Before his professional music career began, Thorn was briefly a professional boxer. After a few years of working in a local furniture factory and playing in local clubs, he was discovered by music professional Miles Copeland (brother of The Police drummer Stewart Copeland). This resulted in Thorn being signed to a recording contract with A&M Records and recording his first album, Hammer & Nail in 1997.
Thorn took an unexpected detour on the road to recording a follow-up to his most successful release, 2010's Pimps and Preachers. After writing many discs of semi-autobiographical tunes that have drawn comparisons to John Hiatt and John Prine, the critically acclaimed singer/songwriter - hailed as the "Mark Twain of Americana" - decided to do an album of covers. "I wanted to take a break from myself," he reveals, "do something different, and just have fun."
The collection, entitled What The Hell Is Goin' On? (Perpetual Obscurity / Thirty Tigers) finds Thorn putting his own gritty rock stamp on some of his favorite songs. There are some names familiar to Americana fans (Buddy Miller, Ray Wylie Hubbard), some lesser-known (Foy Vance, Wild Bill Emerson) and some surprises. The Buckingham/Nicks tune Don't Let Me Down Again originated on that duo's debut, not during the Fleetwood Mac era, while the Paul Rogers/Free song that Thorn chose to cover is an obscure one, Walk In My Shadow.
The idea for a covers album grew as Thorn encountered tunes that meant something important to him. "I would hear them in the tour van or I'd be at a festival and see someone perform them live," Thorn says, "and I'd say 'That's a great song, I wish I had written it!'" One thing all the writers of these songs have in common, according to Thorn, is that they are true artists. "They don't just write songs in an effort to become popular or follow trends," he explains. "At the risk of sounding corny, they write with their hearts. None of these songs are cookie-cutter tunes like you hear on the radio today. They all have real depth, which is very appealing to me."
The set covers subjects that are familiar territory to Thorn, from the spiritual pull of Miller's Shelter Me Lord to the spirited fun in Big Al Anderson's Jukin'. Thorn, so skilled with his own character studies, plays storyteller with such lurid tales as Hubbard's Snake Farm and Emerson's Bull Mountain Bridge. Emerson (who has written for George Jones and Tammy Wynette) is someone, according to Thorn, who "can tell a story in a song like nobody else."
What The Hell Is Goin' On? also delivers songs of love and salvation. Vance's Shed A Little Light and Eli "Paperboy" Reed's Take My Love With You are emotionally powerful tunes. The latter particularly expresses Thorn's feelings about being on the road and missing his family back home: "Being a touring musician is a blessing and a curse... and Eli put into words what I feel like sometimes."
What The Hell's centerpiece is the powerful title track, a blistering look at life in modern times that was penned by blues-rock icon Elvin Bishop. "We are living in a new world where people are very connected, but also at the same time are disconnected," Thorn states. "I believe technology in moderation is good but too many folks are walking around wearing ear phones and some have forgotten the lost art of basic social skills."
The song also is significant because he has developed a friendship with Bishop over the years. "I sometimes visit him at his house when I'm out in California and he always gives me a jar of his homemade jelly that he makes with fresh kiwis from his garden," Thorn recalls. "He sang this song for me on his front porch one day and it blew me away." It was also a treat to have Bishop perform a guitar solo on the tune - which Thorn describes as "wonderfully raw and dirty." Other special guests on the album are Delbert McClinton (another Thorn idol) and the marvelous singing McCrary Sisters.
The heavy lifting on the album, however, was done by Thorn and, as usual, his touring band (guitarist Bill Hinds, keyboard player Michael Graham, bassist Ralph Friedrichsen and drummer Jeffrey Perkins). "The guys in this outfit are a tight unit and a well-oiled machine," he proclaims. "I've had the same guys in my band for goin' on 15 years and they are incredible musicians." Another long-time collaborator is Billy Maddox, who steered the ship and also served as What The Hell's producer. The sense of camaraderie among Thorn, his band and Maddox contributes to the disc's loose, live performances. The lived-in quality is undoubted aided by the fact that Thorn and the band had already played these songs live and honed them into what he calls "crowd-pleasers."
Photo of Paul ThornThorn has been pleasing crowds for years with his muscular brand of roots music - bluesy, rocking and thoroughly Southern, yet also speaking universal truths. The Tupelo, Mississippi native worked in a furniture factory, jumped out of airplanes, and was a professional boxer before sharing his experiences with the world as a singer-songwriter. Pimps and Preachers, which topped the Americana charts for three weeks and broke into the Billboard Top 100, perfectly exemplified the vivid scope of his songwriting and illuminated his family background. While his father is a Church of God Pentecostal Minister, his uncle (his father's brother) spent time as a pimp, and Thorn was influenced by both of these men. Mining these "saint and sinner" scenarios, Thorn crafted a disc that All Music Guide lauded as "a great rock & roll album," while The Nation labeled it "an incredible find."
When Thorn and his band hit the road, he'll be performing both his captivating originals and these favored covers, because, as he says, "there are so many great writers out there whose songs need to be heard." Thorn also might slip in a new song or two as he already has started writing more songs of his own for the next album.
I'm a Lucky Man
Paul Thorn Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Somewhere in rainy California
Channel surfing through the night
And there ain't nothing on
I went down to an empty bar
And I started talking to a stranger
He said "I come here every night
I guess that I'm a lucky man
I guess that everything ain't all that bad
There's always somebody with less
I realize that I'm blessed
Now I understand, I'm a lucky man
Somewhere out there in the night
There must be a million people
They're just trying to survive
Barely holding on
I can't feel sorry for myself
When everything ain't goin' my way
'Cause I've got dreams and something else
I've got a reason to go on
I guess that I'm a lucky man
I guess that everything ain't all that bad
There's always somebody with less
I realize that I'm blessed
Now I understand, I'm a lucky man
I guess that I'm a lucky man
I guess that everything ain't all that bad
There's always somebody with less
I realize that I'm blessed
Now I understand, I'm a lucky man
I realize that I'm blessed
Now I understand, I'm a lucky man
The lyrics to Paul Thorn's "I'm A Lucky Man" express a sense of gratitude and perspective in the face of adversity. The singer finds himself in a dirty hotel room in California, feeling the despair that comes with boredom and loneliness. He goes to a bar and strikes up a conversation with a stranger, who reveals that he comes there every night to avoid being alone. This realization forces the singer to recognize that even in his current state, he is a "lucky man."
The second verse expands on this sentiment, with the singer acknowledging that there are millions of people out there just trying to survive. Despite any personal setbacks or obstacles, the singer refuses to feel sorry for himself. He has dreams and a reason to keep going, which is a privilege in itself. As the song concludes, the singer finds peace in the realization that he is blessed, and that there is always someone with less.
Line by Line Meaning
In a dirty hotel room
Paul Thorn is in an unclean hotel room.
Somewhere in rainy California
The hotel room may be located in California where it is raining.
Channel surfing through the night
Paul is flipping through TV channels all night long.
And there ain't nothing on
There is nothing interesting on TV.
I went down to an empty bar
Paul goes to a bar that has no customers.
And I started talking to a stranger
He strikes up a conversation with someone he doesn't know.
He said "I come here every night
The stranger tells Paul that he frequents the bar nightly.
So I won't have to be alone"
He drinks to avoid being alone.
I guess that I'm a lucky man
Despite his situation, Paul realizes he is fortunate.
I guess that everything ain't all that bad
Not everything is terrible for him.
There's always somebody with less
Others are worse off than Paul.
I realize that I'm blessed
He understands that he has many good things in his life.
Now I understand, I'm a lucky man
He fully comprehends how fortunate he truly is.
Somewhere out there in the night
The song shifts focus to the struggles of other people.
There must be a million people
Countless individuals are facing difficulties.
They're just trying to survive
These people are struggling to make it through each day.
Barely holding on
They are barely managing to stay afloat.
I can't feel sorry for myself
Paul cannot wallow in self-pity.
When everything ain't goin' my way
Even when things aren't going smoothly for Paul.
'Cause I've got dreams and something else
He has aspirations and other positive things in his life.
I've got a reason to go on
Paul has a motivation to keep moving forward.
I realize that I'm blessed
Reinforcing his gratitude, Paul acknowledges his blessings.
Now I understand, I'm a lucky man
The final line reiterates his newfound understanding of his good fortune.
Contributed by Elena A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.