Mason Jennings (born March 19, 1975 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American pop… Read Full Bio ↴Mason Jennings (born March 19, 1975 in Honolulu, Hawaii) is an American pop-folk singer-songwriter currently based in Minnesota. He is well known for his simple yet catchy melodies, intimate lyrics, literary and historical themes, and distinctive voice. His music has appeared in the surf film "Shelter".

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.

Dakota
Mason Jennings Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I sorta met Dakota
Introduced by Minnesota
I just smiled

She was six feet tall
She said she hated these walls
We stepped outside for air

She wore a plain green dress
Said it was cold and it was best
She should be running

She kissed my ear and said, "My dear
Come see me soon
Naked I am stunning"

"And when you do come
Bring your six guns
Keep them loaded", said Dakota

"And when you do come
Bring your six-guns
And keep them loaded", said Dakota

I said one of these days
One of these days
One of these days
I will come, come

She had something, oh, my, my
Make me jump high in the sky, I swear
She had something, yipee, kay, yay
Meaner than a dog that's lost his head

She had something, made me sore
I did one who much, much more than good luck
You can go and mark my word
Dakota drove a big black Ford pickup truck

"And when you do come
Bring your six guns
Keep them loaded", said Dakota

"And when you do come
Bring your six-guns
And keep them loaded", said Dakota

I said one of these days
One of these days
One of these days
I will come, come

One of these days
One of these days

One of these days
I will come, come

Overall Meaning

The song "Dakota" by Mason Jennings tells the story of a chance encounter with a woman named Dakota. The singer meets Dakota after being introduced by someone from their home state of Minnesota. The first thing he notices is her height - six feet tall - and her apparent disdain for the walls around them. They step outside and she explains that she's cold and that she should be running. It's at this point that she kisses his ear and tells him to come see her soon while also instructing him to bring his six guns and keep them loaded.

The lyrics suggest that Dakota is a dangerous and unpredictable woman. She's described as having "something" that makes the singer "jump high in the sky" and "meaner than a dog that's lost his head." Despite this, he seems drawn to her and promises to come visit her one of these days. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery - Dakota's plain green dress, her big black Ford pickup truck, and the six guns she tells the singer to bring.

Overall, the song seems to be about the allure of danger and the excitement that comes with taking risks. The singer is both fascinated and intimidated by Dakota and it's clear that their brief encounter has made a deep impression on him.

Line by Line Meaning

I sorta met Dakota
I met Dakota in an informal way

Introduced by Minnesota
I was introduced to Dakota by Minnesota (state/nickname)

I just smiled
I simply smiled at the introduction

She was six feet tall
Dakota was very tall in height

She said she hated these walls
Dakota expressed her dislike for enclosed spaces

We stepped outside for air
We went outside for some fresh air

She wore a plain green dress
Dakota was wearing a simple green dress

Said it was cold and it was best
Dakota said that wearing that dress was better despite the cold weather

She should be running
Dakota should be leaving soon

She kissed my ear and said, "My dear Come see me soon Naked I am stunning"
Dakota gave me a flirtatious invitation to come see her soon and witness her beauty

"And when you do come Bring your six guns Keep them loaded", said Dakota
Dakota warned me to bring my guns and keep them ready for protection when I come see her

I said one of these days One of these days One of these days I will come, come
I promised to visit Dakota someday in the future

She had something, oh, my, my Make me jump high in the sky, I swear
Dakota had something special about her that made me extremely happy

She had something, yipee, kay, yay Meaner than a dog that's lost his head
Dakota had a wild and unpredictable edge to her

She had something, made me sore I did one who much, much more than good luck You can go and mark my word Dakota drove a big black Ford pickup truck
Dakota had something that made me feel intense desire or pain, and she drove a black Ford pickup truck

"And when you do come Bring your six guns Keep them loaded", said Dakota
Dakota repeated her warning about bringing guns for protection when I come see her

I said one of these days One of these days One of these days I will come, come
I reaffirmed my promise to visit Dakota someday in the future

Contributed by Josiah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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