John Mellencamp (born 7 October 1951 in Seymour, Indiana) is an American si… Read Full Bio ↴John Mellencamp (born 7 October 1951 in Seymour, Indiana) is an American singer and a songwriter, known for a long and successful recording and performing career highlighted by a series of 1980s hits, including "Jack & Diane", and by his role in the Farm Aid charity event. Mellencamp currently lives in Bloomington, Indiana.

John's first record released was under the stage name "Johnny Cougar" at the behest of Tony DeFries, his first manager. Mellencamp claims it was against his knowledge and will, and he hated the name. A few years later in 1982, he made his break through with the album "American Fool" which includes the hit singles "Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane" under the stage name "John Cougar". With 1983's "Uh-Huh" album, he added back his real last name to become known as "John Cougar Mellencamp." By 1987's "The Lonesome Jubilee" he dropped the "Cougar" moniker altogether, and has been known henceforth as "John Mellencamp."

Mellencamp has always been socially and politically active and supported the "Vote for Change" Tour in 2004 opposing the policies of President George W. Bush. Mellencamp is a devout evangelical Christian and strongly believes in non-violence; he has spoken about his beliefs frequently in interviews.

Diamond Joe
John Mellencamp Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Now there's a man you'll hear about
Most anywhere you go,
And his holdings are in Texas
And his name is Diamond Joe.

And he carries all his money
In a diamond-studded jar.
He never took much trouble

With the process of the law.

I hired out to Diamond Joe, boys,
Did offer him my hand,
He gave a string of horses
So old they could not stand.

And I nearly starved to death, boys,
He did mistreat me so,
And I never saved a dollar
In the pay of Diamond Joe.

Now his bread it was corn dodger
And his meat you couldn't chaw,
Nearly drove me crazy
With the waggin' of his jaw.

And the tellin' of his story,
Mean to let you know
That there never was a rounder
That could lie like Diamond Joe.

Now, I tried three times to quit him,
But he did argue so
I'm still punchin' cattle
In the pay of Diamond Joe.

And when I'm called up yonder
And it's my time to go,

Give my blankets to my buddies
Give the fleas to Diamond Joe

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Diamond Joe" by John Mellencamp tell the story of a man named Diamond Joe who is widely known and respected, but also feared and disliked for his wealth and lack of regard for the law. He keeps his money in a diamond-studded jar and hires workers to assist him, but mistreats them and pays them poorly. The singer of the song worked for Diamond Joe but was given horses that were too old to be useful, leaving him without any financial gains. Joe's bread and meat were also of poor quality, and he was known for his constant and exaggerated storytelling.

The singer tried to quit Diamond Joe multiple times, but could not successfully leave because Joe was so convincing in his arguments. Ultimately, the singer resigns himself to his fate of punching cattle in the pay of Diamond Joe until his death. The song ends with a bitter request to give the fleas to Joe as a final, petty act of revenge.

The story of "Diamond Joe" highlights themes of injustice, greed, and the struggle of the working class against powerful and wealthy employers. The narrative is simple and straightforward, with Mellencamp's gravelly voice and twangy guitar bringing a sense of atmosphere and ruggedness to the song.

Line by Line Meaning

Now there's a man you'll hear about Most anywhere you go, And his holdings are in Texas And his name is Diamond Joe.
Diamond Joe is a famous man who people know about everywhere, and he is a wealthy man who owns land in Texas.

And he carries all his money In a diamond-studded jar. He never took much trouble With the process of the law.
Diamond Joe has a diamond-studded jar where he keeps all his money, and he doesn't really follow the rules and regulations of the law.

I hired out to Diamond Joe, boys, Did offer him my hand, He gave a string of horses So old they could not stand.
The singer got a job working for Diamond Joe, but in return for his services, he was given horses that were so old and weak they couldn't even stand.

And I nearly starved to death, boys, He did mistreat me so, And I never saved a dollar In the pay of Diamond Joe.
The artist was mistreated so badly by Diamond Joe that he almost starved, and even though he worked for Diamond Joe, he never made any money worth saving.

Now his bread it was corn dodger And his meat you couldn't chaw, Nearly drove me crazy With the waggin' of his jaw.
Diamond Joe served corn dodger bread and tough meat that was impossible to chew, and he talked so much that it drove the artist to madness.

And the tellin' of his story, Mean to let you know That there never was a rounder That could lie like Diamond Joe.
The singer's story is a warning that Diamond Joe is a notorious liar and con artist who can't be trusted.

Now, I tried three times to quit him, But he did argue so I'm still punchin' cattle In the pay of Diamond Joe.
The singer tried to quit working for Diamond Joe three times, but Diamond Joe was so convincing that the singer is still working for him.

And when I'm called up yonder And it's my time to go, Give my blankets to my buddies Give the fleas to Diamond Joe
As a final request, the artist asks that when he dies, his blankets be given to his friends, and his fleas be given to Diamond Joe as a symbolic gesture of the unfair treatment he had to endure while working for him.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MELLENCAMP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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