Phelps grew up in a blue-collar and farming town. He learned country and folk songs, as well as drums and piano, from his father. He began playing guitar at 12.
Phelps concentrated on free jazz and took his cues from musicians like Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane. He spent 10 years playing jazz, mostly as a bass player. He refers to his "conversion" to a blues musician when he began listening to acoustic blues masters like Fred McDowell and Robert Pete Williams.
Initially gaining notice for his solo lap-style slide guitar playing, which he played by laying the instrument flat and fretting it with a heavy steel bar, he has incorporated more ensemble work in his later albums. Inspired by the birth of his daughter Rachel in 1990, Phelps began writing songs. He began singing and released his critically praised debut, Lead Me On, in 1995. This album showcased Phelps' craft, and as well as his own songs, he tackled traditional numbers such as "Motherless Children" and "Fare Thee Well."
He released his second album, Roll Away the Stone (1997) and followed it up with 1999's, Shine Eyed Mister Zen.
His fourth record, Sky Like a Broken Clock, appeared in 2001. This time he was joined by a bassist and a drummer - its companion piece, "Beggar's Oil" EP, was a critic's favourite in 2002.
His sound was further added to on his fifth album in late 2002. In order to achieve a richer, orchestrated sound, he collected guitarist Bill Frisell and bassists Keith Lowe, Steve Dawson, Jesse Zubot, and Andrew Downing for the recording of Slingshot Professionals (2003).
In 2005, Phelps released a live album, Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind, which was followed a year later by the studio album Tunesmith Retrofit.
Discography
Lead Me On, 1994 (Burnside Records)
Roll Away the Stone, 1997 (Rykodisc Records)
Shine Eyed Mister Zen, 1999 (Rykodisc Records)
Sky Like a Broken Clock, 2001 (Rykodisc Records)
Beggar's Oil (EP), 2002 (Rykodisc Records)
Slingshot Professionals, 2003 (Rykodisc Records)
Tap the Red Cane Whirlwind, 2005 (Rykodisc / True North Records)
Tunesmith Retrofit, August 1, 2006 (Rounder)
Western Bell, (Black Hen, 2009)
Magnetic Skyline with Corinne West (Make, 2010)
Brother Sinner and the Whale, (Black Hen, 2012)
Lead Me On
Kelly Joe Phelps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've been looking for a home
But I can't find one
Looking for a home but I can't find one
[Chorus]
Lead me on
Lead me on
I've been drifting here and there
I need a guide to show my way
I've been drifting here and there
But I need a guide to show my way
I've been drifting here and there
I need a guide to show my way
Lead me on
Lead me on
Better lead me on
One of these nights sing you a song
Make you weep and moan
One of these nights I'll sing you a song
Make you weep and moan
Lord lord lord
Lead me on
If my heart don't stop aching
I won't live to see the sun
If my heart don't stop aching
I won't live to see the sun
[Chorus]
I've got a picture in my mind
Of my home so far away
I've got me a picture
Of my home so far away
Carry my burden down to the anvil
Over the mountain and down to the sea
Take my burden over the mountain
Down to the sea
Carry it back over the mountain down to the sea
Still looking for a home
I've been looking for a home
Yeah I've been looking for a home
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Kelly Joe Phelps's song "Lead Me On" are about the search for a home – a sense of belonging and purpose. The repetition of the opening line "I've been looking for a home" emphasizes the feelings of displacement and longing that the singer is experiencing. The chorus, with its plea to be led on, captures the desire for guidance and direction in life. The second verse reinforces this idea, with the need for a guide to show the way. The repetition of the verse further underlines the search for direction and purpose.
The song's imagery is both vivid and varied. The line "One of these nights I'll sing you a song / Make you weep and moan" suggests the power of music to evoke strong emotions. In contrast, the line "If my heart don't stop aching / I won't live to see the sun" is a more somber image, hinting at existential despair. The image of the "picture in my mind / Of my home so far away" is a common one in folk and country music, capturing the idea of nostalgia and longing for a simpler time.
Overall, "Lead Me On" is a song about the search for meaning and purpose in life, and the need for guidance along the way. The repetition of certain lines and images reinforces the message of the song, while the contrast between different phrases and images adds to its emotional depth.
Line by Line Meaning
I've been looking for a home
I'm searching for a place of belonging
I can't find one
I haven't found it yet
Looking for a home but I can't find one
I'm trying to find a home but it's difficult
Lead me on
Guide me to where I want to be
I need a guide to show my way
I require help to find my way
Better lead me on
It's important to guide me in the right direction
One of these nights I'll sing you a song, Make you weep and moan
I will express myself through music that will stir your emotions
If my heart don't stop aching, I won't live to see the sun
If my pain doesn't go away, I'll feel like I'm in darkness forever
I've got me a picture, Of my home so far away
I know what my ideal home looks like, but it's not nearby
Carry my burden over the mountain, Down to the sea, Carry it back over the mountain down to the sea
Take my troubles with you, as far as you can go and bring them back renewed and refreshed, but don't leave them there
Still looking for a home, Yeah I've been looking for a home
I'm still trying to find a place where I can belong
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: KELLY JOE PHELPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind