After The Story broke up in 1994 Brooke went solo, first as Jonatha Brooke & The Story and then simply under her own name. Her first album, Plumb (1995) was followed by 10 Cent Wings (1997) and a harder-rocking album, Steady Pull (2001). In February of 2004 she released Back in the Circus, which marked a first collaboration with songwriter Eric Bazilian (from The Hooters), and a few creative covers. Back in the Circus was released in April 2005 in the UK combining tracks from Back in the Circus and Steady Pull.
2007 saw the release of Careful What You Wish For, on which she continued the collaborations, not only with Eric Bazilian, but also JC Chasez, Nick Lachey and Sally Dworsky (to whom she dedicated "Sally" on Back in the Circus). Her 2008 effort, The Works was a sort of collaborative effort with Woody Guthrie, returning to her folk roots by imbuing Guthrie's words with her own musical style, resulting in a whole that is infinitely greater than the sum of its parts.
She's also contributed to soundtracks (e.g. I'll Try and other tracks on Peter Pan: Return to Neverland), and released Emmanuel (a track that she and Kevin Gilbert were working on when he died), and has her own record label Bad Dog (presumably a reference to Dog Dreams).
Visit her website for current tour information.
www.jonathabrooke.com
Paris
Jonatha Brooke Lyrics
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I remember the men, I remember the houses in Paris
His station nearby, I was his afternoons
We didn't mind, we shared everything, everything, Paris
He'd come in looking for comfort, leave again looking to the left and the right
Did we see too much, say too little
Stepping over every dark thing
But he loves me
Framing his face with my hands in the doorway
I try to decipher the friend from the foe in his eyes
A man's skin will be blown back with time and confusion
'Til it gathers by his ears in the same human shallows like sand at the sea
Did he hear too much, say too little
Could any year recover what we lost in these?
With the hum of the war in the run of the day, but
I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun
Claiming these streets for myself
I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun
Claiming these streets for myself,
Again
I am the unchanging narrative, I don't resolve neatly
And I am the unchained melody, the current of the need to survive
And I go on looking for comfort, I can no longer see to the left or the right, but
I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun
Claiming these streets for myself
I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun
Claiming these streets for myself,
Again.
The lyrics of Jonatha Brooke's song "Paris" depict a complex and multi-layered relationship between the singer and a man named L'Allemand who used to visit her when she lived in Paris. The intimacy between the two is palpable in the lyrics, with the singer recalling how they shared everything during his afternoons with her. However, there is also a sense of precariousness and uncertainty in their relationship, as they seem to be unsure of how much they should reveal to each other and whether their connection will endure. The lines "Did we see too much, say too little / Stepping over every dark thing" suggest a constant tension between their desire for honesty and their need to protect themselves.
L'Allemand's visits to Paris are juxtaposed with the broader context of war and conflict, as the singer refers to "the hum of the war in the run of the day." Despite this, the singer remains defiant and determined to claim the streets of Paris for herself. The repeated refrain of "I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun / Claiming these streets for myself" is a powerful assertion of her independence and resilience.
One of the most striking aspects of the lyrics is their ambiguity and openness to interpretation. The line "I try to decipher the friend from the foe in his eyes" suggests a sense of danger or mistrust, but it is unclear whether this refers to L'Allemand or to something else entirely. Similarly, the lines "I am the unchanging narrative, I don't resolve neatly / And I am the unchained melody, the current of the need to survive" suggest a strong sense of identity and purpose, but their exact meaning remains elusive.
Line by Line Meaning
L'allemand used to visit me in Paris, in Paris
The singer's German lover used to visit her in Paris
I remember the men, I remember the houses in Paris
The singer remembers the men and houses in Paris
His station nearby, I was his afternoons
The singer would spend her afternoons with her lover who lived nearby
We didn't mind, we shared everything, everything, Paris
The artist and her lover didn't mind and shared everything in Paris
He'd come in looking for comfort, leave again looking to the left and the right
The artist's lover would come for comfort and leave looking suspiciously around
Did we see too much, say too little
The singer wonders if they saw too many things and didn't speak enough about them
Stepping over every dark thing
The singer tries to avoid dark or unpleasant things
Would it all be true tomorrow?
The artist is uncertain about the truth of their situation
But he loves me
The artist's lover loves her
Framing his face with my hands in the doorway
The artist holds her lover's face in the doorway
I try to decipher the friend from the foe in his eyes
The singer tries to determine if her lover is a friend or foe by looking in his eyes
A man's skin will be blown back with time and confusion
The artist reflects on how time and confusion can change a person's appearance
'Til it gathers by his ears in the same human shallows like sand at the sea
The singer describes how the man's skin will gather by his ears like the sand at the sea
Did he hear too much, say too little
The singer wonders if her lover heard too much but said too little
Could any year recover what we lost in these?
The singer doubts that any year can recover what they have lost
With the hum of the war in the run of the day, but
Despite the hum of the war, the artist continues
I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun
The artist walks confidently and freely in the sun
Claiming these streets for myself
The singer feels ownership of the streets of Paris
Again
This is a repeated sentiment
I am the unchanging narrative, I don't resolve neatly
The artist is the unchanging narrative but doesn't have a clear resolution
And I am the unchained melody, the current of the need to survive
The artist is the unchained melody and represents the need to survive
And I go on looking for comfort, I can no longer see to the left or the right, but
The artist continues looking for comfort but is no longer paying attention to others
I walk with my head held high and naked in the sun
The singer walks confidently and freely in the sun
Claiming these streets for myself
The artist feels ownership of the streets of Paris
Again
This is a repeated sentiment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JONATHA BROOKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind