Jones began performing in 1997, debuting at Eddie's Attic in Decatur, GA, but he soon relocated to Nashville. In 2000 he released Nowhere Else But Here followed by an EP, For the Road, in 2003. Released in 2006, Throwing Punches in the Dark was produced by Neilson Hubbard (Glen Phillips, Garrison Star) and met with high critical praise. Jones re-teamed with Hubbard for Swallow the Sea, which was released in 2008. His music has found a home on Film and TV with over 30 placements on shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Bones, One Tree Hill, Pretty Liars & Private Practice.
MPJ has shared the stage with Shawn Colvin, Patty Griffin, Paula Cole, as well as being a staple feature in the nationally acclaimed "Ten Out of Tenn. Collective" with fellow artists, Katie Herzig, Erin McCarley, Butterfly Boucher, Andrew Belle and others.
Jones released his third full-length record, Land of the Living, on May 29, 2012.
Jones released The Waking Hours in September 2018.
Website https://www.mpjmusic.com/
Poisoning the Well
Matthew Perryman Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In sorrow sleep
Leaving long hard words
To lie in deep
Follow home
The awful truth
Feel the silent loss
Of guileless youth
A dead man walks
A crowded street
Into the place the grand
Assembly meets
Guilty hands
Stitched on their mouths
And arrowed fingers aim
To point you out
Oh, strain to tell
Sound the mission bell
The magistrate
Is poisoning the well
Innocent blood
Has stained the tree
Heads in sorrow hang
While walking free
Seven days
Beneath the storm
The bottle washed up on
A desert shore
Oh, strain to tell
Sound the mission bell
The magistrate
Is poisoning the well
Oh, strain to tell
Sound the mission bell
The magistrate
Is poisoning the well
Poisoning
poisoning
poisoning
poisoning
poisoning
poisoning...
The lyrics to Matthew Perryman Jones's song "Poisoning the Well" are open to interpretation, but one possible explanation is an indictment of those in power who abuse their authority and corrupt the system. The opening lines suggest a betrayal of trust, with "jilted tongues" and "long hard words" left behind in sorrow. The next lines speak to the consequences of that betrayal, as one tries to "follow home the awful truth" and feels the "silent loss of guileless youth."
The song then introduces the image of a "dead man walks" on a "crowded street," entering a place where the "grand assembly meets." The visual of "guilty hands stitched on their mouths" and "arrowed fingers aim to point you out" implies a sense of danger and persecution for those who would speak out against the powers that be. The chorus urges the listener to "strain to tell" and "sound the mission bell" to expose the wrongdoings of those who are "poisoning the well."
The song then shifts gears to describe the fallout of these actions, with "innocent blood" staining the tree and "heads in sorrow hang while walking free." The final lines invoke the image of a bottle washing up on the shore after "seven days beneath the storm," suggesting that even amidst chaos and turmoil, there is still hope for redemption and a chance to set things right. Overall, this song is a powerful reminder of the importance of speaking truth to power and fighting against corruption and injustice.
Line by Line Meaning
Jilted tongues
People who feel rejected or betrayed by others
In sorrow sleep
They go to bed feeling sad and upset
Leaving long hard words
Saying hurtful things to someone that will stay with them for a while
To lie in deep
Those hurtful things will be hard to forget
Follow home
Go back to where someone lives
The awful truth
A truth that is hard to accept or deal with
Feel the silent loss
Experience the feeling of sadness and grief without expressing it
Of guileless youth
The loss of innocence and naivety
A dead man walks
Someone who is alive but has lost all hope and joy
A crowded street
A busy, bustling place with lots of people around
Into the place the grand
The location where important and influential people meet
Assembly meets
A group of people convene for a particular purpose
Guilty hands
Hands that have done wrong or caused harm
Stitched on their mouths
Silenced or prevented from speaking out
And arrowed fingers aim
Pointing fingers towards someone
To point you out
To draw attention to someone's shortcomings or flaws
Oh, strain to tell
A call to speak out or express oneself even when it is difficult
Sound the mission bell
A signal to raise awareness or start something important
The magistrate
A person in power who enforces laws and makes judgments
Is poisoning the well
The actions of leaders and those in power can have negative consequences for everyone else
Innocent blood
The lives lost due to the actions of those in power
Has stained the tree
The negative effects and consequences of the past cannot be erased
Heads in sorrow hang
People are mourning the loss of someone or something
While walking free
Those responsible for the harm and loss have not been held accountable for their actions
Seven days
A period of time that represents a significant amount of time passed or a waiting period
Beneath the storm
During a difficult or tumultuous time
The bottle washed up on
An object that has been brought back or come to the surface after being hidden or lost
A desert shore
An isolated or lonely place where there is little to no support or help
Poisoning
Repeating the title and theme of the song, emphasizing the potentially deadly consequences of the actions of those in power
Writer(s): Matthew Perryman Jones Copyright: Smoldering Wick Music
Contributed by Lincoln V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.