Veirs was raised in Colorado, studied geology and Mandarin Chinese at Carleton College, worked as a translator for a geological expedition in China, and now lives in Portland, Oregon. Veirs has said that she didn't seriously listen to music until she was in her 20s; instead, she just heard what was in her environment. She listened to folk / country / classical / pop, around the house & on the radio, during her youth.
Attending Carleton College in rural Minnesota, Veirs latched onto feminist punk rock from the Pacific Northwest, eventually starting an all-female punk band called "Rair Kx!". Veirs studied geology and Mandarin Chinese. After college, she embraced older country and folk music. Her first foray into songwriting started with a geological expedition in China, where she served as translator. She was miserable and immersed herself into writing lyrics as a way of coping.
She put out her own self-titled album Laura Veirs, recorded live and featuring just her and guitar, in 1999. She has since made five highly acclaimed records with producer Tucker Martine. 2003 saw the release of Troubled by the Fire, a full-band effort that found the artist sharing the studio with such luminaries as Bill Frisell and violist Eyvind Kang. She signed to Nonesuch Records the following year with the atmospheric follow-up Carbon Glacier. Year of Meteors followed in August of 2005. She collaborated with The Decemberists on "Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)", from their 2006 album The Crane Wife. Her sixth record, Saltbreakers, was released worldwide on Nonesuch Records in April 2007. Her seventh album July Flame was released in January 2010.
In November 2011, Veirs released the album Tumble Bee: Laura Veirs Sings Folk Songs For Children. The album presents mostly traditional songs, and features an array of guest musicians, including Colin Meloy, Jim James, and Bela Fleck. The album won a Parents' Choice Award in 2012.
In September 2012 her first feature film soundtrack was released: Hello I Must Be Going.
Veirs tours frequently in Europe, the US and Australia both solo and with her backing band Saltbreakers, consisting of Karl Blau on bass, guitar, and backing vocals, keyboardist Steve Moore, and Tucker Martine on drums.
John Henry
Laura Veirs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
See the tracks laid flat with a hammer's might
They're the spike driver's scars
They're the spike driver's scars
By the railroad ties there a hammer lies
It's all painted in red
It's all painted in red
The west springs up from the spike driver's blues
And the captain's new shiny shoes
Take to him this hat and hammer
And tell him I'm gone
Won't you tell him I'm gone
I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone
By the railroad ties there a hammer lies
It's all painted in red
It's all painted in red
It's all painted in red
The song "John Henry Lives" by Laura Veirs is an ode to the African-American folk hero John Henry. The lyrics paint a picture of the railway construction era in America, as the hammering and blowing of a distant train whistle sets the mood. The references to "spike driver's scars" and the hammer painted red give a nod to the manual labor of African-American workers who built the railways in the late 1800s. The line "the west springs up from the spike driver's blues" is a reference to the contributions made by these workers that helped to build the American West, even in the face of discrimination and hardship.
The song also touches upon the death of John Henry, as the singer implores our hero to accept a hat and hammer and "tell him I'm gone." This line is a clear reference to the legend of John Henry, who reportedly died while racing a steam-powered hammer. Despite his death, the song asserts that John Henry still lives on through the legacy of the workers who came after him.
Overall, "John Henry Lives" is a compelling homage to a true American hero, who represents the resilience and triumph of the human spirit. Through the words of Laura Veirs, listeners are transported to an important era in American history, where the contributions of African-American workers cannot be understated.
Line by Line Meaning
Hear the whistle blow far off in the still night without stars
In the quiet, starless night, the distant whistle of a train can be heard
See the tracks laid flat with a hammer's might
The rails were constructed with the effort of hardworking spike drivers, and these steel tracks run as straight as an arrow
They're the spike driver's scars
The spikes driven into the wooden ties have left their mark, similar to scars
By the railroad ties there a hammer lies, It's all painted in red
There is a red-painted hammer laying near the railroad ties, left behind as if it were a reminder of what went into constructing the track
The west springs up from the spike driver's blues
The western railway expansion was built on the backs of the sorrowful spike drivers who worked on it
And the captain's new shiny shoes
The person in charge of the railway (the captain) enjoys the fruits of the labor, as he can afford to buy new, shiny shoes
Take to him this hat and hammer
Pass along a message to the captain, along with a hat and hammer as a way of indicating that the work has been done and the workers are leaving
And tell him I'm gone, Won't you tell him I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone, I'm gone
Heed the call to move on and let the captain know the spike drivers have moved on to other work
By the railroad ties there a hammer lies, It's all painted in red
Once again, we are reminded of the red-painted hammer left beside the rail ties, serving as a poignant representation of the labor and sacrifice that went into building the railway.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: LAURA VEIRS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind