The funny thing is, his career first took at a time when everybody, in the music biz at least, wanted to know who the hell John Eddie was. It was the mid-eighties and the Virginia native, who'd recently relocated to New Jersey, was playing a showcase club in Manhattan called Trax. A busload of supporters had come to cheer him on. A few A&R guys caught the show, in which John wowed everyone in the house. By the next morning he found himself on the brink of an intense major-label bidding war that soon attracted the interest of the press as well as the industry. It didn't hurt that Bruce Springsteen, was, and still is, a fan and would sometimes surprise John by hopping onstage during his weekly gig at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park, NJ.
Though lots of comparisons to the Boss were made, especially after John signed a two-album deal with CBS/Sony, John's approach was always more Memphis than Asbury Park. He had a lot of country in him, plus elements of soul music, folk, and rockabilly. There was boyish swagger in his voice, but it was the vulnerability lurking behind it that could really get to you. John had an easy-going rapport with his very loyal audience, and a self-deprecating sense of humor that has only sharpened over the years.
It's fitting then that he would wind up in Memphis, at the fabled Ardent Studios, to make the most-self assured record of his career, an album that's smart, funny, tender, and that rocks as hard as his sweat-drenched live shows. Who the Hell Is John Eddie? features Kenny Vaughan and PK Lavengood on guitar, Kenny Aaronson on bass, and Kenny Aronoff on drums. The album was produced by Jim Dickinson, a guy as legendary as the studio he helped make famous, and who knows his way around authentic. Dickinson's credits include producing Big Star's Third/Sister Lovers and the Replacements Pleased To Meet Me at Ardent, as well as playing with the Rolling Stones, Aretha Franklin and Bob Dylan, just to name a few. Jim's a producer who likes to cut to the chase: to capture, not merely reproduce, an artist's most incandescent moments. He found a lot of those with John.
"Jim taught me a lot about letting the whole thing just happen," John explains. "Don't over-think it and if it doesn't feel real, lose it. We didn't do any pre-production. We just set the band up, I would play the band a song, we would run through it a few times, record something, then look to Jim to see if we were doing anything worthwhile. Jim brought some Memphis voodoo to the sessions. On 'Jesus Is Coming,' I had one verse and half a chorus when we started running through the song. I hadn't even played it for Jim before. He told me I'd been holding out on him. And as I looked at him through the glass, the words finished themselves. I believe God works in mysterious ways. So does Jim Dickinson."
John's always been a great songwriter; now he's an even better one. During his tenure at Sony, and later Elektra, his perennial Next Big Thing status got in the way of the truth of the matter he had already arrived. All you had to do was tune out the din of hype and listen. His material was unfailingly clever, often funny, alternately foot-stomping and heartbreaking. After John went on his own and launched Thrill Show Recordings, the more stripped-down sound of his subsequent albums made his gifts that much more apparent. Who the Hell Is John Eddie? starts off in a gentle, bittersweet vein with "If You're Here When I Get Back, which John calls "wishful thinking put to music," and "Let Me Down Hard," in which "wishful thinking gets mercilessly crushed." Both feature label-mate Tift Merrit on background vocals. But the album definitely grows more raucous as it goes along - John describes "Low Life," for example, as "me trying to be Randy Newman fronting the Rolling Stones"-and culminates in what John calls "my bar-band mini-rock opera."
It's starts with "Nobody's Happy," a sly nod to a Replacements song of almost the same name, and climaxes with "Play Some Skynyrd." Regarding that very autobiographical song, John says, "I've been playing in bars my whole life. Jim Dickinson made this sound like we were playing in an arena to a sea of upraised cigarette lighters. He made it sound like I heard it in my head. He made it sound like an anthem. And he told me it brought tears to his eyes, which is probably the best compliment I've ever gotten."
Although there are two hidden tracks at the end of the disc, it officially concludes with "It Doesn't Get Better Than This," a simple, folk-like ballad that takes you right back to where everything started, with images of a place to come home to and someone waiting there. Maybe it's more wishful thinking put to music, a happy ending John's envisioned somewhere down the road. For us, however, it doesn't get better than this: an album as rollicking and as real as Who the Hell Is John Eddie? from an artist will make damn sure everyone knows who the hell he is.
- Michael Hill
Stranded
John Eddie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And now I'm sorry
That I don't say it
Well darling if we had a prayer
Well girl I swear, what you got I'm praying
Oh and you don't kiss the sweat away
When I walk through that door
I look at snapshots trying to find clues
I've got to see oh just how we got stranded
Lord we're stranded
Now we're stranded in a place we can't call home
Yeah we're stranded, its better than being alone
Well you talk sad words
And now your eyes cry pretty black
Well you gave up dreams
And now you're mad well you want them back
Oh but even in your heart girl
Would you walk away from me?
Well sometimes you hold tight, when it's a cold night
You push up hard girl, hoping that you might find
Some escape from the hate that we call
Stranded, stranded
Now we're stranded in a place we can't call home
Yeah we're stranded
Its better than being alone
Well now the time was once where the boys made eyes
You walked away, you didn't need them
Well lately guys been comin around, what's going down?
Its all over town, now the word's comin round
Baby stranded, yeah baby stranded
Well baby stranded in a place we can't call home
Yeah we're stranded
Its better than being alone
Don't wanna be alone
Don't wanna be alone
No no no not anymore
Yeah we're stranded
And ain't that what we're for?
"Stranded" is a song by John Eddie that explores the regret, desire, and confusion of a man in a relationship that he fears may be falling apart. The opening lyrics suggest that even though he still finds his partner attractive and is sorry he doesn't vocalize it, he still prays that they can stay together. The lack of physical intimacy between the couple is highlighted when he mentions that his partner does not kiss the sweat away when he walks through the door. He struggles with understanding this change and looks for clues through old photographs.
As the song continues, he realizes that they are stranded in a place they can't call home. The people and circumstances that shaped their bond are no longer present, and they are forced to navigate this new strain in their relationship on their own. His partner's sadness and anger result from her having given up her dreams and wanting them back. He questions whether her desire for a way out of their relationship overrides her love for him. Nonetheless, he believes that they are stuck together and that being stranded is better than being alone.
The final verse explores how the outside world views their relationship, with men showing interest in his partner. He wonders if this is because word has gotten around that they are no longer as happy as they once were. He repeats the song title "Stranded" several times, emphasizing the feeling of being stuck and not being able to move forward or turn back.
Overall, the lyrics suggest that the couple is caught in a cycle of regret and desire, but are still committed to each other even if they feel stuck.
Line by Line Meaning
Well you're still pretty
You still look beautiful to me even though we're going through a difficult time.
And now I'm sorry
I regret not telling you how pretty you are to me and not being there for you enough.
That I don't say it
I haven't been expressing my love for you and showing my appreciation for you enough.
Well darling if we had a prayer
If we had some hope or optimism in our situation, things might turn out differently.
Well girl I swear, what you got I'm praying
I'm praying for what you have - your love, your support, your strength and your perseverance.
Oh and you don't kiss the sweat away
You don't greet me with the same warmth and affection that you used to when I come home.
When I walk through that door
When I come back to the place we share together.
Now I hate to see you not even be you
I'm saddened by how much our struggles have changed you and how you don't feel like yourself anymore.
I look at snapshots trying to find clues
I reminisce about past moments and memories trying to understand what went wrong and how can we fix it.
I've got to see oh just how we got stranded
I need to understand how we ended up in this place - disconnected, distant and unhappy.
Lord we're stranded
We're stuck in a situation that is beyond our control.
Now we're stranded in a place we can't call home
Our relationship is not as strong and loving as it used to be and we don't feel the same sense of belonging and comfort with one another.
Yeah we're stranded, its better than being alone
Even though we're struggling, we're still better off being together than being apart.
Well you talk sad words
You express your sadness and dissatisfaction with our relationship.
And now your eyes cry pretty black
Your eyes show the pain and hurt that you're feeling inside.
Well you gave up dreams
You sacrificed your own aspirations and goals for the sake of our relationship.
And now you're mad well you want them back
You're upset that you had to give up your dreams and now you want to pursue them again.
Oh but even in your heart girl
Despite everything we're going through, I know that deep down you still care about me.
Would you walk away from me?
Would you leave our relationship and end things between us?
Well sometimes you hold tight, when it's a cold night
On some occasions, you show your love and affection for me when the circumstances are harsh or uncomfortable.
You push up hard girl, hoping that you might find
You try your best to make things work and hope that we can overcome our struggles and be happy again.
Some escape from the hate that we call
We're trying to escape from the negative feelings and emotions that have been driving us apart.
Well now the time was once where the boys made eyes
There was a time when other men were attracted to you and you had many options.
You walked away, you didn't need them
You chose to be with me despite having other suitors and opportunities.
Well lately guys been comin around, what's going down?
Recently, other men have been showing their interest in you and I'm worried about what that means for our relationship.
Its all over town, now the word's comin round
The news about our relationship problems is spreading and people are talking about it behind our backs.
Baby stranded, yeah baby stranded
We're in a tough spot in our relationship and we don't know how to get out of it.
Don't wanna be alone
We don't want to be without each other.
No no no not anymore
We've been happy together before and we want to get back to that place.
And ain't that what we're for?
Isn't love and companionship what we're all ultimately searching for?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JOHNS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Marsha Horan
Love Love Love John Eddie...my little bro and I saw him in a small club in the mid 80's and have loved his singing ever since....good to see him here...rock on
KakesGpa
Havent heard this song in years. Great song. Brought back some fond memories.
David Hoy
80's Rock, NEVER Forgotten
Thomas Robinson
With 'Living Doll', the best two tracks on the album.
Bucky Bucky
Starts off like Corey Hart's IT AINT ENOUGH but still a great song. This whole album was awesome. I wish more knew about him.
Terry Cervantes
Great song!
Robert James
The record company must of spent a fortune on this video. It's well done.
davedzone
You have to put Buster and Dream House up here.......... got to.
Joe Hansell
"We're stranded but it's better than being alone." Once "Born In The USA" hit, record companies searched high and low for the 'next Springsteen'. John Eddie was one of them. He wasn't Springsteen, because no one is, but he's pretty damn good.
Last Guy Minn
Springsteen's drummer, Max Weinberg, played on this album. Eddie even credited Weinberg for keeping the music rock & roll.