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
The truth
John Wesley Harding Lyrics
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But, hey, I was disturbing the war
I was waving a small white handkerchief
Singing "please don't fight no more"
And I thought there'd be an army each side
But there were just two guys wearing very bad ties
So I shouted until my throat went hoarse
And they cut out my voicebox of course
I was taken to court in a city of gold
Where silence is a sure sign of guilt
And you can't speak out in your own defense
Or be heard over worlds being built
And the trial was a farce as befitted a place
Where comedy and tragedy share the same face
The judge read the verdict, a curtain was raised
An audience roared out its praise
And I said
"Where's the truth around here today?
Where do fact and fiction separate?
Who's the bug guy that we have to pay
To find the truth around here today?"
It all made the news but the story was wrong
And the photo wasn't even of me
And the great god I love, he intoned from above
You shouldn't sniff at free publicity
But it wasn't the voice I'd expected to hear
it was thin and unclear like Richard Gere
And somebody said "God's had a bad fall
That's his manager taking his calls"
And I said
"Where's the truth around here today?
Where do fact and fiction go their separate ways?
I thought we were much too clever to pray
But where's the truth to find the truth?"
I was put in a cell for the whole afterlife
But my mind was just as free as can be
Somebody said, "just your body's enchained"
And you can guess how that encouraged me
So I wandered and roamed for the rest of my days
I was clearing my name, I was apportioning days
And then I woke up, it was all a dream, all was well
But when I woke up, I woke up in my cell
And I said
"Where's the truth around here today?
Where do fact and fiction separate
No-one wants to be the one to say
Where's the truth around here today?"
I was arrested for disturbing the peace.
The lyrics of "The Truth" by John Wesley Harding speak to the difficulties of discovering truth and fighting against injustice. The singer is arrested for "disturbing the peace," but he argues that he was actually "disturbing the war" by waving a small white handkerchief and singing for peace. He is taken to court in a city where "silence is a sure sign of guilt," and despite the fact that the trial is a farce, the verdict is read and the audience cheers. The singer questions where the truth can be found, where fact and fiction separate, and who can be trusted to find the truth.
Throughout the song, the singer's voice is filled with frustration and anger as he encounters one injustice after another. He is not allowed to speak out in his own defense, and the trial is a "farce." The great god he loves speaks to him, but the voice is not what he expected, leading him to wonder who can be trusted to deliver the truth. Even when he is released from his cell, he wakes up to find that he is still trapped in a world where truth is difficult to find.
Line by Line Meaning
I was arrested for disturbing the peace
I got into trouble for protesting against the war.
But, hey, I was disturbing the war
I was trying to create peace by stopping the war.
I was waving a small white handkerchief
I wanted to show that I came in peace.
Singing 'please don't fight no more'
I was singing a plea to end violence.
And I thought there'd be an army each side, But there were just two guys wearing very bad ties
I expected a big confrontation, but it turned out to be a minor affair.
So I shouted until my throat went hoarse, And they cut out my voicebox of course
I was punished for speaking out against the war.
I was taken to court in a city of gold, Where silence is a sure sign of guilt
I was tried unfairly and wasn't allowed to defend myself.
And you can't speak out in your own defense, Or be heard over worlds being built
In that city, powerful people were busy making money and didn't care about justice.
And the trial was a farce as befitted a place, Where comedy and tragedy share the same face
The trial was a mockery, which wasn't surprising in that greedy city.
The judge read the verdict, a curtain was raised, An audience roared out its praise
The verdict was pre-decided and the people in power were happy about it.
And I said 'Where's the truth around here today? Where do fact and fiction separate? Who's the bug guy that we have to pay To find the truth around here today?'
I was questioning the lack of transparency and honesty in that society.
It all made the news but the story was wrong, And the photo wasn't even of me
The news didn't report the truth and even used the wrong photo.
And the great god I love, he intoned from above You shouldn't sniff at free publicity
My belief in God was challenged when I realized that even He was promoting false news for the sake of publicity.
But it wasn't the voice I'd expected to hear it was thin and unclear like Richard Gere And somebody said 'God's had a bad fall That's his manager taking his calls'
The voice of God, when I heard it, was not what I expected, and I realized that even religion could be fake and manipulated for profit.
And I said 'Where's the truth around here today? Where do fact and fiction go their separate ways? I thought we were much too clever to pray But where's the truth to find the truth?'
I was frustrated and wondering where to find the objective truth in the midst of so much manipulation and lies.
I was put in a cell for the whole afterlife But my mind was just as free as can be
I imagined a scenario where my soul was imprisoned but my thoughts were still free.
Somebody said, 'just your body's enchained' And you can guess how that encouraged me
I was motivated to explore different intellectual paths while still being imprisoned.
So I wandered and roamed for the rest of my days I was clearing my name, I was apportioning days
In that imagined scenario, I was able to reclaim my identity and pursue philosophical musings.
And then I woke up, it was all a dream, all was well But when I woke up, I woke up in my cell
After my imagined journey, I returned to reality still facing imprisonment and social injustice.
And I said 'Where's the truth around here today? Where do fact and fiction separate? No-one wants to be the one to say Where's the truth around here today?'
I continued to despair at the dishonesty and evasion of truth in the world around me.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: JOHN WESLEY HARDING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind