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
Flying Cowboys
Rickie Lee Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Whose born is twisted into shapes
Unknown to the wicked and the wise
And he bears the look of an animal
Who's seen things no animal should ever see
He has been driven beyond all towns
And all the systems until now though it is
Long past too far he keeps going
Because it's a desert
Because it's a desert
We come to the river
We'll walk away from all this now
We come to the water
We'll walk away from all this now
She first saw him he was standing in the doorway
Illuminated from behind by a light
Though imaginary posses chased them
To these distant adobes
Standing on the cliffs today
I thought I saw you below
My shadow growing smaller
It's a desert because
Because it's a desert
They'll be asking me about you forever
I guess
We come to the river
We'll walk away from all this now
We come to the water
We'll walk away from all this now
Long coats on the prairie
Lying in the dust
Who can I turn to ?
Who can I trust ?
Were you walking on the water ?
Playing in the sun ?
But the world is turning faster
Than it did when I was young
When I was young
When I was young
Oh, when I was young I was a wild, wild one
The song "Flying Cowboys" by Rickie Lee Jones uses poetic imagery and metaphors that suggest themes of freedom, exploration, and the balance between the natural and societal worlds. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a man by the river, whose form and mind have been shaped by a harsh and unforgiving environment. He has been forced to leave behind societal structures and systems that couldn't support him, and he now stands at a crossroads where he has to make a choice to continue on his journey or find a new home. Despite the distance and the difficulty, he keeps going because the desert and the river hold a kind of freedom and spiritual significance that he cannot ignore.
Line by Line Meaning
Down there by the river is a man
There is a man by the river who stands out due to his appearance and peculiar experiences.
Whose born is twisted into shapes
He is inherently different from others and his life has taken an unusual course because of it.
Unknown to the wicked and the wise
His experiences are so unique that even the good and the bad do not understand him.
And he bears the look of an animal
This man has seen things that even animals should not witness and it has changed him.
Who's seen things no animal should ever see
His past experiences have caused him to appear and act in ways that are not typical of humans or animals.
He has been driven beyond all towns
Due to his unique circumstances he has been forced to leave all forms of civilization behind.
And all the systems until now though it is
Despite being disconnected from social norms, he persists in his own way of life.
Long past too far he keeps going
He continues to trek through the barren desert regardless of how long he has been wandering.
Because it's a desert
The man keeps going despite the harsh environment.
Because it's a desert
The repeated line emphasizes the man's unstoppable determination to continue on his journey through the wilderness.
We come to the river
We have arrived at the river.
We'll walk away from all this now
We will leave everything behind us and start anew.
She first saw him he was standing in the doorway
The woman recalls the moment she first saw the man, who was illuminated from behind.
Illuminated from behind by a light
The man was back-lit and appeared to stand out in the doorway.
Though imaginary posses chased them
The couple was pursued by imaginary possession, which added to the strange and surreal aspects of their journey.
To these distant adobes
They have traveled far from home to reach these adobe structures.
Standing on the cliffs today
The artist is currently standing on a cliff looking down below.
I thought I saw you below
The singer thinks they see the man they had previously encountered below.
My shadow growing smaller
As the singer moves further from the edge of the cliff, their shadow shrinks in size.
They'll be asking me about you forever
The man's unusual character will cause people to wonder about him indefinitely.
I guess
This is the artist's assumption.
Long coats on the prairie
There are figures wearing long coats in the wide open land.
Lying in the dust
These figures are pictured lying on the ground covered in dust.
Who can I turn to ?
The artist is unsure of who they can confide in.
Who can I trust ?
The singer is unsure of who they can trust.
Were you walking on the water ?
The singer wonders if the man had supernatural abilities.
Playing in the sun ?
The singer wonders if the man enjoyed his life to the fullest.
But the world is turning faster
The world appears to be changing rapidly.
Than it did when I was young
The world is vastly different than when the artist was younger.
When I was young
A nostalgic reflection on the past.
Oh, when I was young I was a wild, wild one
The singer reminisces about their own youthful recklessness and impulsiveness.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Written by: SAL BERNARDI, RICKIE LEE JONES, PASCAL NABET-MEYER
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.