Jones settled in LA at the age of nineteen, doing the classic waiting tables stuff until she landed a recording contract with Warners. Her self-titled debut album in 1979 was a big success, as was the single, Chuck E.'s in Love, about her musician friend Chuck E. Weiss. At the 1980 Grammy Awards, she won a Grammy for Best New Artist, and also received four more nominations: for Record of the Year; Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female; Best Rock Vocal Performance, Female; and Song of the Year (for "Chuck E.'s in Love"). While none of her subsequent recordings achieved the same level of commercial success, Jones has continued releasing critically acclaimed albums that have explored a variety of sonic terrain from jazz standards to trip hop influenced works.
Jones' pursuit of jazz standards led to the recording of "The Moon Is Made of Gold" and "Autumn Leaves" for Rob Wasserman's album Duets in 1985. The latter track earned her another Grammy nomination. And in 1990, her duet with Dr. John, a cover of "Makin' Whoopee", earned the artist her second Grammy Award, this time in the category of Best Jazz Vocal Performance, Duo or Group.
At the time of recording her debut album, Jones was in a romantic relationship with Tom Waits; she is the girl draped over the car on the cover of his 1978 album Blue Valentine.
Early in her career, Jones was known for her drinking and substance abuse. She eventually tempered those demons, and came to terms with herself, and her own uncertain spirituality, and has maintained respect of her musical peers.
She's devoted to her talents, beyond music, one of which is raising her teenage daughter, and has even run her own political website and made music critiquing the Bush administration. She is involved in left-wing politics and community activism, partly through her web community, Furniture for the People (http://www.furnitureforthepeople.com/).
A greatest hits collection on Rhino called The Duchess of Coolsville was released in 2005.
In 2007 she signed to New West Records releasing The Sermon On Exposition Blvd, a record exploring lyrical territory inspired by Lee Cantelon's 1991 book The Words, which attempted to translate Christ's teachings into a more accessible contemporary format. Cantelon's friend, Guitarist Peter Atanasoff was instrumental in the creation of the eventual record.
Discography
1979: Rickie Lee Jones – Warner Bros.
1981: Pirates – Warner Bros.
1983: Girl at Her Volcano (EP) – Warner Bros.
1984: The Magazine – Warner Bros.
1989: Flying Cowboys - Geffen
1991: Pop Pop - Geffen
1993: Traffic From Paradise - Geffen
1995: Naked Songs - Reprise
1997: Ghostyhead – Warner Bros.
2000: It's Like This - Artemis
2001: Live at Red Rocks - Artemis
2003: The Evening of My Best Day – V2
2005: Duchess of Coolsville - Rhino
2007: Sermon On Exposition Boulevard - New West
2009: Balm in Gilead
Altar Boy
Rickie Lee Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That scratches his thighs for the height that he strode
As he follows a path filled with harried desire
And mimics his footsteps and sets his prayers on fire
Glad to have chosen that which left no choice
To sing without loving in a solitary voice
To observe with passion each careful denial
The protrusions which give my life meaning for a while
Sometimes I see you eating berries and weeds
You're brushing your teeth with licorice seeds
Standing too close, holding your clothes
Smiling at God, the meaning of life grows
No, no I'll never tell and I'll never know
What candles you light after the show
And I'll never tell and I'll never ask
The meaning of life after mass
The lyrics to Rickie Lee Jones's song "Altar Boy" capture the conflicting emotions of a person who has chosen a life of celibacy and devotion to religion. The opening line "A monk with a hard on in a lavender robe" immediately sets the tone of the song; the singer recognizes the human desires that run counter to the religious vows that priests and monks are expected to abide by. The monk's actions - scratching his thighs as he walks - betray his inner turmoil and the efforts he must make to suppress his desires. The path the monk follows is "filled with harried desire," and although he is devoted to his religion, he also "sets his prayers on fire."
The singer of the song has also made a choice to live a life without love and physical connection. She observes her own "careful denial" with "passion," recognizing that the ways in which she denies her own desires give her life meaning. The second verse takes a more surreal turn, as the singer imagines someone she knows eating "berries and weeds" and brushing their teeth with "licorice seeds." The imagery is both intimate and strange, as the person stands "too close," yet smiles "at God." The meaning of life, the singer suggests, grows in these moments of closeness and spiritual devotion. However, she also acknowledges that there are mysteries she can never know or understand, such as the candles the person lights after a religious ceremony.
Overall, "Altar Boy" is a complex and insightful exploration of the relationship between desire, devotion, and faith. The lyrics capture the ways in which people try to reconcile these conflicting emotions and impulses, finding meaning in the tension between them.
Line by Line Meaning
A monk with a hard on in a lavender robe
A religious man with sexual desire dressed in a lavender cloak
That scratches his thighs for the height that he strode
While walking he scratches his thighs due to his sexual desire
As he follows a path filled with harried desire
He walks on a path where he is impatiently driven by his strong desires
And mimics his footsteps and sets his prayers on fire
He follows the actions of others without thinking and has an intense passion for his prayers
Glad to have chosen that which left no choice
He is content with the decision he made even though he did not have many options
To sing without loving in a solitary voice
He sings without any love, in a lonely manner
To observe with passion each careful denial
He watches with eagerness as people reject things with careful consideration
The protrusions which give my life meaning for a while
The ups and downs of life provide him meaning for a short time
Sometimes I see you eating berries and weeds
Occasionally I observe you eating fruits and vegetables
You're brushing your teeth with licorice seeds
You brush your teeth with small seeds flavored with licorice
Standing too close, holding your clothes
You stand too close to others while holding your garments
Smiling at God, the meaning of life grows
You express happiness to God, and this enriches your understanding of life
No, no I'll never tell and I'll never know
I will never share or learn the secrets of your life
What candles you light after the show
I am unaware of the candles you light after the performance
And I'll never tell and I'll never ask
I will never reveal or inquire about these mysteries
The meaning of life after mass
I am unaware of the significance of life after a mass gathering
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: RICKIE LEE JONES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Felice Marie Berkley
on It Must Be Love
One of my fav. songs..!
Felice Marie Berkley
on Comin' Back To Me
Very pretty song.