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
Ask Why
John Wesley Harding Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A reputation on a line
A revolution every minute
Nothing's gonna keep time
Ask why
Ask why
The president's understudy
He sure must have the self-deception blues
Ask why
Ask why
Ask why
No-one ever looks at you straight in the face
Ask why
You're never at home but you're so outta place
Ask why
Ask why
The record's gotten scratchy
And there's dust in every groove
And the needle keeps on jumping
Everytime we make a move
Ask why
Ask why
They think they've caught the killer
And they kill him on first sight
Another kid gets murdered
Later on that night
Ask why
Ask why
Ask why
The truth is always hiding between the lines
Ask why
We're living it up in kaleidoscope time
Ask why
Ask why
No-one trusts the enemy
Right in our midst
Don't know what you did now
You're on the hit list
Ask why
No-one even cared to look up at the sky
Ask why
The world's photogenic and you're camera shy
Ask why
The world was in debt the day it died
Ask why
Life is so short and you might as well try to
Ask why
The lyrics to John Wesley Harding's song Ask Why depict a climate of uncertainty and skepticism, where people are questioning the status quo and seeking answers. The opening line sets the mood, as it suggests a sense of chaos and confusion: "There's a panic on the streets." The second line suggests that reputations are at stake and that there is a sense of urgency: "A reputation on a line." The third line suggests that there is constant change and upheaval: "A revolution every minute." The fourth line suggests that time is fleeting and nothing can stop it: "Nothing's gonna keep time."
The chorus, "Ask why," invites listeners to question everything they hear and see. The second verse mentions the president's understudy, who is either incompetent or dishonest: "Fluffing his cues / He sure must have the self-deception blues." The bridge mentions the mistrust and paranoia that exist among people: "No-one trusts the enemy / Right in our midst." The final verse suggests that there are things that remain hidden or obscured: "The truth is always hiding between the lines."
Overall, the song is a call to look beyond the surface and to seek answers to the questions that arise from uncertainty and distrust.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a panic on the streets
The situation is chaotic and people are scared.
A reputation on a line
Someone's reputation is at stake.
A revolution every minute
There is constant change and upheaval happening.
Nothing's gonna keep time
Time passes quickly and relentlessly, and cannot be stopped.
Ask why
Question the status quo and seek answers.
The president's understudy
Someone who is not fully qualified is filling an important role.
Fluffing his cues
Making mistakes and not performing well.
He sure must have the self-deception blues
He must be lying to himself about his abilities.
No-one ever looks at you straight in the face
People are not honest and direct with you.
You're never at home but you're so outta place
You don't feel like you belong anywhere.
The record's gotten scratchy
The situation has deteriorated and is not working well.
And there's dust in every groove
Neglect and lack of care have caused problems.
And the needle keeps on jumping
There are obstacles and bumps in the road.
Everytime we make a move
Every action we take has consequences.
They think they've caught the killer
The wrong person has been accused and punishment is swift.
And they kill him on first sight
Justice is not always served and errors can be made.
Another kid gets murdered
More violence and tragedy occurs in the aftermath.
Later on that night
The cycle of violence and retribution continues.
The truth is always hiding between the lines
It can be hard to know what's really going on and uncover the truth.
We're living it up in kaleidoscope time
The pace of life is fast and full of color and variety.
No-one trusts the enemy
Suspicion, fear, and paranoia are rampant.
Right in our midst
The threat is nearby and among us.
Don't know what you did now
You are being blamed for something but don't know what or why.
You're on the hit list
You are in danger and someone wants to hurt or kill you.
No-one even cared to look up at the sky
People are too busy or distracted to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.
The world's photogenic and you're camera shy
The world is full of interesting things and experiences, but you're too shy or afraid to fully engage with them.
The world was in debt the day it died
The world is bankrupt and lacking in value or meaning.
Life is so short and you might as well try to
Life is brief and precious, so it's worth making the effort to understand it better.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOHN WESLEY HARDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dorothy Robinson
LOL!!! Love this song & music video. Now, I wonder if John Wesley Harding could ever make love to Theme Time Radio Hour??? hmm...heheh.....(well, that show always turns ME on, anyway...)
~In my own humble opinion,
these are Zimmy's sexiest six:
1 ~ I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
2 ~ Lay Lady Lay
3 ~ Blood In My Eyes
4 ~ Moonlight
5 ~ Spirit On The Water
6 ~ Soon After Midnight
~Good bedroom choices, all. I would imagine....
paperbacknovel
Terrific video. Funny. Garofalo looks cute. When was this video released? In 2012? Shoulda been a top 10 video of the year.
Mike Irvan
i'm a bob dylan fan, and i found this vid kind of humorous lol
Dorothy Robinson
...And this music video got me to thinkin' about this topic:
Makin’ love to music from a vinyl record vrs. making love to music from a CD/mp3
~just imagine this funny little scenario:
....so, you’re smack dab in in the middle of lovemaking and you’ve got a vinyl record playing, spinning around on a turntable that sits on your bed side table.....You’re building up to the big O, working real hard, almost there, almost there! ...When suddenly--- the records starts skipping!!!!...but your turntable is conveniently placed so close to your position on the bed that you can fix the issue without getting up; all you have to do is say to your lover, "Hold it, baby, one sec---" and then just reach your arm over and pound your fist down hard onto the bedside table, right next to the turntable..... and that stops the skippin', and the record continues to play, ever so normally, as if nothing had happened at all..heheh!!! Like it had never even stopped...lol.
(but in quick defense of vinyl records now, which I love: records, of course, have a warmer, richer sound and tone. And the little pops and clicks, the hissing and cracklin' sounds are also very comforting and amorous, aren't they? In fact, the hisses, pops, and clicks of a record sometimes remind me of the sound of a crackling, roaring fireplace....'tis very nice and romantic, yes indeed)
quesondriac
Janeane rocks. Pure and simple!
Dorothy Robinson
LOL!!! Love this song & music video. Now, I wonder if John Wesley Harding could ever make love to Theme Time Radio Hour??? hmm...heheh.....(well, that show always turns ME on, anyway...)
~In my own humble opinion,
these are Zimmy's sexiest six:
1 ~ I'll Be Your Baby Tonight
2 ~ Lay Lady Lay
3 ~ Blood In My Eyes
4 ~ Moonlight
5 ~ Spirit On The Water
6 ~ Soon After Midnight
~Good bedroom choices, all. I would imagine....
sirdeadlock
I laughed.
MUSIC in ATLANTA
What would you do to NRBQ??
Mike Irvan
That's cool jetsanna. It just seemed anti dylan cuz it's stating can't make love to Bob Dylan lol. Difficult for me to tell. I got a couple vids on here one would think probably anti dylan as well since picking on his voice lol
Miralupa
+Mike Irvan Well they've named their band after one of his albums, so either they've reached the seventh circle of irony or the do indeed love the Zimmerman
Gabriel Vareschi
I can do it..