In 1978 he formed The Lounge Lizards, initially a new-york-car-crash jazz combo with his brother Evan Lurie. The Lounge Lizards exhibited the tremendous talent of artists such as Arto Lindsay and Marc Ribot, among others. The band continued to make music for 20 years.
During the 1980s he starred in a number of films directed by Jim Jarmusch, namely Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law, and Permanent Vacation. He also composed music for all three of these films as well as Mystery Train.
His 1991 TV series Fishing with John was a cult success. Lurie professes no knowledge about fishing, but appears in exotic locations with various notable friends, including Willem Dafoe, Matt Dillon, Dennis Hopper, Jim Jarmusch, and Down by Law co-star Tom Waits.
In 1994 Lurie contracted Lyme Disease and apparently has been in a recuperative state since, mentioning long periods of time spent in his apartment, "shut off" from the world.
For the last four years, Lurie has been exhibiting his paintings. In an interview he credits painting with "saving his life", referring to his illnesses and seclusion. His work has been shown at Anton Kern Gallery, Roebling Hall in New York, Galerie Daniel Blau in Munich and Galerie Gabriel Rolt in Amsterdam. He is currently exhibiting at PS1 Contemporary Art Museum in Long Island City, New York.
Lurie also starred, during 2001-2003, on the HBO prison series Oz as inmate Greg Penders.
Pain In My Heart
John Lurie Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Is treating me cold
Where can my baby be
Lord no one knows
Pain in my heart
Just won't let me sleep
Where can my baby be
And now the days
Has begin to get tough
I say I want you to come back, come back
Come back baby
I had enough
Oh
A little pain in my heart
Just won't let me be
Wake up restless nights
Lord and I can't even sleep
Mmm, mmm yeah
Stop this little pain in my heart
And now the days
Has begin to get rough
I said I want you to love me, love me
Love me baby, till I get enough
Oh
Pain in my heart
Little pain in my heart
Stop this little pain in my heart
Stop this little pain in my heart
Someone stop this pain
Someone stop this pain
Oh
The lyrics to John Lurie's "Pain In My Heart" describe the agony and misery that the singer is experiencing due to a lost love. The "pain in my heart" that he is feeling is making it difficult for him to sleep and get through his days. He longs for his lover to return to him, but he is unsure where she is or when she will come back. The pain is becoming unbearable, and he's in desperate need of someone to help him ease the hurt that he's feeling.
The lyrics paint a picture of a brokenhearted person who is struggling to come to terms with the end of a relationship. The singer's longing for his lover is palpable, and it's clear that he's consumed by thoughts of her. The repetition of the phrase "where can my baby be" emphasizes the singer's feeling of loss and confusion, as he's not sure where his lover has gone or why she's left him.
Overall, the lyrics to "Pain In My Heart" are a poignant and relatable portrayal of heartbreak and the struggle to cope with the loss of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Pain in my heart
I'm feeling heartbreak and emotional distress
Is treating me cold
My heartbreak is causing me to feel numb and disconnected
Where can my baby be
I'm wondering where my lover has gone
Lord no one knows
I'm feeling lost and helpless without my lover
Just won't let me sleep
My pain is causing me to lose sleep
And now the days
As time goes on
Has begin to get tough
I'm finding it harder and harder to cope with my heartbreak
I say I want you to come back, come back
I'm pleading for my lover to return to me
Come back baby
I need my lover back in my life
I had enough
I can't take this pain anymore
A little pain in my heart
I'm experiencing a significant amount of emotional pain
Just won't let me be
My heartbreak is all-consuming and can't be ignored
Wake up restless nights
My heartbreak is causing me to have sleepless nights
Stop this little pain in my heart
I'm begging for my heartbreak to end
I said I want you to love me, love me
I need my lover to show me affection
Love me baby, till I get enough
I need my lover to love me unconditionally
Little pain in my heart
My emotional pain may seem small, but it's very real
Someone stop this pain
I'm reaching out for help to end my heartbreak
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Naomi Neville
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Louise F.
I have almost no words for the beautiful and haunting melodies John and Evan Lurie put out for us to enjoy...and funny ones as well (i.e. the yak)...I could listen to the Lounge Lizards all day long and still want more..!
Jacqueline Tillyer
Music to die for but live for to hear just another time. One of the most under-rated music combos. Never stopped loving John Laurie as an actor and musician now painter. The Kool in Kool.
Brandon Rodrigues 808
The sound of every emotion
Spartafly
This piece is live so much better than the studio recording. Simply up there on par with "Greensleeves" by Coltrane
Rita Ma
Απλά υπέροχο....!!!!!!!❣
Alan Cruz
Una de mis favoritas
Randy West
How the hell am I just hearing these guys now, 30 years after the fact? Damn!
astorcrombus nebulus
Brilliant!!!!!!
Linda Franklin
I guess this is my favorite piece of music, or at least it shares the light with a few other things like One Night in Bangkok, Bartok's chidlren's pieces, Pictures at an Exhibition.
kostpoll
I was there and it was absolutely no describable.