Since her graduation from Boston’s renowned Berklee College of Music, Longley has assembled quite an impressive resume. While best known for her stop-you-in-your-tracks voice, Longley has quickly built a reputation as an accomplished songwriter, crafting intimately personal portraits through her music. Longley's ever-expanding fan base is not the only group to acknowledge her talent. In 2010 alone, Longley took home top prizes at some of the most prestigious songwriting competitions in the country; the BMI John Lennon Songwriting Scholarship Competition, the International Acoustic Music Awards and the Chris Austn Songwriting Contest.
While she has previously opened shows for established artists such as Mindy Smith, Nanci Griffith, Paula Cole, Livingston Taylor, Amos Lee, Shawn Colvin, Colin Hay and America, it is becoming clear that Longley has come into her own as a performer. The Washington Post declared that she is “destined to a bigger audience,” Dig Boston called her “a rising acoustic sensation” and even John Mayer is a fan, calling her music “gorgeous, just gorgeous.” Executives at Sirius XM caught wind of her cover of Van Morrison’s hit “Moondance” and added it into regular rotation, along with her award-winning original song, “When You’ve Got Trouble.”
Skin & Bones
Liz Longley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Go sing it to the sky
Ain't no one gonna listen here
Ain't no one on your side
No you don't get no mercy
Your lies are cheap and cold
Well I wonder if you have a heart
Or if you're all just skin and bones
‘Cause this whole town knows
You burn every bridge you cross
But we never thought we'd see the day
You'd turn your back on us
Well you got what you wanted
Well, was it worth the cost
The fire is a burnin' now
Look at all you've lost
Go on, be on your way now
Take any outbound road
And if you do look back one day
Don't ever call this home
Ain't no one here your neighbor
Ain't no one here your friend
Ain't no one here want to see your face
Around these parts again
‘Cause this whole town knows
You burn every bridge you cross
But we never thought we'd see the day
You'd turn your back on us
Well you got what you wanted
Well, was it worth the cost
The fire is a burnin' now
Look at all you've lost
Hmmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, ahh
Hmmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm
Wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, wo-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, ahh
‘Cause this whole town knows
You burn every bridge you cross
But we never thought we'd see the day
You'd turn your back on us
Well you got what you wanted
Well, was it worth the cost
The fire is a burnin' now
Look at all you've lost
The Liz Longley's song "Skin & Bones" is a ballad about a person who has been rejected by a town they once called home. The lyrics tell the story of someone who has burned all their bridges and deceived those who once called them friends. The song is an indictment of a person who was once welcomed but due to their behavior and actions have become unwanted.
The first verse talks about the futility of trying to talk to the person. They will not listen, and nobody is on their side. Their cheap and cold lies reveal that they may not have a heart, but they are just skin and bones. The chorus tells us that the whole town knows that the person burns every bridge they cross. They have turned their back on those who once supported them. They have gotten what they wanted, but at what cost? They have lost everything, and the fire is burning now.
The second verse warns the person that they should take an outbound road and never look back. Nobody wants to see their face around these parts again, and nobody considers them a neighbor or friend. The chorus repeats the first one and emphasizes that the person has lost everything.
In summary, "Skin & Bones" is a heartbreaking tale of someone who has lost everything due to their deceitful ways, including the trust of the people close to them. The song is a cautionary tale about the dangers of not valuing the relationships that we make and the consequences of our actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Go tell it to the mountain
Speak your truth to the world
Go sing it to the sky
Let your voice be heard loud and clear
Ain't no one gonna listen here
Your message falls on deaf ears
Ain't no one on your side
You have no supporters
No you don't get no mercy
You won't receive any compassion or help
Your lies are cheap and cold
Your dishonesty is transparent and lacking empathy
Well I wonder if you have a heart
I question if you are capable of empathy and compassion
Or if you're all just skin and bones
Perhaps you lack depth and substance as a person
'Cause this whole town knows
Everyone in this community is aware
You burn every bridge you cross
You ruin relationships with everyone you encounter
But we never thought we'd see the day
We didn't expect you to betray us
You'd turn your back on us
You abandoned us
Well you got what you wanted
You achieved your goal
Well, was it worth the cost
Did the price you paid justify the gain?
The fire is a burnin' now
There are serious consequences to your actions
Look at all you've lost
You've suffered significant negative consequences
Go on, be on your way now
Leave this place
Take any outbound road
Choose any path away from here
And if you do look back one day
If you someday return
Don't ever call this home
Don't consider this community as your home
Ain't no one here your neighbor
No one considers you a part of the community
Ain't no one here your friend
You have no friends here
Ain't no one here want to see your face
No one here wants anything to do with you
Around these parts again
In this community
Writer(s): Liz Longley
Contributed by Ethan L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
OurVinyl
I know! Liz is so amazing! So glad you liked the video and song!
Hoosier60
Liz showing some ‘tude in this performance! Such an amazing talent!
Larry Blisard
Outstanding . . . can't wait to hear the CD version!
Jesse Beauchamp
This is awesome. I think you'd sing the hell out of Shady Grove if you were ever so inclined
Ingrid x
Woaah love her voice 😍
OurVinyl
Check out our recent release with Liz "Torture" ➡ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbQ6Cf-V0Jc
OurVinyl
Liz is working on a new album as we speak. So hopefully very very soon!
Elizabeth Ann Engler
So good!!
firnantok
So much talent!
OurVinyl
We just updated the link in the description so you guys can watch the full performance. Hope you all enjoy it!