At the age of 11 Jon became interested in the electric guitar techniques and music of Edddie Van Halen and Jimmy Page.
When he was 18 he swapped his electric for an acoustic and moved towards the playing styles of guitarists such as Roy Harper and John Renbourn. At this time Jon moved to Durham, England to study horticulture and became influenced by North Eastern folk music.
Here, he developed his singing and percussion skills (playing tabla, congas and djembe) and at 22 joined the young borders band Tarras, who shortly after signed a record deal with Topic Records.
Over the next 5 years Tarras released 2 albums and toured extensively in Europe and the U.S. The band shared their song writing and singing duties giving Jon a chance to find his own unique voice, and to develop his arrangement skills.
After Tarras disbanded, Jon moved between Manchester and the North East where he worked as a croupier. This gave him time to explore his solo songwriting, drawing from personal experience whilst broadening his use of musical influences to include: Steve Reich, Steely Dan, John Coltrane and Pink Floyd.
In 2004 Jon decided to start a solo career and moved to London to start work on his self-funded debut album. Once there he teamed up with multi instrumentalist and arranger, Patrick Durkan and together they worked on the concept and arrangements for the album. 'May Be Some Time' was recorded in September and October 2005, produced by Real World's engineer Ben Findlay and completed in January 2006.
The album distils Jon's experience and skill as a musician, songwriter, arranger and vocalist. The result is an album of intelligence and emotional depth, which repays repeated listening.
Am I A Fool
Jon Redfern Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's so easy to be a fool
It's all or nothing if you wanna save yourself
Save these moments, they could work
Save no promise, save no curse
I cut my hair, it was my soul disguise
Who am I that feels so bare
And cold all through the night
How did you stay so bright
It was your chance to love the light
Big world, one of me, live your life, over a long way
There's a light over me, learn to live, over and over again
Smiling, what a lie, turn your head round, say goodbye
Waiting, we should leave, understand, I don't believe you
The song "Am I A Fool" by Jon Redfern speaks about the uncertainties of life and the feeling of vulnerability that sometimes arises in our hearts. The lines, "Without no rules my world might not go round" mean that rules are important to maintain stability and order in one's life. It's easy to lose yourself and become a fool in a world without rules. The second line, "It's all or nothing if you wanna save yourself" implies that one has to put in all their effort to save themselves from foolishness.
The following lines, "Save these moments, they could work, save no promise, save no curse" advise the listeners to cherish the present moments as they could work in the future, but one should not get too attached to promises or curses. The lines, "I cut my hair, it was my soul disguise, who am I that feels so bare" imply that the artist is seeking a new identity but continues to feel exposed and vulnerable.
The lines, "It was cold in the morning, and cold all through the night, how did you stay so bright?" contrast the bleakness of the world around with the artist's inner struggle. The lines, "There's a light over me, learn to live, over and over again" is a reminder that despite the hardships, there is always a chance for a new beginning and to learn from one's experiences. The final lines, "smiling, what a lie, turn your head round, say goodbye, waiting, we should leave, understand, I don't believe you" shows that the artist has had enough of pretense and fake smiles and wants to move forward to a genuine and fulfilling life.
Line by Line Meaning
Without no rules my world might not go round
Without any rules or structure, my life may lack direction or purpose
It's so easy to be a fool
It's effortless to make foolish decisions or mistakes
It's all or nothing if you wanna save yourself
You must fully commit to something if you hope to succeed or save yourself from failure
Save these moments, they could work
Take advantage of and cherish the present moments, as they have the potential to lead to success or happiness
Save no promise, save no curse
Don't hold onto any false hopes or negative expectations
I cut my hair, it was my soul disguise
I changed my appearance as a way to hide my true self or emotions
Who am I that feels so bare
I feel exposed or vulnerable and uncertain about my identity
It was cold in the morning and cold all through the night
The situation or environment was harsh or difficult to endure
How did you stay so bright
How did you maintain a positive attitude or outlook despite adversity?
It was your chance to love the light
It was an opportunity to embrace positivity or hopefulness
Big world, one of me, live your life over a long way
Despite the vastness of the world, I am only one person and must live my life to the fullest, even if it takes a long time
There's a light over me, learn to live, over and over again
Despite difficulties or setbacks, there is still hope and opportunity for growth and learning
Smiling, what a lie, turn your head round, say goodbye
Putting on a false smile and avoiding the truth or reality is deceptive and unproductive; it's better to face challenges head-on and move on from them
Waiting, we should leave, understand, I don't believe you
We shouldn't wait for someone or something that isn't dependable or trustworthy; I don't have confidence in your promises or intentions
Contributed by Ryan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.