Born to two neuroscientists, Ritter bought his first guitar from the local K-MART after hearing the Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash classic Girl From The North Country. He started at Oberlin College with the intent to follow in his parents' scientist footsteps, but instead discovered songwriting, and the music of artists like Gillian Welch, Townes Van Zandt, and Leonard Cohen. He graduated and then moved east, favoring its close proximity to historic folk clubs such as "Club Passim" in Boston. On a shoestring budget he recorded his critically acclaimed breakthrough album Golden Age of Radio in 2002 at various tiny, one-room studios on the East Coast. He has continued to grow from there, further developing his sound on subsequent albums.
Josh has recorded several records and E.P.s. In chronological order, they are:
Josh Ritter (Self Titled) (2000)
Golden Age of Radio (2001)
Come and Find Me EP (2003)
Hello Starling (2003)
4 Songs Live E.P. (2005)
The Animal Years (2006)
Girl In The War E.P. (2006)
Good Man E.P. (2006)
In The Dark: Live At Vicar Street (2006)
The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter (2007)
Live at the Record Exchange EP (2008)
So Runs the World Away (2010)
To the Yet Unknowing World (2011)
Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band, Live at The Iveagh Gardens (April 2011)
The Beast In Its Tracks (2013)
Acoustic Live, Vol.1 (2015)
Sermon on the Rocks (2015)
Mexican Home
Josh Ritter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You couldn't hardly breathe
Heat lightning burnt the sky like alcohol
I sat on the porch without my shoes
And I watched the cars roll by
As the headlights raced
To the corner of the kitchen wall
Mama dear
Your boy is here
Far across the sea
Waiting for
That sacred core
That burns inside of me
And I feel a storm
All wet and warm
Not ten miles away
Approaching
My Mexican home
My God! I cried, it's so hot inside
You could die in the living room
Take the fan from the window
Prop the door back with a broom
The cuckoo clock has died of shock
And the windows feel no pane
The air's as still
As the throttle on a funeral train
[Chorus:]
My father died on the porch outside
On an August afternoon
I sipped bourbon and cried
With a friend by the light of the moon
So its hurry! hurry! Step right up
It's a matter of life or death
The sun is going down
And the moon is just holding its breath
[Chorus:]
Josh Ritter's song "Mexican Home" tells a story about a young man who is far away from his family and home, possibly somewhere overseas, longing for the place and people he left behind. The opening lyrics describe a night that was so hot and humid, that it felt almost suffocating. The heat lightning was so strong, it illuminated the entire sky. The young man sat on the porch outside and watched the passing cars, hoping to feel a moment of reprieve in the cool evening air. The chorus echoes his longing for home and the comfort it brings, especially the comfort his mother's love and support provides.
The second verse tells of the unbearable heat inside the house, so hot that even the fan in the window doesn't seem to have an effect. The cuckoo clock, an item that usually adds a comforting rhythm to the household, has stopped working due to the heat. The air is so still, it feels like the aftermath of a funeral procession. The third verse takes a darker turn, as the young man remembers his father passing away on the hot summer porch surrounded by friends. The urgency in the lyrics seems to reflect the singer's fear of time moving on, of losing important moments that bring meaning and significance to his life.
Overall, the song seems to address themes of longing, memory, displacement, and belonging. The singer is struggling with not being where he wants to be, physically and emotionally. The chorus, with its repeated allusion to the "sacred core" burning inside of him, suggests that his identity and sense of self are linked to his home and his family. The storm coming to his Mexican home is a potential source of relief from the suffocating heat and a reminder of the volatile and unpredictable nature of life.
Line by Line Meaning
It got so hot, last night, I swear
The weather was incredibly hot last night.
You couldn't hardly breathe
The heat was so intense that it was difficult to breathe.
Heat lightning burnt the sky like alcohol
There were flashes of heat lightning that illuminated the sky like firewater.
I sat on the porch without my shoes
The artist was sitting on the porch barefoot.
And I watched the cars roll by
The artist observed the passing cars.
As the headlights raced
The car headlights were moving quickly.
To the corner of the kitchen wall
The car headlights shone on the corner of the kitchen wall.
Mama dear
The artist is addressing their mother.
Your boy is here
The artist is letting their mother know that they are present.
Far across the sea
The artist is physically distant from their mother.
Waiting for
The singer is expecting something.
That sacred core
The artist is waiting for something important to them.
That burns inside of me
The thing the singer is waiting for is something that deeply affects them emotionally.
And I feel a storm
The singer senses a storm approaching.
All wet and warm
The storm is characterized as having warm rain.
Not ten miles away
The storm is close by, a short distance away.
Approaching
The storm is moving towards the artist's location.
My Mexican home
The singer is at their home in Mexico.
My God! I cried, it's so hot inside
The singer is exclaiming that it's unbearably hot indoors.
You could die in the living room
The heat is so extreme that it could be fatal to stay in the living room.
Take the fan from the window
The artist wants to move the fan from the window.
Prop the door back with a broom
The artist suggests using a broom to keep the door open.
The cuckoo clock has died of shock
The cuckoo clock has stopped working due to the extreme heat.
And the windows feel no pane
The windows are so hot that they no longer have any insulation.
The air's as still
There is no breeze in the air.
As the throttle on a funeral train
The stillness in the air is comparable to the quietness of a funeral train.
My father died on the porch outside
The singer's father passed away while sitting on the porch.
On an August afternoon
The artist's father died in August during the day.
I sipped bourbon and cried
The artist was drinking bourbon and crying after their father's passing.
With a friend by the light of the moon
The singer's friend was present, and they were sitting outside under the moon's light.
So its hurry! hurry! Step right up
The singer is urging someone to act quickly.
It's a matter of life or death
The situation is important enough to be viewed as life or death.
The sun is going down
The sun is setting.
And the moon is just holding its breath
The moon is still, as if to take in the importance of the events taking place.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOHN PRINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Leonviejo47
SEÑOR J. PRINE ; me encanta la poesía de sus canciones, letras hablan de cosas tan usuales y actuales, por ser mexicano y Ud., contarnos de "Mexican Home" traduje el coro, así literalmente, faltaría la "rima" y dice :::Mama dear ///// Mamá Querida
Your boy is here ///// aqui esta tu hijo
///// lejano atravez del mar
///// Esperando
//// ese sagrado corazón
//// que arde dentro de mi,
//// y siento como una tormenta
///// tan húmeda y tibia
//// desde tan lejos
//// cuando me voy acercando
//// a tan mexicano hogar.. Ahora que le conosco Mr Prine, seguire escuchando tan Agradable interpretaciones, llenas de sentimientos profundos nostálgicos y algunos comicos como "Lonsome friends of Science" y si en estos videos agregan la letra, pues podre entender mejor lo que nos cuenta en sus canciones,, FELICIDADES, un Saludo respetuoso, desde Cd. Ju´´arez Chihuahua... un 21 Mayo 2019.
@dand4692
It got so hot, last night, I swear
You couldn't hardly breathe
Heat lightning burnt the sky like alcohol
I sat on the porch without my shoes
And I watched the cars roll by
As the headlights raced
To the corner of the kitchen wall
Mama dear
Your boy is here
Far across the sea
Waiting for
That sacred core
That burns inside of me
And I feel a storm
All wet and warm
Not ten miles away
Approaching
My Mexican home
My God! I cried, it's so hot inside
You could die in the living room
Take the fan from the window
Prop the door back with a broom
The cuckoo clock has died of shock
And the windows feel no pane
The air's as still
As the throttle on a funeral train
Mama dear
Your boy is here
Far across the sea
Waiting for
That sacred core
That burns inside of me
And I feel a storm
All wet and warm
Not ten miles away
Approaching
My Mexican home
My father died on the porch outside
On an August afternoon
I sipped bourbon and cried
With a friend by the light of the moon
So its hurry! hurry! Step right up
It's a matter of life or death
The sun is going down
And the moon is just holding its breath
Mama dear
Your boy is here
Far across the sea
Waiting for
That sacred core
That burns inside of me
And I feel a storm
All wet and warm
Not ten miles away
Approaching
My Mexican home
@malcolmbond3596
John was an original, the moment you hear the guitar rhythm start to play your brain immediately tells you it's a John Prine song, he is sadly missed - but he left a great legacy of his songs behind for all of his fans to cherish and enjoy forever.
@LOVEHAS1JOYRAINS2
😊💙Mother Father God are here in physical flesh ❤🎉!! And reaching out to you on social media! Father plays a lot of John's songs. Please phone home today our creators luv you❤😊. Luna
@rapidoxidationman
My father died last Friday in his living room while I spoke to him. As I was walking through his home after, opening all the doors and welcoming him to leave this plane, this tune started playing on my phone. The first two words John Prine utters - Thank You - hit me hard, as I had for the last month cared for him as we fought the cancer that ravaged his body.
Thank you John and Josh for giving my father the means to express himself to me after he had passed through this life with unimpeachable grace and humility.
Namaste.
@olgander
Thank You for sharing your touching story..May you find Peace
@shellysprunk1342
How utterly beautiful! Thank you SO much! God bless you and your Dad.
@carolmeals
Guy that is beautiful and deeply touching the way music, especially this music as John and your father have passed. John Prine’s music has been a comfort to me as my singing partner just passed. Life is as precious as dying and being born and music helps hold me in grieving. Love is everywhere.
@myachinback1
Guy, you are tuned into the Humanity channel we are all on. I also recently lost my dad, and I send you peace. John sings these beautiful gifts, and am grateful we get the opportunity to reach across the great beyond to our ancestors through them.
May you continue to find peace.
Namaste.
@kurtsteinmiller674
Thank you, Guy. My father is currently in a bad place w/ Covid, & this song (this particular version) popped into my mind. It was good to find your post & to feel a little less alone w/ it. God bless John Prine.
@BrianEllefritz
You made me think when I needed to think, and feel when I needed to feel. Your music and heart meant so much to me, John.
@mrchildgrownold3852
Amen