Born Gail Zeiler in Gilroy, California, Zeiler won the Northern California edition of the Wrangler Country Starsearch in 1981 and became an Equa recording artist. Jones found initial success recording with an independent label in San Francisco before moving to Nashville, Tennessee, in 1986. Her move to Nashville came after she co-wrote "I'm the One Mama Warned You About", recorded by Mickey Gilley on Epic Records. The song reached number 5 on the Billboard charts. Her original song, "Cold Turkey," was recorded that same year by David Allan Coe on CBS Records.
Jones moved to Nashville with expectations of being signed to a major record label as a serious singer-songwriter rather than writing humorous works. That changed when she recruited Becki Fogle and Valerie Hunt to form Ethel & The Shameless Hussies. Jones performed as Ethel Beaverton, and the group soon gained a contract with MCA Records, recording the album Born To Burn in 1988. The group stayed together for four years and were nominated for Comedy Act of the Year in the Music City News Awards.
After moving on from the Shameless Hussies, Jones became involved in a number of different projects. As a record producer she developed Pearls in the Snow – The Songs of Kinky Friedman. The album featured artists such as Willie Nelson, Asleep at the Wheel, and Lyle Lovett performing songs by Friedman, and it went on to reach the number 1 spot on the Americana radio chart in 1999. While working with Kinky Friedman on the album, Jones and Friedman founded the Kinkajou Records label. Later she established her own independent label, IGO (Irritating Gentile Optimist) Records, for whom she signed artists such as Leland Martin, She was the President of two publishing houses: Zamalama Music (BMI) and Mamalama Music (ASCAP).
As a recording artist and performer, Jones signed with Curb Records in 1997. This led to her first solo album, Men Are Some of My Favorite People (1997). Other albums by Jones were to follow on her own label, IGO Records including Every Man I Love Is Either Married, Gay or Dead (2000), (produced after completing the project with Kinky Friedman), Never Wear Panties to a Party (2001), "The Sweet Potato Queens' Big-Ass Box of Music" (2003), "Nipples to the Wind" (2007), and the more recent Donald Trump's Hair (2009). In addition, Kacey Jones Sings Mickey Newbury, a tribute to Mickey Newbury (who influenced her early career), was released in 2006, and gave her an opportunity to explore the more serious side of her singing.
Jones died on September 1, 2016, while in hospice care at her Nashville home. She was 66. For three years, she battled cancer through holistic methods.
Lovers
Kacey Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's found another, he says it's the end
To think they once tore down a wall of a door
Now they don't speak anymore
So he walks the streets, the few nights he can stand
Drinking her memory away when he can
Friends once would reach out to them from the shore
How does it all come to happen
That's not what love is for and if I thought it was
I would leave you in the morning
I'll sooner sleep on the floor
Oh, when will we learn really what loving is
Not what you get in return, but what you give
To think they once tore down a wall of a door
Now they don't speak anymore
The song "Lovers" by Kacey Jones depicts the aftermath of a broken romantic relationship. The lyrics capture the sorrow and confusion of a man who was once in love with his partner, but they have now grown apart. Once, they were deeply in love, and the man could not wait to be with his partner. However, things have changed, and she has found another lover, leading to their breakup. Despite all the memories they had together, they have slowly drifted apart until they can no longer stand the sight of each other. Now, the man wanders the streets, drinking to forget the love that he had lost.
The song creates a powerful aura of helplessness and disillusionment, which is a common experience for people who are dealing with heartbreak. Relationships that once seemed powerful and unbreakable can quickly crumble when one person decides to leave. The song's opening lines, "Once they were lovers, but now they are not friends. She's found another, he says it's the end," introduce the theme of separation and foreshadow the sadness that is to come in the rest of the song.
One of the main themes of the song is the misunderstanding of love, as expressed in the line, "How does it all come to happen? That's not what love is for and if I thought it was, I would leave you in the morning. I'll sooner sleep on the floor." In essence, the man believes that true love is not about what one gets in return but what one is willing to give. It is a poignant reminder that love is not only about receiving but also about giving.
Line by Line Meaning
Once they were lovers, but now they are not friends
At one time they had a romantic relationship but now they have no friendship.
She's found another, he says it's the end
She has a new romantic partner and he feels like their relationship has ended.
To think they once tore down a wall of a door
It's surprising to think that they worked together to overcome an obstacle they were facing.
Now they don't speak anymore
Their relationship has deteriorated so much that they don't communicate with each other anymore.
So he walks the streets, the few nights he can stand
To cope with his emotions, he spends some of his nights walking around outside.
Drinking her memory away when he can
He turns to alcohol as a way to forget about her and move on.
Friends once would reach out to them from the shore
People who used to be their friends would try to help them stay together but now they don't do it anymore.
Now they don't try anymore
Their friends have stopped trying to help them repair their relationship.
How does it all come to happen
The artist is reflecting on how their relationship ended.
That's not what love is for and if I thought it was
Love isn't supposed to be a transaction, and if the artist thought it was, they would leave the other person.
I would leave you in the morning
If love was only about what they could get in return, the singer would leave.
I'll sooner sleep on the floor
The artist would rather sleep on the floor than stay with someone they don't truly love.
Oh, when will we learn really what loving is
The singer is questioning when people will truly learn what loving means.
Not what you get in return, but what you give
Loving is not only about receiving, but also about giving.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: NEWBURY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind