“There’s something magical that happens when these musicians play together,” says Ray LaMontagne. “I’ve been wanting to capture what we’ve been doing live for a while. The chemistry is really special.”
The billing on LaMontagne’s fourth album, God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, reveals instantly that something new is happening with this project. The record is credited to “Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs”—the first time that the singer/songwriter has defined himself within a band setting, rather than as a solo artist. In addition, it marks the first time that LaMontagne has taken on the role of producer. And as soon as the music starts, with the Joe Cocker-style soul power of the opening “Repo Man,” it’s apparent that one of the world’s most acclaimed artists has moved into some fresh territory.
Not that he was necessarily in need of a new direction. The album is the follow-up to 2008’s Gossip in the Grain, which debuted in the Top Five on the Billboard charts; garnered two 2010 Grammy nominations; earned LaMontagne a coveted slot performing on Saturday Night Live; and continued the expansion of a highly-respected career that began with his first album, Trouble, in 2004.
The line-up of the Pariah Dogs, and their alliance with LaMontagne, is already well-proven and familiar. These musicians—Eric Heywood and Greg Leisz on guitars, Jennifer Condos on bass, and Jay Bellerose on drums—have been working as the singer’s touring band for the last few years, and developing into a tight-knit team. Though he had thought about trying to get all of these busy session players together in the studio before, only now did time and circumstance align and make it possible.
For one thing, there was a new work set-up that LaMontagne was excited about. “I just bought this old estate in western Massachusetts that belonged to the first US ambassador to Russia,” he says. “There’s this beautiful room in the house, that was once a connected barn that was turned into a ballroom in the early 1900’s and I felt like it would make a great place to record.
“It was an unknown space and an unknown situation, but it all worked,” says drummer Bellerose. “It was one of the easiest sessions I’ve ever done—the songs just played themselves. We were scheduled to record for two weeks, but we were done tracking in five or six days.”
The last song on God Willin’, “The Devil’s in the Jukebox,” was the first thing that the group recorded. Bellerose notes that this simple, bluesy track set a tone for the sessions. “It was kind of a springboard,” he says. “It loosened everybody up, gave us a chance to breathe.”
“That’s one of those songs I tend to write that is so damn linear, it’s up to us to make it interesting,” says LaMontagne with a laugh. “If you take it apart, there’s not a lot happening. But the way these guys approach songs is always surprising. Where they take the melody, the interplay between the rhythm section—who knows what they’re going to come up with?”
Guitarist Heywood says that the singer “made a decision beforehand to trust the band, and he really stuck to that.” He points to the album’s title track as an example of the way these sessions allowed each song to find its own path. Heywood and Leisz both play pedal steel, and they looked to LaMontagne to determine the arrangements and instrumentation.
“On that one, he said, ‘How about two pedal steels?,” Heywood recalls. “And then Jay started doing this bombastic, artillery-style drum thing. The song reads as a letter, with no chorus or bridge, so the whole thing was the most surprising track for me, and definitely one of my favorites. And Ray’s vocal performance is amazing.”
Ray LaMontagne has one of the remarkable stories in music’s past decade. Since leaving his job in a Maine shoe factory to pursue his calling as a musician, he has released three studio albums and two live EPs, won awards and topped critics’ polls internationally, and established himself as one of the most distinctive talents of his generation. His songs have been featured in numerous films and television shows, including multiple performances of his compositions on American Idol.
Yet he maintains that, until God Willin’, all of these accomplishments have come despite his own struggles in the recording studio. “The process has always been laborious, it’s been difficult for me to get any momentum,” he says. “I always felt like I was swimming upstream.”
But this time, things were different. “Ray was really in his comfort zone,” says Bellerose. “He was home with family, he’s really relaxed around this band—there was never a moment that felt uncomfortable. I think he’s just having a lot more fun communicating with more people, and getting out of being on his own as a singer/songwriter.”
LaMontagne claims that he didn’t specifically set out to write songs for this group of musicians, though he certainly had its sound in his mind. Regardless of the outcome, he says that his process didn’t—and can’t ever—change.
“For me, songs just have to happen, they have to come out of nowhere,” he says. “Otherwise it sounds like you’re trying to write a song, and I can spot that a mile away—and I think listeners can, too.
“I won’t ever sit down and write unless something is knocking at the door. I can go months without writing a song—and that’s when it gets scary, when you feel like you’re never going to write another song because they’re just not coming around.”
LaMontagne’s steady output, however, indicates that there’s little cause for concern. And for God Willin’ & the Creek Don’t Rise, in addition to his own extraordinary writing, these ten songs had the benefit of contributions from an exceptional bunch of musicians, collaborating under ideal conditions. Even the notoriously self-critical LaMontagne can’t hide his delight at the results.
“These guys are all so good, and I trust their instincts, I just wanted to write songs that I felt would excite them,” concludes LaMontagne “There was a certain amount of pressure, because they’re so much more accomplished than I am as a musician. But I knew that if I could pull together a batch of songs I was happy with, there was really no risk involved.”
This biography was provided by the artist or their representative.
Devil's In The Jukebox
Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
There's a big yellow moon risin' over the hills
My baby's on a tear and she's fit to kill
There's a big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm and blues
Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm and blues
Kinfolk say you've got to take what you've been given
The Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm and blues
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle
Kick off your shoes and set a little
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry
Packin' my bags and thinking that Id get out of town
Packin' my bags and thinking that Id get out of town
Been packin' my bags, think I'll get out of town
But like an old dog I just keep hangin' 'round
Packin' my bags and thinking that Id get out of town
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
There's a big yellow moon risin' over the hills
My baby's on a tear and she's fit to kill
There's a big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The lyrics to Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs's song Devil's In The Jukebox paint a vivid picture of a small town at night, with a big yellow moon rising over the hills. The singer is restless, and his woman is on a tear, fit to kill - she's wild and unpredictable. The devil is in the jukebox, jumping on the rhythm and blues - this may be a metaphor for the temptation of music and nightlife that can lead one astray. The kinfolk say you've got to take what you've been given, suggesting a resignation to fate and the hand you've been dealt.
Mama is about to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry, indicating a domestic scene, and the singer seems to be preparing to leave town, packing his bags and thinking he'll get out of town. But he's like an old dog who just keeps hanging around, suggesting that he's stuck in this town and in this situation, unable to break free from the allures of the devil in the jukebox and the big yellow moon rising over the old hills.
Overall, the lyrics capture a sense of longing and restlessness, with tantalizing hints of danger and temptation.
Line by Line Meaning
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The moon is rising over the hills, illuminating the landscape with a yellow glow.
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The moon continues to rise and cast its yellow light over the old hills.
There's a big yellow moon risin' over the hills
The singer acknowledges once again the presence of a large yellow moon rising over the hills.
My baby's on a tear and she's fit to kill
The artist's partner is very angry or upset and may be dangerous.
There's a big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The artist reiterates the beauty of the moon and the landscape it illuminates.
The Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm and blues
The singer suggests that the Devil is metaphorically present in the music playing on the jukebox, influencing the rhythm and blues.
Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm and blues
The Devil's presence in the music is reiterated by the singer.
The Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm
The artist emphasizes that the Devil is having a tangible impact on the rhythm of the music playing.
Kinfolk say you've got to take what you've been given
The artist shares some advice they received from their relatives: to accept what life gives you and make the best of it.
The Devil's in the Jukebox jumpin' on the rhythm and blues
Once again, the artist emphasizes the Devil's impact on the music playing on the jukebox.
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry
The singer describes their mother preparing food, specifically sliced tomatoes to be cooked on a griddle.
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry
The artist repeats their mother's plan to cook tomatoes on a griddle.
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle
The singer once again describes their mother's plan to cook tomatoes on a griddle.
Kick off your shoes and set a little
The singer encourages the listener to take a break and relax by taking off their shoes and sitting down.
Mama 'bout to throw a few tomatoes on the griddle to fry
The singer reminds the listener that their mother is cooking tomatoes on a griddle.
Packin' my bags and thinking that Id get out of town
The artist is packing their bags and considering leaving town.
Been packin' my bags, think I'll get out of town
The artist reaffirms their intention to leave town.
But like an old dog I just keep hangin' 'round
Despite their desire to leave, the singer feels stuck and unable to break away from their current situation, like an old dog that won't leave its owner's side.
Packin' my bags and thinking that Id get out of town
The singer reiterates their plans to leave town.
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The artist once again acknowledges the beauty of the moon and the landscape it illuminates.
Big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The moon continues to rise and cast its yellow light over the old hills.
There's a big yellow moon risin' over the hills
The artist again points out the presence of the large yellow moon rising over the hills.
My baby's on a tear and she's fit to kill
The singer repeats their earlier observation that their partner is very angry or upset and may be dangerous.
There's a big yellow moon risin' up over them old hills
The beauty of the moon and its impact on the landscape is once again acknowledged by the artist.
Lyrics © HIPGNOSIS SONGS GROUP, BMG Rights Management
Written by: RAYCHARLES JACK LAMONTAGNE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind