Ness was born in Stoneham, Massachusetts and raised in Fullerton in Orange County, California. Kicked out of his parents' home in Fullerton at the age of fifteen, he dabbled in drugs and petty crime, involving himself in the punk scene and founding Social Distortion in 1978. The band signed a contract with Posh Boy Records in 1981, releasing the Mainliner/Playpen 7" record. Then the band moved to 13th Floor Records in 1982 and released the album Mommy's Little Monster (1982).
By this time, Ness's drug addiction and self-destructive behavior had deepened to the point that the band almost broke up. The turmoil was captured on a video, Another State of Mind, which chronicled a cross-country tour. Five years passed before Social Distortion released their next album, 1988's Prison Bound, on Restless Records but Ness emerged from the time off free of his addictions and ready to work.
In 1989, Social Distortion signed a deal with Epic Records and released four albums with that label: the self-titled album (1990), Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell (1992) and White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996).
The band left Epic Records after White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) and joined Time Bomb Recordings, releasing Mainliner: Wreckage From the Past (a collection of old recordings and singles that were done in the early '80s) and Live at the Roxy (1998).
In 1999, Ness released his first solo album, Cheating at Solitaire. Although Social Distortion's music had contained country inflections as far back as Prison Bound, Cheating at Solitaire was an unalloyed expression of Ness's country side. 'Solitaire' included guest appearances by rock icon Bruce Springsteen, former Stray Cat Brian Setzer and drumming legend Josh Freese as well as members of Royal Crown Revue. Springsteen had touted Social D's 'Heaven and Hell' as his favorite record of the year in a Rolling Stone interview in 1992. Ness continued in this vein, releasing a compilation of country covers entitled Under the Influences that same year. Both albums came out on Time Bomb Recordings. Ness toured extensively in the U.S. in support of these albums, backed partially by the present-day (2006) incarnation of Social Distortion; Charlie Quintana (drums) Brent Harding (standing & electric bass) and Johnny Wickersham (guitar tech). Ness and the band played at Woodstock '99. After that, his bandmate and guitarist Dennis Danell died on February 29, 2000 due to an aneurysm, but Social Distortion did not completely disband.
In 2004, Social Distortion came back with a live DVD called "Live In Orange County," and then recorded an album titled Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll, which was released on Time Bomb Recordings. These efforts marked the first recordings with a line up consisting of Ness on Guitar and vocals, Wickersham on guitar, and Quintana on drums and also consisted of songs co-written by Ness and Wickersham. This is the first time Ness collaborated with another songwriter since 1990's self-titled album, on which he and then bassist John Maurer wrote 'Let it be Me'. The band's lineup changed twice after Maurer left the band, just a month before the release on Sex, Love and Rock 'n' Roll. He was replaced by Operation Ivy/Rancid bassist Matt Freeman until early 2005 and current member Brent Harding joined as his replacement.
In February 2006, Ness broke his wrist while skateboarding in Las Vegas. T.S.O.L. guitarist Ron Emory is filling in on guitar duties while Mike's wrist heals. Mike is still performing, just not playing guitar.
Social Distortion is currently working on their next studio album, which is due for release in late 2006/early 2007.
Ness currently lives in Santa Ana, California with his wife Christine Marie, and two sons Johnny and Julian. He is also a hot rod enthusiast, driving a chopped 1954 Chevy leadsled, a 1936 Ford, and a 1960 Chevy Impala.
(from Wikipedia : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Ness).
The Devil In Miss Jones
Mike Ness Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Were a long time ago
The proms, teenage cruisin'
And the picture show
You tried so hard
To fix your outsides
Until you realized that I took
[Chorus]
Give me your heart
Give me your soul
I'll take you when you're young
The devil in miss jones
Your daddy had a funny way
Of showing you his love
It's a shame you've hid well
From the lord up above
There's something inside
That burns like a fire
And you realize you've been blessed
With a wild desire
[Chorus]
Your parochial background
Vanished in the wind
Perhaps a ographic future
And a million dollar friend
You tried so hard to always be the one
You're loved by all men, but respected by none
[Chorus]
I'll take you when you're young
And I'll leave you when you're old
Mike Ness's song, The Devil In Miss Jones, is a thoughtful and melancholic piece that tells a story of a young woman's journey from her days of carefree innocence to her eventual descent towards a life of sin and damnation. The opening lines, "The days of wine and roses were a long time ago, the proms, teenage cruisin' and the picture show," sets the nostalgic tone of the piece, evoking a picture of a time long gone that the singer longingly remembers. However, as the song progresses, it becomes evident that there is a darkness lurking beneath the surface of this seemingly wistful recollection. The character is haunted by a sense of loss and betrayal, "until you realized that I took everything dear inside."
The Devil, who is a metaphor for the corrupting influences at work, tempts the young woman with all the world has to offer, promising her wealth, beauty, and power, and she is unable to resist: "Give me your heart, give me your soul, I'll take you when you're young, the devil in Miss Jones." Despite her initial resistance, her yearning for something more pushes her towards a life of sin, "There's something inside that burns like a fire and you realize you've been blessed with a wild desire."
In conclusion, Mike Ness's The Devil In Miss Jones is an evocative and poignant song that tackles the themes of temptation, sin, and redemption. It is a cautionary tale of how easy it is for an innocent young person to fall prey to the seductions of the world, and how hard it is to find one's way back to the light once one has lost their way.
Line by Line Meaning
The days of wine and roses
A time of good memories, optimism and prosperity
Were a long time ago
Those happy times have long passed
The proms, teenage cruisin'
The typical activities of youth, characterized by fun and freedom
And the picture show
The movies was one of the most popular entertainment options during that time
You tried so hard
You did everything possible
To fix your outsides
To improve your appearance and reputation
Until you realized that I took
You found out that I took away
Everything dear inside
All that was precious to you
Give me your heart
Let me have your emotions and affections
Give me your soul
Give me your personality and character
I'll take you when you're young
I'll make you a deal when you're naive and inexperienced
The devil in miss jones
A reference to a movie character who sold her soul to the devil in exchange for beauty and erotic pleasure
Your daddy had a funny way
Your father had a peculiar approach
Of showing you his love
To express his care and affection for you
It's a shame you've hid well
Unfortunately, you managed to hide it well
From the lord up above
From God's judgement and scrutiny
There's something inside
There is a certain feeling or desire within you
That burns like a fire
That is intense and passionate
And you realize you've been blessed
And you acknowledge that you have been endowed
With a wild desire
With a strong and uncontrollable urge
Your parochial background
Your small-town and conservative upbringing
Vanished in the wind
Has disappeared without a trace
Perhaps a ographic future
Possibly a future in the porn industry
And a million dollar friend
And a wealthy and influential acquaintance
You tried so hard to always be the one
You exerted a lot of effort to always be in control and be the center of attention
You're loved by all men, but respected by none
People appreciate your beauty and charms, but don't value your character and integrity
I'll take you when you're young
I'll make you an irresistible offer when you're vulnerable and inexperienced
And I'll leave you when you're old
I'll abandon you when you're no longer attractive or useful
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: MICHAEL NESS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@ponyxpress001
The days of wine and roses
Were a long time ago
The proms, teenage cruisin'
And the picture show
You tried so hard
To fix your outsides
Until you realized that I took
Everything dear inside
Give me your heart
Give me your soul
I'll take you when you're young
The devil in miss jones
Your daddy had a funny way
Of showing you his love
It's a shame you've hid well
From the lord up above
There's something inside
That burns like a fire
And you realize you've been blessed
With a wild desire
Give me your heart
Give me your soul
I'll take you when you're young
The devil in miss jones
Your parochial background
Vanished in the wind
Perhaps a ographic future
And a million dollar friend
You tried so hard to always be the one
You're loved by all men, but respected by none
I'll take you when you're young
And I'll leave you when you're old
@savabarach260
The days of wine and roses
Were a long time ago
The proms, teenage cruisin'
And the picture show
You tried so hard
To fix your outsides
Until you realized that I took
Everything dear inside
Give me your heart
Give me your soul
I'll take you when you're young
The devil in miss jones
Your daddy had a funny way
Of showing you his love
It's a shame you've hid well
From the lord up above
There's something inside
That burns like a fire
And you realize you've been blessed
With a wild desire
Give me your heart
Give me your soul
I'll take you when you're young
The devil in miss jones
Your parochial background
Vanished in the wind
Perhaps a ographic future
And a million dollar friend
You tried so hard to always be the one
You're loved by all men, but respected by none
I'll take you when you're young
And I'll leave you when you're old
@Freon420
Limitless talent...thanks Mike for keeping these old songs alive. SxDx fan since the release of their first CD.
@davegrant2167
This is still one of the greatest sounding songs I've had the privilege of hearing!
@drummermike52
Ive been a social D fan for 20 years but this solo album if one of my all time favorites!
@IFreakingEatPeople
Awesome to hear this on sons of anarchy. This album should have been in the country music hall of fame a long time ago
@gr33n3ggs4
IFreakingEatPeople
hell yeah. BEST country in the past 25 years
@YodatheHobbit
Whoa! Finally I hear something I like about Sons of Anarchy.
@BastardX13
What a recording. How did this get lost in time? Mikes the man.
@YodatheHobbit
Definitely my favorite Mike Ness solo song.
@georgevukelich607
Damn, brings back some fond memories. Snowboarding in Northern Canada at -40°C with some great friends. Some friends have passed away, others moved away, and not sure of the rest. At the end of the day we're just left with our thoughts.
Blessings everyone,
From Canada
@pablocrochenci7218
I must be the one of the few latin american who loves country. Thanks