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/
SCAR
Joe Henry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A mark so fine, you barely see
You have one just like it, too
A twisting vine
A mark so fine
[Chorus: ]
'Cause I love you with all I am
As fearless as a twisting vine
A mark so fine
But still a scar
Fear plays dumb then eats the soul
Like a vagabond with a fishing pole
He whistles but he cannot sing
It's an awful tune
But very soon
I find that i am whistling, too
And your window is like a star
That I sit beneath like a vagabond
Who wears his fear
Just like a scar
The blade of our outrageous fortune
Like a parade, it cuts a path
Light shows on our foolish way
And darkness on
Our aftermath
If I love you, to save myself
And you love me because we are
So fool to think that our parade
Could leave a path
But not a scar
[Chorus: ]
The lyrics of Joe Henry's song "Scar" are a poetic representation of love, fear, and the inevitability of scars. The opening lines, "What does this look like to you? A mark so fine, you barely see," indicate that the song is about a physical scar that both the singer and his loved one share. However, the lines also suggest that the scar is more than just a physical mark, and it represents something deeper that they both bear. The singer then goes on to explain that their love is so profound that it encompasses every part of them, even their scars.
The chorus of the song emphasizes this idea of an all-consuming love that doesn't shy away from the scars: "'Cause I love you with all I am, and you love me because you are as fearless as a twisting vine. A mark so fine, but still a scar." The imagery of a twisting vine is significant, as it embodies the idea of a love that is strong yet flexible, able to twist and turn through the trials of life without breaking. The phrase "a mark so fine, but still a scar" highlights the duality of our wounds: they may be small and easily overlooked, but they still have the power to leave their mark.
The second verse of the song explores the theme of fear and its insidious nature. The fear that "plays dumb then eats the soul" is compared to a vagabond with a fishing pole, who lures us in with a false sense of security before striking us with its sharp hook. However, even in the midst of fear, the singer finds himself still whistling, and his loved one's window becomes a guiding star. The idea of a star as a symbol of hope and guidance recurs throughout the song, as does the theme of scars as a testament to survival and strength.
Overall, "Scar" is a poignant reflection on love and the scars that it can leave behind. It acknowledges that our wounds may never fully heal, but they also serve as a reminder of the love that we have shared and the strength that we possess.
Line by Line Meaning
What does, this look like to you?
A question about the appearance of a mark that is almost invisible
A mark so fine, you barely see
Describing a barely visible mark that is similar to another person's mark
You have one just like it, too
Drawing a parallel between two people's marks
A twisting vine
A symbol of the twisting and unpredictable nature of life
A mark so fine
Describing again the almost invisible mark
'Cause I love you with all I am
Expressing the intensity of the singer's love
And you love me because you are
Acknowledging the reason for the other person's love
As fearless as a twisting vine
Comparing the other person's fearlessness to the twisting vine
A mark so fine
Repeating the description of the almost invisible mark
But still a scar
Noting that the mark is still a sign of something that has caused pain
Fear plays dumb then eats the soul
Describing the way that fear can slowly destroy someone from the inside
Like a vagabond with a fishing pole
Using a colorful metaphor to describe how fear stalks its prey
He whistles but he cannot sing
Suggesting that fear is a powerless force, even though it can destroy someone
It's an awful tune
Describing the unpleasantness of living with constant fear
But very soon
Looking ahead to the time when the singer will be able to overcome fear
I find that i am whistling, too
Expressing the artist's sense of hope and renewal
And your window is like a star
Using another metaphor to describe the beauty of the person the artist loves
That I sit beneath like a vagabond
Emphasizing how much the singer cherishes the other person
Who wears his fear
Acknowledging that the singer and the other person have both struggled with fear
Just like a scar
Comparing fear to a wound that can heal but leaves a permanent mark
The blade of our outrageous fortune
Referencing the idea of fate or destiny, and how it can sometimes be cruel
Like a parade, it cuts a path
Visualizing fate as a parade that forcefully carves a path through life
Light shows on our foolish way
Admitting that the singer and the other person have made mistakes in the past
And darkness on
Contrasting the positive moments of life with the negative ones
Our aftermath
Reflecting on the consequences of past actions
If I love you, to save myself
Acknowledging that love can be a form of self-preservation
And you love me because we are
Affirming that the love is mutual and based on a deep understanding of each other's flaws
So fool to think that our parade
Admitting that the artist and the other person were naive to believe they could avoid being scarred by life
Could leave a path
Suggesting that the artist and the other person hoped to make a positive impact on the world
But not a scar
Finalizing the idea that even well-intentioned actions can have negative consequences
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOE HENRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind