Marcus Bonfanti’s like all of us. Some days he wins, some days he doesn’t. … Read Full Bio ↴Marcus Bonfanti’s like all of us. Some days he wins, some days he doesn’t. But to a songwriter with a half-full glass, that means there’s always plenty of subject matter for songs.

Bonfanti’s second album is full of the highs and lows we all know, referencing a cool range of influences from Tony Joe White to Led Zeppelin. But ultimately it’s his own style. ‘What Good Am I To You’ is the sound of the North London blues.

27-year-old Marcus was born and raised in London to an English mother and a “dangerously Italian” father. Inheriting his dad’s work ethic, he shared an appetite for musical discovery with a younger brother who’s also in the business, as a respected bass player. Marcus, self-taught as a guitarist, has already packed plenty in, from LIPA (the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts) to top level session work, from school days as a trumpet player to learning licks in his bedroom to the strains of ‘Black Dog.’

Bonfanti exudes a certain laid-back determination, coupled with an obvious passion for music of many kinds, that means you’d be brave to doubt his ability to get where he wants to go. It’s a certain single-mindedness that runs in the family.

“My mum showed me a picture of my dad aged 27 and I’ve basically got his style, the beard, the long hair,” says Marcus. “I had no idea, I got a bit of a shock. I guess I inherited a work ethic, because he’s the most hard-working person I know. He left school at 14 and went straight into work, then studied later on to get a degree, moved to England and worked constantly so that me and my brother could do what we do, basically. I find myself in that mentality a lot of the time. I don’t like days off.”

Bonfanti knows that comparisons are customary at this point, but he sometimes finds them more amusing than accurate. “Someone called me the lovechild of Tom Waits and Van Morrison once,” he laughs. “I quite like that one.”

He admits that ‘What Good Am I To You’ does bear some American hallmarks, and after all he did write some of it there. “But there’s something British about it that I can never quite put my finger on. It’s rooted in blues, that’s my favourite genre of music to play and listen to. But I don’t think the end product sounds like a traditional blues record, in fact I know it doesn’t. I listen to a lot of other music, country, soul, bluegrass, jazz, some quite heavy rock stuff as well, and I think it all feeds in.”

Bonfanti grew up chiefly in London’s urban sprawl, but with occasional holidays in the west country and Italy. “We were lucky to have the space and the city,” he says. “But I think I’ll always crave the city, because most of my songs are about the experiences I’ve had living in it.”

Playing trumpet in brass bands and orchestras throughout his school life, Marcus didn’t own a guitar until he was 15 (unless you count the one his mum made him from a Kleenex tissue box and toilet rolls with elastic bands on). “From 15 till now, all I’ve done is sit there with a guitar,” he says, reminiscing about playing Cat Stevens and Beatles tunes, Buddy Holly and Crosby, Stills & Nash. “Then when mum was out, I could play Zeppelin. Soon as she came back in, I would put a Beatles CD back on.”

Jimmy Page became a lasting inspiration, right through Bonfanti’s time at LIPA. He opted not to complete his three years there, but with the resourcefulness of the jobbing musician, was asked back to play in the band at the graduation party he hadn’t qualified for.

By then, roads were leading out of Liverpool for Marcus, even if some were interrupted by breakdowns in the Mersey Tunnel on the way to painfully low-pay, low-glamour gigs in Newcastle. “But it was great experience,” he remembers. “I thought I might as well get out, play some bars, get ripped off a few times, meet some musicians and do what all my heroes did, because it seemed to serve them pretty well.”

A 2008 debut album, ‘Hard Times,’ set the scene and sent some subtly effective messages about a new British voice demanding to be heard. ‘What Good Am I To You’ makes good on all those promises.

The bold British blues growl of ‘Will Not Play Your Game’ and ‘Give Me Your Cash’ blends nicely with the swampland shuffle of ‘Goin’ Down,’ the more acoustically-flavoured ‘Devil Girl’ and the brilliant, breakneck instrumental ‘Tweed Blazer,’ which would give Link Wray a run for his money. “I’d like the record just to sound like me,” he says, “so when I hear it I go ‘Yeah, that’s the sum of all the parts.’

That’s the road that’s led Marcus Bonfanti to where you find him. “Everyone’s got their different blues to sing,” he concludes. “I don’t live in a time of slavery, but I’m still unhappy and angry about things that make me want to sing blues.”

Jezebel
Marcus Bonfanti Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Your nicotine is my remedy, yeah, and all your sins are like therapy, oh Jezebel, I watch your flames burn high.
Your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.
You're the last shot in the jacket, you're my first bet, on the black oh, Jezebel, I watch your flames burn high, yeah I do. '
Cause your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.
So I say Jezebel, oh Jezebel, your love's so hard on my knees, and I'm begging please!
I can't stop this rising tide, no.
Lord knows I've tried to put you aside, oh, Jezebel, a touch is my desire.
Your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.

Oh yeah you are! (Solo) Oh your love's a burning hell, you're the devil Jezebel!
So I say Jezebel, oh Jezebel, your love's so hard on my knees, and I'm begging please!
I take that last shot in the jacket, and I place my last bet on the black for you, oh, Jezebel, I watch your flames burn high. '
Cause your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.

Oh your love's a burning hell, you're the devil Jezebel.
So I said Jezebel, oh Jezebel, Oww Jezebel, Oww Jezebel!, Oww Jezebel!

Overall Meaning

In Marcus Bonfanti's song "Jezebel," the singer describes his intense attraction and addiction to the titular character, who represents a temptress figure. He compares her to nicotine, claiming that her sins are like therapy to him. Despite recognizing her as a devilish figure, he cannot resist her allure and continues to be drawn towards her, even as her love feels like a "burning hell" on his knees. He tries to resist her, acknowledging that her touch is his desire, but cannot stop the "rising tide" of his feelings. The chorus emphasizes his overwhelming desire and dependence on her, likening her to a last shot in the jacket and his first bet on the black.

The character of Jezebel is a reference to the biblical queen who was known for her beauty and seduction, as well as her association with false gods and idolatry. In the context of the song, Jezebel can be seen as a metaphor for addiction, temptation, or a toxic relationship that the singer cannot escape from. The lyrics reflect the struggle of being drawn towards something that is ultimately harmful, but being unable to resist its pull.

Overall, "Jezebel" is a powerful rock song that captures the intensity of a destructive obsession, using vivid imagery and a catchy chorus to convey the singer's emotions.

Line by Line Meaning

Your nicotine is my remedy, yeah, and all your sins are like therapy, oh Jezebel, I watch your flames burn high.
You are addictive like nicotine and I find relief in you despite knowing that you bring trouble, just like therapy. I am drawn to you, Jezebel, even though I know that you can burn me with your fiery passion.

Your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.
Your love is intense and fiery, like a burning hell, and being with you is like making a deal with the devil, Jezebel.

You're the last shot in the jacket, you're my first bet, on the black oh, Jezebel, I watch your flames burn high, yeah I do. '
You're the risky, last-ditch attempt I take to win something big, and I place all my bets on you, Jezebel, even though I'm fully aware that you can burn me. I still watch your flames burn high because I'm drawn to you.

Cause your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.
Once again, your love is intense and fiery like a burning hell, and being with you is like making a deal with the devil, Jezebel. This line is a repeat, emphasizing the point.

So I say Jezebel, oh Jezebel, your love's so hard on my knees, and I'm begging please!
I call out your name, Jezebel, begging for your love, which is both intoxicating and exhausting. Your love is so forceful that it's breaking my knees, and I'm pleading for mercy.

I can't stop this rising tide, no.
Despite the fact that I know being with you is risky and dangerous, I can't help the growing intensity of my desire for you.

Lord knows I've tried to put you aside, oh, Jezebel, a touch is my desire.
I've tried to resist you, Jezebel, but it seems impossible. Even though I'm aware of the danger and the risk, I still crave your touch and your fiery passion.

Oh yeah you are! (Solo) Oh your love's a burning hell, you're the devil Jezebel!
This line serves as a solo, emphasizing that Jezebel's love is indeed like a burning hell, and being with her is like making a deal with the devil.

So I say Jezebel, oh Jezebel, your love's so hard on my knees, and I'm begging please!
Once again, I call out your name, Jezebel, begging for your love, which is both intoxicating and exhausting. Your love is so forceful that it's breaking my knees, and I'm pleading for mercy.

I take that last shot in the jacket, and I place my last bet on the black for you, oh, Jezebel, I watch your flames burn high. '
I take the ultimate risk and put all my eggs in one basket, betting everything on you, Jezebel, despite the danger and risk. I still watch your flames burn high because I can't help but be drawn to you.

'Cause your love's a burning hell, you're the devil, Jezebel.
Once again, your love is intense and fiery like a burning hell, and being with you is like making a deal with the devil, Jezebel. This is another repeat to emphasize the point.

Oh your love's a burning hell, you're the devil Jezebel.
This is another repeat to emphasize that Jezebel's love is indeed like a burning hell, and being with her is like making a deal with the devil.

So I said Jezebel, oh Jezebel, Oww Jezebel, Oww Jezebel!, Oww Jezebel!
Once again, I call out your name, Jezebel, screaming it for emphasis. This line serves as a repeat just to heighten the intensity of the song's emotion and to express the overwhelming, all-consuming desire for Jezebel.

Contributed by Adrian K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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