He was born Wesley Stace in Hastings, East Sussex, England. His given name, Wesley, comes from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, who preached one of his last sermons in the town where Harding was born.
His stage name may be seen as an almost inevitable nickname for a folk-pop musician, in that his first name overlaps with the Bob Dylan album (and song) "John Wesley Harding". The American gunfighting historical figure John Wesley Hardin was largely forgotten before 1965, when Johnny Cash wrote and recorded the song "Hardin Wouldn't Run".
His education included the boarding schools St. Andrews School (Pangbourne, Berkshire); Milbourne Lodge (Claygate, Surrey); The King's School (Canterbury, Kent); and university at Jesus College, Cambridge. He left Cambridge with a First in English Literature, but left before completing his Ph.d. in Social and Political Science.
Musical influences include Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Ray Davies, and Phil Ochs. He has been frequently compared to Elvis Costello probably fueled, in part, by the fact that two members of his early band The Good Liars (Pete and Bruce Thomas) had been members of The Attractions. Harding was chosen by Bruce Springsteen as his first opening act in 20 years for his solo shows at the Berkeley Community Theatre in 1995. Harding
After The Fact
John Wesley Harding Lyrics
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It has everything in it but you
There's a mirror that knew what you looked like
And a door that has ruined the view
There's a carpet depressed by your footsteps
A hallway which echoes their sound
There's an arrow that points to the exit
And a lift that goes no further down, no further down
There's a stage play that shows every evening
With no prompter, no plot and no lines
The actors don't know what they're doing
They improvise all of their lives
And the action's all happening offstage
Where the props meet the actual things
Someone saw you with a gun in your hand
I heard the report from the wings
You say you're leaving
When I know that you're gone
After the fact, you'll be back
But long after the song
If ever I try to run after
The ceiling reveals the sky
The carpet is pulled out from under
The walls disappear in the flies
Behind them, the lenses of cameras
They all want a piece of us now
The story behind the unmaking
The what and the why and the how
Excuse if I choose not to bow
You say you're leavingWhen I know that you're gone
After the fact, you'll be back
But long after the song is gone
After the fact, you'll be gone
But long after the song
John Wesley Harding's "After the Fact" is a melancholic and poetic song that describes a space that has become empty after someone has left it. The first verse describes a room that is now empty, and the objects within it that once belonged to the departed person. The mirror and door serve to emphasize the emptiness, with the door taking away the once-beautiful view from the room. The carpet and hallway only remind the singer of the footsteps that used to fill the space.
The second verse creates a scene of a stage play, where the actors are improvising their lives without any clear purpose or direction. The real action is happening offstage, where a gun was seen in someone's hand, and someone was shot. The ambiguity of the supposed crime and the improvisational nature of the play highlights a sense of existential crisis and meaninglessness.
The chorus has a sense of resignation, with certainty that the person who left will return eventually, but after a long time, "long after the song is gone." The final verse then takes a surreal direction, where everything falls apart and is disassembled, with cameras pointed at the wreckage of what once was, revealing an unknown story and motive behind the act of leaving. The singer then concludes by choosing not to bow, indicating a sense of pride or defiance, in the face of the unknown.
Line by Line Meaning
There is a room that you just now walked out of
There is a physical space that you recently vacated
It has everything in it but you
All the physical objects remain, except for you
There's a mirror that knew what you looked like
There is a mirror that has reflected your image before
And a door that has ruined the view
The door's presence has obstructed the view of something beyond it
There's a carpet depressed by your footsteps
The carpet shows evidence of your recent presence by having marks or indentations from your footsteps
A hallway which echoes their sound
The hallway amplifies and repeats the sound of your footsteps
There's an arrow that points to the exit
A sign or indicator that shows the direction of the exit
And a lift that goes no further down, no further down
An elevator that only goes up, not down
There's a stage play that shows every evening
There is a theatrical performance that occurs every night
With no prompter, no plot and no lines
The performance has no script, story or direction
The actors don't know what they're doing
The performers act without any clear understanding of their roles or motivations
They improvise all of their lives
The performers are constantly making up their lines and actions as they go along
And the action's all happening offstage
The real drama and events are happening outside of the performance area
Where the props meet the actual things
The boundary between the fictional objects and the real world blurs
Someone saw you with a gun in your hand
A witness observed you holding a firearm
I heard the report from the wings
I heard the sound of a gunshot from a concealed or backstage location
You say you're leaving
You have indicated your intention to depart
When I know that you're gone
I perceive that you have already left
After the fact, you'll be back
You will return at a later time
But long after the song
Your return will be delayed by a significant amount of time
If ever I try to run after
If I attempt to pursue or follow you
The ceiling reveals the sky
The roof or ceiling disappears, exposing the open sky above
The carpet is pulled out from under
My sense of stability is suddenly removed or undermined
The walls disappear in the flies
The walls of the room are removed, either metaphorically or literally, into the wings of the stage
Behind them, the lenses of cameras
Behind the stage area, there are cameras recording the events
They all want a piece of us now
The media or other people are eager to obtain information or details about our situation
The story behind the unmaking
The narrative or reasons for the events leading to our separation
The what and the why and the how
The specific details and explanations for our situation
Excuse if I choose not to bow
Please understand if I refuse to acquiesce or cave in to others' demands or expectations
After the fact, you'll be gone
You will have vanished, left or departed after the initial event has occurred
But long after the song is gone
This will happen long after the original instigating event has passed or concluded
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN WESLEY HARDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind