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.
Forgiveness
Mason Jennings Lyrics
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Waiting for a train to forgiveness
I've brought no baggage, I've come here alone
Looking for a way to forgiveness
All these broken pieces of arrows in my side
I thought I could run with them, I know now I can't hide, so
I'm looking out upon the darkness down the tracks
Call it bad company, call it what you will
My heart just won't let you go, I love you even still
Sadness and death, they both come along
So I sing this song called forgiveness
All these broken families, people taking sides
Hardly even bothered me, I never even cried, so
I'm crying on a bench in an old time station
Betting all I've got on forgiveness
The lyrics to Mason Jennings's "Forgiveness" are a moving reflection on the power of forgiveness and the human need for redemption. The song begins with the singer sitting alone on a bench in an old train station, waiting for a train to forgiveness. He has come with no baggage, seeking a way out of the pain and hurt that he has been carrying with him. The broken arrows in his side symbolize the wounds he has suffered at the hands of others, which he has tried to ignore or run from, but now knows that he cannot.
As he looks out into the darkness down the tracks, the singer is seeking a light that will lead him to forgiveness. This could represent a spiritual or emotional path, as he searches for a way to heal the wounds that have been inflicted upon him. He acknowledges the love that he still feels for someone who has hurt him, and the pain of broken families and divided loyalties. The singer expresses a deep sadness that has finally caught up with him, singing the song of forgiveness in the hopes that it will help him heal.
What is particularly striking about "Forgiveness" is the way that it captures the complexity of human emotion and experience. The singer is not simply expressing a desire for absolution or redemption - he is grappling with the reality of pain, loss, and love in a way that feels deeply authentic. The song invites us to reflect on our own experiences of forgiveness and the ways in which we seek to heal from the wounds inflicted by others.
Line by Line Meaning
Sitting on a bench in an old time station
I am waiting at a train station that looks like it belongs to another time.
Waiting for a train to forgiveness
I am waiting for a train that will take me to the destination of forgiveness.
I've brought no baggage, I've come here alone
I am traveling light as I have left behind everything and everyone that can weigh me down in my journey towards forgiveness.
Looking for a way to forgiveness
I am searching for a path or a way that will lead me to forgiveness.
All these broken pieces of arrows in my side
I have been hurt multiple times and the wounds are so deep that they feel like fragmented arrows piercing my skin.
I thought I could run with them, I know now I can't hide, so
I initially thought I could run away from my problems and not deal with them but I realized that it is impossible to hide from them.
I'm looking out upon the darkness down the tracks
I am staring into the dark unknown that lies ahead, wondering what will happen in the future.
Looking for the light of forgiveness
I am searching for the beacon of light that forgiveness can bring to my life.
Call it bad company, call it what you will
I acknowledge that I was in a bad company, but I do not hold anyone responsible for my mistakes except myself.
My heart just won't let you go, I love you even still
Although the person who caused me pain is gone, my heart still holds onto them and I cannot help but love them despite everything that has happened.
Sadness and death, they both come along
I understand that sadness and death are a part of life and cannot be avoided.
So I sing this song called forgiveness
I express my desire for forgiveness through this song that I am singing.
All these broken families, people taking sides
I have witnessed many broken families and the people who were affected by them taking sides.
Hardly even bothered me, I never even cried, so
Initially, I was not affected by these broken families and their problems and did not shed a tear for them, but now I am deeply impacted.
I'm crying on a bench in an old time station
I am now emotional and vulnerable, sitting on the bench at the same train station where I was once waiting for the train to forgiveness.
Betting all I've got on forgiveness
I am putting all my faith and hope in the power of forgiveness to heal me and make me whole again.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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