Murry began singing at the age of five in church in Tupelo, Mississippi. At 12, he learned to play the Tom Petty song, "Free Fallin.” After moving to Memphis, Tennessee as a teenager, Murry began playing in bands from about 1999. In 2004 he moved to the Bay Area of California and began performing solo work. In 2005 he began recording with producer (and American Music Club drummer) Tim Mooney and worked at San Francisco's Closer Recording Studio, where he met San Francisco singer-songwriter Chuck Prophet. After several collaborative recordings with Bob Frank, released as Bob Frank and John Murry, Murry released his debut solo album, The Graceless Age, in 2012
www.johnmurry.com
Southern Sky
John Murry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I woke up to the sound of it
Sashaying down the hall
Remnants of secrets
Our precious lives
And I′m terrified of it all
I've got no past
This sickness follows me around
I′ve got no time
The hour's nearing
And I'm gonna burn this old house down
She knows my face
My broken body
And I still see it in her eyes
That crucifix
That bound our bodies
Underneath the southern sky
Trapped in the crowd
Cheated by misfortune
I pray his light will be her guide
Into my arms
These crooked arms
Underneath the southern sky
The devil′s paintbrush
Holds just one color
It pushes out your form
As you laughed and tell me
Playing with matches
Will only keep me warm
The stars were falling
All around us
In this filthy little town
And while I slept there
You screamed into your pillow
And I′m so sorry but I never heard a sound
She knows my face
My broken body
And I still see it in her eyes
That crucifix
That bound our bodies
Underneath the southern sky
Trapped in the crowd
Cheated by misfortune
I pray his light will be her guide
Into my arms
These crooked arms
Underneath the southern sky
She knows my face
My broken body
And I still see it in her eyes
That crucifix
That bound our bodies
Underneath the southern sky
Trapped in the crowd
We were cheated by misfortune
I pray his light will be her guide
Into my arms
Into these broken twisted arms
Underneath the southern skies
The lyrics of "Southern Sky" by John Murry evoke a sense of desperation, vulnerability, and nostalgia. The haunting melody and the singer's delivery create an eerie atmosphere, grabbing the attention of the listener right from the outset. The opening lines suggest a disturbed state of mind, as the singer wakes up to the sound of something "sashaying" down the hall, amassing secrets, and poised to shatter their lives. As the verses unfold, the singer's lack of a past and future becomes clear, indicating a sense of hopelessness and resignation. The chorus, repeated several times, is a plea for redemption and salvation, with references to a crucifix and prayer suggesting a religious undertone.
Line by Line Meaning
I was asleep
I was unaware of my surroundings
I woke up to the sound of it
I became alert when I heard something
Sashaying down the hall
Moving down the hallway in a confident, swaying manner
Remnants of secrets
Bits and pieces of information that were meant to be kept hidden
Our precious lives
Our valuable and important existences
And I'm terrified of it all
I am very scared of the situation
I've got no past
I do not have a personal history
There is no future
I feel like I have no hope for tomorrow
This sickness follows me around
The illness I have affects me wherever I go
I've got no time
I have limited time left
The hour's nearing
The time is approaching quickly
And I'm gonna burn this old house down
I am going to destroy everything in my path
She knows my face
She is familiar with my appearance
My broken body
My physical form, which is damaged or injured
And I still see it in her eyes
I can tell from her facial expressions that she remembers what happened to me
That crucifix
The emblem of Christianity, which is significant to both of us
That bound our bodies
That physically joined us together
Underneath the southern sky
Beneath the sky in this particular geography
Trapped in the crowd
Stuck in a large group of people
Cheated by misfortune
Having bad luck and not getting what we deserve
I pray his light will be her guide
I hope that her faith will help her through difficult times
Into my arms
Coming to me for comfort and protection
These crooked arms
My arms, which are not straight or honest
The devil's paintbrush
The instrument of evil, which only creates darkness
Holds just one color
Represents only one thing, which is negative
It pushes out your form
It distorts your shape and makes you appear different from what you really are
As you laughed and tell me
As you foolishly joke around and talk to me
Playing with matches
Messing around with fire for fun or as a dangerous habit
Will only keep me warm
Will only provide temporary relief before causing more harm
The stars were falling
The stars in the sky were descending downwards
All around us
In every direction around where we were
In this filthy little town
In this small and dirty locality
And while I slept there
While I was unconscious at that place
You screamed into your pillow
You cried out in anguish, hiding your despair with a piece of fabric
And I'm so sorry but I never heard a sound
I am regretful that I did not hear you, but it was not my fault
We were cheated by misfortune
Both of us have been victims of unfortunate circumstances
Into these broken twisted arms
Into my embrace, which is damaged and distorted
Underneath the southern skies
Beneath the sky in the southern hemisphere
Writer(s): John Miller Murry
Contributed by Audrey W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Elliott Smith
This song is the best song I've heard in years. Relentless. Harrowing.
"cheated by misfortune" = f' ing genius
"the devils paintbrush holds just one color " - f'ing genius
Lahis Helena
Linda canção!!!! Será que ainda existem pessoas que faz algo valer a pena?! Enquanto isso, músicas dessa qualidade, me faz refletir!!!
Laurie Gross
I love it you would just have to know john. He always said his music was the way he wanted it and never would be a,sell out. He achieved it in his way. This is by far my favorite!
germ
So great. This one give me the chills and tears every time.
Andy McBride
Really really powerful stuff. As much as i love the album i expect i will understand it better and still be listening in 20 years......
Connie Graham
A talent that goes unmatched.
Teddy Bullard
That's a bit wide of the mark madame but yes he's good. Troubled but good
Static Roots Festival
One of the greatest songs ever!
caton671
Superb. Buy the album! Great gig at the Bush Hall London 8th May. This career has to flourish, buy John's record, now!
Mike Butler
Playing workmans club in dublin on May 9th, cant wait. Amazing song, ive had it on endless repeat all morning