www.justinrutledge.com
Rutledge has released three albums, No Never Alone, The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park and Man Descending. His fourth album, entitled, "The Early Widows" was released in May 2010 on Six Shooter Records.
Rutledge's musical style is often compared to that of American alt-country singer Ryan Adams. His influences, both of the literary and music world, include Leonard Cohen, Hank Williams, Richard Brautigan and E.E. Cummings.
In 2006, Justin Rutledge was named Toronto singer-songwriter of the year by NOW magazine.
Rutledge has toured Canada, the UK, the United States and Europe, and has played shows with Kathleen Edwards, Jim Cuddy, Blue Rodeo, Hawksley Workman, Luke Doucet and Dolly Parton.
His critically acclaimed lyrics are sometimes linked by music writers to his time as a university English major; he was editor-in-chief of a University of Toronto literary journal.
History
Early life
Justin Rutledge was born and grew up in the Junction neighbourhood in Toronto, a working class community centered around an intersection of four railway lines. He was raised in an Irish-Catholic family and grew up with aspirations of becoming a writer. To that end he studied English literature, with a major in modern poetry, at the University of Toronto. He dropped out after three years of school as his musical career got in the way. Rutledge told Macleans in an interview that his backup plan would be to finish his university studies in English "if this music thing doesn't work."
No Never Alone (2004-2005)
No Never Alone is Justin Rutledge's first album. In order to pay for the recording he worked as a bartender. Rutledge has remarked, "I would often do a studio session during the day, and then head straight to work until 4 or 5 in the morning"
The album earned Rutledge considerable praise, particularly in the UK, where he was compared to Ryan Adams by Comes With a Smile, who also proclaimed that "A major new talent has landed". Additional UK praise came from Uncut magazine who referred to Rutledge as “a master of gothic understatement” and NME describing the album as "an incredible breakthrough".
It was only receiving this attention in the UK that 'No Never Alone' was released in Rutledge's native Canada.
The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park (2006-2007)
Rutledge's second album, "The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park" was released through Six Shooter Records on October 6, 2006. "Devil on a Bench" is actually Rutledge's second attempt at a sophomore album - He spent a year recording his first attempt, tentatively titled In the Fall, before he scrapped it. He was unsatisfied with the album, and has explained, “I thought a sophomore album should have just a bit more of an assured sense about it. A second step forward should be a step up the ladder as opposed to just asserting your presence. You’re not just saying, ‘hey, I’m still here. You’re saying, ‘hey I’m here and I’ve challenged myself and I’ve hopefully done something that I haven’t done already. In order to challenge himself and create the album he wanted, Rutledge wrote a new batch of songs and recorded them in eight days with his band - opting for a more live recording style.
"The Devil on a Bench in Stanley Park" was nominated for a Juno award in the category "Roots & Traditional Album of the Year: Solo" and received the Galaxie Rising Star Award at the Edmonton Folk Festival.
[edit] Man Descending (2008)
Man Descending
Justin Rutledge's third album, "Man Descending" was released on April 8, 2008 through Six Shooter Records. The album is named after a 1982 collection of short stories by Guy Vanderhaeghe, also called "Man Descending". Rutledge was inspired by a line from Vanderhaeghe's book, "A man descending is propelled by inertia; the only initiative left him is whether or not he decides to enjoy the passing scene." He says of the line, "It really resonated with me. As I continued to read the stories, I realized that all these characters in the book were dealing with the same kind of static or inertia in their lives. I kind of took little threads and wove them into songs."
The album features Ron Sexsmith, Jenn Grant, Catherine MacLellan, Hawksley Workman, Melissa McClelland, Joey Wright, Jim Bryson as well as "What Rutledge calls the best band in town; David Baxter, Bazil Donovan and Blake Manning; Burke Carroll and Bob Packwood."
"Man Descending" was long-listed for the Polaris Music Prize.[17] Other praise for "Man Descending" in 2008 included the #5 spot on Exclaim's Wood, Wires & Whiskey top 10 and a nomination for Contemporary Album of the Year at the Canadian Folk Music Awards.
According to an interview, "Compared to 2006’s The Devil On A Bench In Stanley Park, Rutledge feels Man Descending is a much more patient, intimate and mature album, despite recording it in just three days."
The songs "Alberta Breeze" and "San Sebastian" were written for "In The Fall:" - the album that Rutledge scrapped in 2006, and were rerecorded for Man Descending.
In 2009 Justin Rutledge took part in an interactive documentary series called City Sonic. The series, which featured 20 Toronto artists, had him reflecting on his time performing at the Cameron House.
The Early Widows (2010)
The Early Widows is Justin Rutledge's fourth album, released in May 2010 on Six Shooter Records. Justin wrote several songs with a single character in mind from author Michael Ondaatje's Novel Divisadero after collaborating with Ondaatje on a theatrical adaptation of the novel. Michael Onjaatje also co-wrote several of the songs receiving official credit for the single Be A Man.
The album is produced by Canadian singer-songwriter Hawksley Workman (also credited as a musician on the album) and also features Canadian singer-songwriter Oh Susanna.
Lay Me Down Sweet Jesus
Justin Rutledge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
By the trembling skylines
By the fox's vineyard, by the snowman's eyes
Oh, lay me down by the black boys
Lay me down by the blue boys
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
Where the soil goes hungry
Where the pretty worms hide
Oh, lay me down by the highways
By the messianic roadmaps
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
By the muddy river Jordan
By the teeth of pianos, by the punk rock bands
Oh, lay me down by the coffins of the paperboy's parents
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
In the holy war zones
By Jerusalem's cancer, by my baby's blood
Oh, lay me down in the pastures
Where your crosses gathers
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
The lyrics of Justin Rutledge's song "Lay Me Down Sweet Jesus" depict a longing for solace and spiritual connection amidst a world filled with chaos, suffering, and uncertainty. Throughout the song, the singer pleads to be laid down in various symbolic places and situations, invoking Jesus as a figure of comfort and salvation.
The opening lines, "Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus, by the trembling skylines, by the fox's vineyard, by the snowman's eyes," suggest a desire to find peace and tranquility in the midst of the unstable and rapidly changing urban landscapes. The mention of the fox's vineyard and snowman's eyes add a touch of innocence and vulnerability.
The subsequent verses continue this theme, with references to black boys and blue boys, highways and messianic roadmaps, and muddy river Jordan, presenting a diverse range of imagery that may represent different aspects of human experience and struggle. The singer longs to be laid down in these places, seeking solace and understanding.
The repetition of the line "lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms" throughout the song reinforces the yearning for a sense of security and love, referring to a paternal figure as a symbol of comfort and protection.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
I surrender myself completely to you, Jesus
By the trembling skylines
In the presence of towering buildings that shake with uncertainty
By the fox's vineyard, by the snowman's eyes
In the places where nature and imagination intersect
Oh, lay me down by the black boys
Beside those who have been marginalized and oppressed
Lay me down by the blue boys
Beside those who struggle with sadness or mental health issues
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Find comfort and security in the embrace of my heavenly Father
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
Continue to guide and protect me, Jesus
By the fever of your cold feet
In times of uncertainty or doubt
Where the soil goes hungry
In places where poverty and hunger prevail
Where the pretty worms hide
Where beauty can be found even in unlikely or hidden places
Oh, lay me down by the highways
Be with me on my journey through life's unpredictable paths
By the messianic roadmaps
In moments when guidance or direction is needed
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Seek solace and love in the embrace of my heavenly Father
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
Continue to provide comfort and support, Jesus
By the muddy river Jordan
In places symbolizing baptism or spiritual renewal
By the teeth of pianos, by the punk rock bands
In the presence of music, both classical and rebellious
Oh, lay me down by the coffins of the paperboy's parents
Beside those who have experienced loss and grief
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Find comfort and love in the embrace of my heavenly Father
Oh, lay me down, sweet Jesus
Continue to guide and bless me, Jesus
In the holy war zones
In places torn apart by religious conflict
By Jerusalem's cancer, by my baby's blood
In the face of suffering and loss, both personal and global
Oh, lay me down in the pastures
In places of peace and tranquility
Where your crosses gather
Where the symbols of faith and sacrifice converge
And lay me down in the sweetness of my father's arms
Find rest and love in the embrace of my heavenly Father
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Justin Rutledge
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind