John Scofield (born December 26, 1951 in Dayton, Ohio, USA) is a jazz guita… Read Full Bio ↴John Scofield (born December 26, 1951 in Dayton, Ohio, USA) is a jazz guitarist and composer, who played and eventually collaborated with Miles Davis. A bebop master, Scofield is simultaneously well acquainted with R&B and blues styles which he mixes seamlessly with his jazz playing.

He recorded with Charles Mingus in 1976, and replaced Pat Metheny in Gary Burton's quartet. In autumn 1976 he signed a contract with Enja Records, and he released his first album East Meets West in 1977. In 1979 he formed a trio with Steve Swallow and Adam Nussbaum. He later joined Miles Davis, with whom he remained until 1985.

While still with Davis, he released Electric Outlet (1984). Still Warm (1985) followed after he left Davis's group.

At the beginning of the 1990s, he formed a quartet with Joe Lovano with whom he recorded several important albums for Blue Note Records. Time on My Hands (1990), with Lovano, Charlie Haden and Jack DeJohnette, showcased Scofield's guitar and Mingus-influenced writing. Bill Stewart subsequently became the group's drummer, and played on Meant to Be (1991) and What We Do (1993). In 1992, Scofield released Grace Under Pressure, featuring fellow guitarist Bill Frisell, with Charlie Haden on bass and Joey Baron on drums. Stewart was back in the drum chair for the 1994 collaboration with Pat Metheny, I Can See Your House from Here. Also, in 1997 he recorded "A Go Go" LP, supported by the fame of Medeski, Martin and Wood, truly a masterpiece with range of lounge music and finest funk feel behind the beat.

Towards the end of his tenure with Blue Note, Scofield returned to a more funk- and soul jazz-oriented sound, a direction which has dominated much of his subsequent output. At this time, he also started performing with various jambands, and even performed with DJ Logic to cover Phish's "Cars Trucks Buses", on Sharin' in the Groove (2001).

He released Überjam in 2002 and Up All Night in 2004, two albums on which he experiments with drum n bass and other modern rhythms. Late 2004 saw the release of En Route, which features the jazz trio of John Scofield, Steve Swallow on bass and Bill Stewart on drums. It was recorded live at The Blue Note, NYC in December 2003.

More recently Scofield has been jamming with the likes of Medeski, Martin and Wood, and has even gone so far as to record an album with them, this time with equal billing, as Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood.

On September 26, 2006 he released Out Louder, his second collaborative effort album with avant garde jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood.
On September 18, 2007 he released This Meets That, a record featuring his trio with Steve Swallow and Bill Stewart. This time John added a horn section to expand the sound of his trio. The touring unit for this record features the Sco Horns, a three piece horn section of Phil Grenadier on trumpet and flugelhorn, Tom Olin on tenor saxophone, flute and alto flute and Frank Vacin on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet.
Presently, Scofield is a part of the NYU/Steindhart Jazz program in New York City, as a faculty member.

Never Turn Back
John Scofield Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I started out for heaven
Such a long time ago
For the world of temptation
Made my journey hard and slow

I turned to worldly pleasures
But I only found pain and woe
I'm back on the road to the city

And I'll never turn back no more
No, no, no more, no more, no, no more

Gonna keep on trying
Till I reach the other shore

Wind may blow, storm may rise
Wind may blow me, Lord, side to side
I'll never turn back to the city
No, I'll never turn back no more

Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back

Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back

Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back

Never turn back, never turn back

Never turn back, never turn back
Never turn back, never turn back

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of John Scofield's song Never Turn Back tells the story of a person who started out on a journey to find heaven, but ultimately gets sidetracked by worldly pleasures that lead to pain and suffering. The persona sings about going back on the road to the city and never turning back again. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the persona's decision to restart their search for something meaningful in their lives, something that the world of temptation had distracted them from. The persona mentions that they will keep on trying until they reach the other shore, which could be seen as the ultimate goal they are striving for.

The line "wind may blow, storm may rise, wind may blow me, Lord, side to side" could be seen as a reminder that the journey to find meaning in one's life is tough and unpredictable. However, the persona remains resolute, and vows to never turn back to the city again. This could signify a newfound determination to avoid distractions and embrace different life choices. The repetition of the phrase "never turn back" at the end of the song reinforces this idea.

Overall, the song can be taken as a message of hope and perseverance. It encourages the listener to keep pushing forward despite setbacks and challenges. The lyrics suggest that there is something worth striving for, and that it is never too late to restart the journey towards finding meaning in one's life.

Line by Line Meaning

I started out for heaven
At the beginning, I was journeying towards heaven

Such a long time ago
This was a very long time ago

For the world of temptation
Because there were so many things that could tempt me

Made my journey hard and slow
It made my journey very difficult and slow

I turned to worldly pleasures
At some point, I decided to indulge in worldly things

But I only found pain and woe
However, this only brought me sadness and trouble

I'm back on the road to the city
Now, I am once again on the path to the city

And I'll never turn back no more
And I will never go back to the way things were before

Gonna keep on trying
I won't give up

Till I reach the other shore
Until I get to my destination

Wind may blow, storm may rise
There may be obstacles in my way