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 ā Warner Bros.
1981: Pirates ā Warner Bros.
1983: Girl at Her Volcano (EP) ā Warner Bros.
1984: The Magazine ā Warner Bros.
1989: Flying Cowboys - Geffen
1991: Pop Pop - Geffen
1993: Traffic From Paradise - Geffen
1995: Naked Songs - Reprise
1997: Ghostyhead ā Warner Bros.
2000: It's Like This - Artemis
2001: Live at Red Rocks - Artemis
2003: The Evening of My Best Day ā V2
2005: Duchess of Coolsville - Rhino
2007: Sermon On Exposition Boulevard - New West
2009: Balm in Gilead
Roadkill
Rickie Lee Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why's it look that way?
What's the matter with it?
What's it trying to say?
What's that on its back?
Where's it trying to go?
A mystical vision got dressed up one night
Headed over to somebody's house
For an occasion long awaited
As it crossed the road, vista del mar
A big red car
Big black tires, nice corvette
And the future has not arrived yet
Moonlight on the hill,
Lights up the road kill
Moonlight on the hill,
And the future is a road kill
What's the matter with it?
What's it trying to say?
What's the matter with it?
I just saw it yesterday
The police came, the neighbors too
They tried to pick it up,
What else can you do?
Meanwhile, somebody's waiting back at the house
For the future to dawn bright across the sky
Moonlight on the hill,
Lights up the road kill
Moonlight on the hill,
Lights up the future
What's the matter with it?
What's it trying to say?
What's the matter with it?
Why won't it go away?
What's the matter with it?
Why won't it close its eyes?
What's the matter with it?
Who are those guys?
What's the matter with it
The lyrics of Rickie Lee Jones's song "Roadkill" are introspective and have several layers of meanings. The song begins with a series of questions about what is the matter with something and what it is trying to say. It is unclear if this "something" is a person, an animal, or an object. The questioning sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is about the mystery of life and the future.
The second part of the song narrates a story of a mystical vision that is on its way to a long-awaited occasion. As the vision crosses the road, it is hit by a big red car with black tires, seemingly ending its journey. At this point, Jones sings about the moonlight on the hill that lights up the road kill. This striking imagery represents the inevitability of fate, and how even something as small as a roadkill can have an impact on the future.
The final lines of the song continue the questioning, asking what is the matter with the roadkill and why it won't go away. This repetition serves as a reminder to listeners that life is a mystery and that some questions may never be answered.
Line by Line Meaning
What's the matter with it?
Questioning the current condition of something or someone
Why's it look that way?
Wondering about the appearance of the thing or person
What's it trying to say?
Questioning the motive or message behind the thing or person
What's that on its back?
Observing something unusual or significant
Where's it trying to go?
Curious about the direction or destination of the thing or person
A mystical vision got dressed up one night
Describing a beautiful and mysterious sight
Locked the door, walked through the misty porch light
Setting the mystical vision in a specific environment
Headed over to somebody's house
Detailing the movement of the mystical vision
For an occasion long awaited
Implying the event that the mystical vision is attending is important
As it crossed the road, vista del mar
Depicting the mystical vision crossing a scenic road
A big red car
Describing the appearance of a car
Big black tires, nice corvette
Further describing the car
And the future has not arrived yet
Suggesting uncertainty about the future
Moonlight on the hill,
Describing the setting of the scene
Lights up the road kill
Illuminating a dead animal on the road
And the future is a road kill
Metaphorically comparing the uncertainty of the future to the dead animal on the road
I just saw it yesterday
Noting a recent sighting of the thing or person
The police came, the neighbors too
Relaying a response to the unusual thing or person
They tried to pick it up,
Efforts to remove the thing or person from the scene
What else can you do?
Implying the futility of removing the thing or person
Meanwhile, somebody's waiting back at the house
Introducing another character in the story
For the future to dawn bright across the sky
Expressing hope for a promising future
Lights up the future
Still hoping for a brighter future despite the uncertainty
Why won't it go away?
Questioning the persistence of the thing or person
Why won't it close its eyes?
Personifying the thing as if it has agency
Who are those guys?
Noticing unfamiliar people in the scene
Lyrics Ā© RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC, 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.