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.
Mountain
Mason Jennings Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a bird trapped in my heart
I tried to open up and let it out
Before it tore my chest apart
I tossed and turned, I prayed for it to stop
I scratched my face an' tore my sheets
But I was way too late, my heart was gone
And I was waken from a day to day dream
There was a bird trapped in my mind
I tried to open up and let it out
But there was no use in tryin'
And where I once had a head full of thoughts
Of happiness and daily things
There is only strange darkness now
And in the darkness this bird sings
I'm comin' down the mountain
I've been comin' for some time
I'm comin' down the mountain
And this whole dark valley is mine
Oh Ballerina, where have you gone
I've been dreamin' of you
Honey, where have you gone
Oh Ballerina, where have you gone
I've been dreamin' of you
Since the day you were born, yeah
Oh my, yeah
The opening verse of Mason Jennings's song The Mountain describes a state of emotional turmoil within the singer's inner self. The singer describes being woken up in the middle of the night to the sensation of a bird trapped in their heart, causing them immense pain. The singer is desperate to release this feeling of entrapment, but it seems that it's too late, and the bird has already replaced their heart. Additionally, the second verse reveals that the bird has also made a home in the singer's mind, taking the place of their previous thoughts and leaving only darkness and the strange, haunting melody of the bird's song. The singer is evidently experiencing a profound struggle with their emotions and thoughts and is unable to shake this feeling of entrapment.
The chorus of the song "I'm comin' down the mountain, I've been comin' for some time" suggests that the singer may be on a journey of self-discovery and that the struggle with the emotions described in the opening two verses has been part of this journey. The mountain could symbolize a metaphorical obstacle or challenge, and the singer is finally making progress in navigating it. The third verse adds to this interpretation, as the singer mentions a ballerina that they have been dreaming of since the day she was born. The ballerina could represent the singer's unconscious mind, or a part of themselves that they have been trying to reconnect with but haven't been able to. The final lines of the song "Oh my, yeah" suggest that the singer might have accomplished a significant breakthrough in their journey, allowing them to triumphantly come down from the mountain.
Overall, the lyrics depict a profound and abstract emotional journey that the singer is taking. The song describes a struggle to peel back layers of the self and connect with emotions and thoughts that may have been buried, resulting ultimately in inner peace and self-knowledge.
Line by Line Meaning
I was waken late the other night
The singer couldn't sleep and was awakened in the middle of the night.
There was a bird trapped in my heart
The singer's emotions were overwhelming and felt like a trapped bird.
I tried to open up and let it out
The singer tried to express their emotions in a healthy way.
Before it tore my chest apart
The artist feared that keeping their emotions bottled up could cause physical harm.
I tossed and turned, I prayed for it to stop
The artist tried various methods to calm themselves down.
I scratched my face an' tore my sheets
The singer's distress was so intense that they physically lashed out.
But I was way too late, my heart was gone
The singer's emotions had consumed them completely.
And in its place these bird wings beat
The artist felt like their emotions had transformed into something else entirely.
And I was waken from a day to day dream
The artist felt like they were living their life on autopilot until their emotions overwhelmed them.
There was a bird trapped in my mind
The artist's thoughts were as overwhelming as their emotions.
But there was no use in tryin'
The singer felt like they couldn't find relief or escape from their thoughts and feelings.
And where I once had a head full of thoughts
The artist had a lot of thoughts and ideas before being consumed by their emotions.
Of happiness and daily things
The singer's thoughts used to be focused on everyday life and positive things.
There is only strange darkness now
The singer's thoughts and feelings now feel foreign and ominous.
And in the darkness this bird sings
The singer's thoughts and feelings seem to be expressing themselves through the metaphor of a bird singing.
I'm comin' down the mountain
The artist is leaving behind a difficult time in their life.
I've been comin' for some time
The process of recovery has been gradual for the artist.
And this whole dark valley is mine
The singer has been through a lot and has taken ownership of their past experiences.
Oh Ballerina, where have you gone
The singer misses someone named Ballerina.
I've been dreamin' of you
The artist has been thinking about Ballerina a lot.
Honey, where have you gone
The artist addresses Ballerina affectionately and wants to know where they are.
Since the day you were born, yeah
The artist has known Ballerina for a long time.
Oh my, yeah
The singer expresses a strong emotion, which could be nostalgia or pain.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MASON STEWART JENNINGS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind