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)
Piece By Piece
Kelly Joe Phelps Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back down to the river bottom lined with pocket worry stones
A hundred years in hand worn smooth by long grandmother nights
Sitting by the rocking chair waiting for the world
Oh, if I could roll back all the years and talk to my daddy's dad
About all the fears I'm leaving in that maybe he had had
I might get some light to shine down this dusty old dry well
When three hundred years has been the time from whence it came
Why hadn't someone yet figured out to lower down the gun
And shoot out the middle of this clawing, staring eye?
Hear the bucket hit the bottom and the rope come rolling by
Sitting by that old rocking chair waiting for the world
The lyrics of "Piece by Piece" by Kelly Joe Phelps describe the gradual erosion of a mountainside over many years, as piece by piece it tumbles away and returns to the river bottom. The image of "pocket worry stones" that have been worn smooth by long grandmother nights is a poignant one, suggesting the passage of time and the importance of family history. The singer then reflects on his own fears and anxieties, wondering what his grandfather might have experienced and seeking some kind of connection to the past.
The reference to a "dusty old dry well" suggests a sense of emptiness or lack of fulfillment, as if the singer is searching for something that has long since been lost. The image of the bucket hitting the bottom and the rope rolling by is a powerful one, symbolizing the passage of time and the inevitability of change. The final line, "sitting by that old rocking chair waiting for the world," reinforces the idea of waiting and searching for meaning, while also suggesting a certain sense of resignation.
Line by Line Meaning
Piece by lonely piece the mountainside tumbles away
The mountainside is gradually eroding and falling away. The process is slow and solitary.
Back down to the river bottom lined with pocket worry stones
The fallen mountainside feeds into the river below, which is bordered by small stones, each representing a worry or concern.
A hundred years in hand worn smooth by long grandmother nights
The worry stones have been rubbed and smoothed by the hands of generations of grandmothers over the course of a century. Each grandmother had her own set of worries, and she held them close during long nights.
Sitting by the rocking chair waiting for the world
The grandmothers sat in their rocking chairs, watching the world pass by and pondering their worries in solitude.
Oh, if I could roll back all the years and talk to my daddy's dad
The singer imagines a conversation with his grandfather, hoping to gain insight into the fears he now grapples with. He wishes he could go back in time to speak with him.
About all the fears I'm leaving in that maybe he had had
The singer wonders if his grandfather faced similar fears and anxieties to his own. He wants to know if he's inherited these fears.
I might get some light to shine down this dusty old dry well
By speaking with his grandfather, the singer hopes to gain clarity on his worries - like shining a light down a well that has been dry and unproductive for a long time.
Hear the bucket hit the bottom and the rope come rolling by
This is a metaphor for hitting rock bottom and seeing the consequences of one's actions play out over time.
When three hundred years has been the time from whence it came
The world has been around for a long time, yet certain problems or issues have yet to be solved.
Why hadn't someone yet figured out to lower down the gun
The singer is frustrated that despite centuries of human existence, we are still grappling with the same issues, like gun violence. He wonders why we haven't found a solution yet.
And shoot out the middle of this clawing, staring eye?
The singer is referring to the hardship and suffering that plagues humanity. He wishes we could shoot out this problem - metaphorically - and find peace.
Sitting by that old rocking chair waiting for the world
The final line echoes the first verse, and reinforces the idea of sitting in contemplation and waiting for the world's problems to be solved.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: KELLY JOE PHELPS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind