide my pain from others and put on a brave face.
Almost safe from you
I avoid vulnerability and authenticity to protect myself from getting hurt.
I’m going to move myself into
I will make an effort to change my current position.
That room above the bank,
I will move to a new location that is more positive.
And I think I’m going to buy myself
I will invest in myself and my well-being.
A brand new pair of shoes;
A new pair of shoes symbolizes a new start and fresh beginnings.
I can feel it, everything’s
My intuition tells me that change is coming.
About to change and soon,
Change is around the corner and will happen soon.
And I won’t even have to try
I will let change happen naturally without force.
If I can just change you
If I can change my environment and the people around me, it will make change easier.
Contributed by Lincoln S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.