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.
California
Mason Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dig down deep when I say I love you
And I can hold my own with the best of them
I guarantee you, you will never see nothing like this again
California, I hope that it wakes you from all of the darkness
That I couldn't break through 'cause I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss you, I'm gonna miss you, I'm gonna miss you
I rubbed your back when you were sleeping
But all along baby it was understood
That you were leaving, absolutely
Since the very first day we met
California, I hope that it wakes you from all of the darkness
That I couldn't break through 'cause I'm gonna miss you
I'm gonna miss you, I'm gonna miss you, I'm gonna miss you
Like I miss the ocean when I go to sleep
Man, it's gonna break my heart
In the song "California" by Mason Jennings, the singer laments the impending loss of a loved one who is leaving for the titular state. He assures them that he loves them deeply and that he's a strong person who will hold his own in the world. Despite his efforts to stop them, the loved one is determined to go, and the singer can only hope that California will bring them out of the darkness that has been keeping them down. The song is tinged with sadness, as the singer knows that he will miss the person deeply, just as he misses the ocean when he's not near it.
Line by Line Meaning
Don't you know baby I'm a leading man
I want you to know that I am someone who stands out in a crowd.
I dig down deep when I say I love you
I put a lot of emotion and depth into my expressions of love.
And I can hold my own with the best of them
I am confident in my abilities and can compete with the most talented individuals.
I guarantee you, you will never see nothing like this again
I assure you that what we have is unique and special and cannot be replicated.
California, I hope that it wakes you from all of the darkness
I hope that being in California will help you overcome any troubles or difficulties you are facing.
That I couldn't break through 'cause I'm gonna miss you
I couldn't fix or help you overcome your problems, but I will miss you nonetheless.
Don't you know that I did the things I could
I want you to know that I did everything in my power to try to help you.
I rubbed your back when you were sleeping
I comforted you even when you were unaware of it.
But all along baby it was understood
Deep down, we both knew that this relationship wouldn't work out.
That you were leaving, absolutely
It was always certain that you would eventually leave.
Since the very first day we met
This feeling was present since the beginning of our relationship.
Like I miss the ocean when I go to sleep
I will miss you as much as I miss something as magnificent and ever-present as the ocean.
Man, it's gonna break my heart
It will hurt me deeply to lose you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Mason Stewart Jennings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind