Born in Hawaii, Jennings moved with his family to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, at an early age. Jennings learned to play guitar at the age of 13, when he began writing songs. Jennings later dropped out of school and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to pursue his musical career.
Jennings produced his self-titled debut album in 1997 on an analog four-track in the basement of a rented home, manning all instruments himself. In October 1998, after bringing drummer Chris Stock and bassist Robert Skoro on board, he began a weekly gig at Minneapolis' 400 Bar as the Mason Jennings Band. Garnering local praise and a wide fan base, Mason began touring nationally.
His 2000 album Birds Flying Away revealed Jennings' political activism and penchant for singing first-person narratives of imaginary rustic characters. Following the release of this album, Noah Levy took over drumming duties from Stock.
2002 saw the release of two albums: the studio piece Century Spring and a "fans only" collection of acoustic rarities, Simple Life. An EP supporting Century Spring was also released, featuring the album's opening track, "Living In The Moment," two live tracks, and the previously-unreleased "Emperor Ashoka." Jennings released all three discs -- and re-released his earlier albums -- on his homebrewed record label, Architect Records.
In 2003, Skoro and Levy left the band (the former to pursue a solo career), and were replaced by bassist Chris Morrissey (formerly of Bill Mike Band) and drummer Brian Mcleod.
On 10 February 2004, Jennings released Use Your Voice, which notably included the songs "Keepin' It Real," a foot-stomper ostensibly written at the request of Shrek 2 producers (but not used in the film), and "The Ballad of Paul and Sheila," an acoustic dirge for late Minnesota senator Paul Wellstone. On the 30th, September of that year, the band released a DVD entitled Use Your Van, which chronicled the recording of Use Your Voice and part of the promotional tour. The DVD was filmed by Andy Grund.
On June 17, 2005, news broke that Jennings had finally signed with a major label: Glacial Pace, a subsidiary of Sony's Epic Records headed by Modest Mouse frontman Isaac Brock. Minnesota's Star Tribune broke the story, and credited Brock with convincing Jennings to sign after the Mason Jennings Band had opened for several Modest Mouse shows in 2004. Jennings had long avoided the major labels, citing desires to maintain creative control and dodge big-label politics.
Jennings recorded his sixth album, "Boneclouds," at Pachyderm Studio in Cannon Falls, MN. The album was released on May 16, 2006 by Glacial Pace.
After considerable success on "Boneclouds", Jennings released his seventh full length album "In the Ever" in 2008. The album was released under Jack Johnson's "Brushfire Records".
In September 2009, Blood of Man was released on CD and vinyl format. In late 2010, Live at First Ave., his first ever live album, was released.
Ballad for My One True Love
Mason Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
High above a monastery
Where the bells are ringing slow
To say farewell when hours go
And all the while I'm dreamin' of
The ballad for my one true love
Searchin' for the perfect way to say
Sweetheart, this is my dream come true
And God bless the babies
That sleep in you
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
Sleepin' in a motel room
Underneath a silver moon
With the windows open wide
I can hear the stars go by
And all the while I'm dreamin' of
The ballad for my one true love
Searchin' for the perfect way to say
I love you
Sweetheart, this is my dream come true
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
The lyrics of "Ballad for My One True Love" by Mason Jennings evoke a dreamlike state of mind where the singer is found sleeping in two different places: first in a cherry tree high above a monastery, where the ringing bells serve as a farewell to the hours gone by, and later in a motel room where the windows are open wide, allowing him to hear the stars go by. Throughout both scenarios, the singer is dreaming of the perfect way to express his affection for his one true love, searching for the ideal ballad to convey his love to her.
The lyrics of the song feel like a romantic and poetic stream-of-consciousness reflection on the singer's deep emotions. The metaphor of sleeping in two contrasting places — one high above a monastery and the other underneath a silver moon — may indicate a sense of confusion or unease regarding the intensity of his emotions. However, the mention of "God bless the babies that sleep in you" potentially points to the singer's desire to start a family with his beloved.
Line by Line Meaning
Sleepin' in a cherry tree
I am in a peaceful place high up in a tree where I feel secure and safe.
High above a monastery
I am protected and sheltered from the chaos of the world by being high above a place of religious devotion.
Where the bells are ringing slow
I am in a place where the sounds of bells ring in a slow, calming tone that helps me find inner peace.
To say farewell when hours go
The bells ringing slow signify the passing of time and are a reminder that life is short and to cherish every moment.
And all the while I'm dreamin' of
The ballad for my one true love
Searchin' for the perfect way to say
I love you
I am yearning for my soulmate and thinking of a perfect song that expresses my love for them.
Sweetheart, this is my dream come true
Finding my one true love is the ultimate dream that has come true for me.
And God bless the babies
That sleep in you
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
I pray for the little ones growing inside my beloved and hope to protect them.
Sleepin' in a motel room
Underneath a silver moon
With the windows open wide
I can hear the stars go by
In another setting, I am still at peace, lying in a motel room with the windows open, listening to the universe's wonders.
And all the while I'm dreamin' of
The ballad for my one true love
Searchin' for the perfect way to say
I love you
I am still yearning for my true love while contemplating on how to express my love in the ideal manner.
Sweetheart, this is my dream come true
Being with my true love is the fulfillment of my lifelong desires.
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
I continue to pray for the safety and wellness of the little ones growing inside my love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MASON STEWART JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Elliott Hall
Sleepin' in a cherry tree
High above a monastery
Where the bells are ringing slow
To say farewell when hours go
And all the while I'm dreamin' of
The ballad for my one true love
Searchin' for the perfect way to say
I love you
Sweetheart, this is my dream come true
And God bless the babies
That sleep in you
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
Sleepin' in a motel room
Underneath a silver moon
With the windows open wide
I can hear the stars go by
And all the while I'm dreamin' of
The ballad for my one true love
Searchin' for the perfect way to say
I love you
Sweetheart, this is my dream come true
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
God bless the babies
That sleep in you
Be Better Tomorrow
My heart instantly loved this.
It's like finding a hidden gem in the sand.
Matty Arms
Wow. This is one of those songs that gives me goosebumps. Love the way he plays his own bass line during the verse.
Ray's the Roof
This song has such an innocence to it. Mason is an amazing singer/ songwriter, and this is one of his best. Thanks for posting it!
Neil Hess
God, beautiful. So many good memories when I hear these songs
Randie Ashdohonk
Just discovered this song lastnight & I'm loving it. =]
Max Sernoffsky
I want to learn how to play and sing this so that one day when i find my one true love i am prepared.
Audrey Randle-EL
Absolutely adore this song!
Armando Nuñez Guerra
Great song, really i love it!
Quiggsand
This song gets right in. Love it.
Corona
This is absolutely gorgeous ♡