Slaid Cleaves’ music is marked by both the quirky blend of isolated eccentricity and steely resilience of his Yankee upbringing and the weathered soul of Texas, the state he has called home for over a decade now. First registering on the national folk scene by winning the Kerrville Folk Festival’s New Folk competition in 1992, Cleaves released his national debut No Angel Knows (Philo/Rounder) in 1997, following a string of self-released albums and many nights logged in folk clubs as both a performer and a soundman. Met with effusive critical praise, No Angel Knows was followed by Broke Down (Philo/Rounder) in 2000, which expanded his audience exponentially by virtue of its exceedingly well-crafted songs and rugged Gurf Morlix production. In addition to the title track, a Rod Picott collaboration that won Song of the Year at the Austin Music Awards in 2001, Broke Down featured a couple of interpretations of other writers’ songs prefiguring Slaid’s later work, including a poignant reading of fellow Austinite Karen Poston’s “Lydia.”
Following Broke Down came 2004’s Wishbones (Philo/Rounder), a richly detailed exploration of life’s darker corners where still a ray of hope somehow shines. Wishbones climbed to the top of the Americana Radio chart coming in at #1 for 2004 while Slaid toured relentlessly promoting the album. It was after the recording of Wishbones that Cleaves began to consider the endeavor that became Unsung. “Over the years,” Cleaves explains, “as I grew as a songwriter, my songs began to make up the bulk of my sets. But I continued to throw in the odd song by a hero or friend, both in my shows and on the records I made. I did that partly out of tribute to my influences, but also to give my set, or album, some context and some variety.” These are songs from the songwriter trenches – compositions Cleaves first heard at late-night song-swaps, open-mic nights, during downtime at recording sessions, and on modest self-released CDs. Thanks to the work of producers David Henry and Rod Picott (a long-time Cleaves cohort and fellow Mainer), the performances and backdrops on Unsung are as evocative and captivating as the songs themselves. Cleaves’ gifts as an interpreter are such that the line between singer and song vanish completely.
"Cleaves tells gorgeously compact stories in a voice packed with Texas trail dust." -- Entertainment Weekly
"...one of the finest singer-songwriters in Texas." -- Neil Strauss, The New York Times
Run Jolee Run
Slaid Cleaves Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A diesel pulls up a long line
Slowin up the grade to a crawl
Where Jolee waits for an empty car
Away from that man
With a cruel tongue and a violent hand
Who done told her more than once
I'll put you six under if you try to run
The man at the counter said are you sure, what you're gonna do
Run, Jolee run, Jolee run
Arkansas border Tennessee bound
Across the muddy water into Memphis town
A walk-up room, deadbolt on the door
Street light moon, a creak in the floor
Neon glows till the break of day
Where she goes to make money
Pourin whiskey, pourin gin
Don't tell nobody where she's been
And that little 32 in her pocket is loaded
Run, Jolee run, Jolee run
The scene plays, in her head
Over and over again
There's a movement, beneath the streetlamp
And that little 32 gun is in her hand
It barks like a dog, two three four
Last call in the shadows
Now Jolee waits for a morning train
Goin where nobody knows her name
Run, Jolee run, Jolee run
"Run Jolee Run" is a storytelling song by Slaid Cleaves that tells the story of a woman named Jolee who is running away from the abuse and violence of a man. The song starts with Jolee waiting for an empty car on county road 9, away from the man who has threatened to kill her if she tries to run away. She walks into a pawnshop and buys a "little 32", a handgun, to protect herself. Jolee boards a train to Tennessee and makes her way to Memphis where she finds a walk-up room with a deadbolt on the door to keep her safe. Jolee starts working at a bar, pouring whiskey and gin, and hides from her past by not telling anyone where she has come from.
The song's chorus, "Run, Jolee run, Jolee run" is a reminder to Jolee that her journey is far from over; that she needs to keep running to escape her violent past. She constantly replays the scenes in her head and waits for a morning train to take her to a place where nobody knows her name.
The song is a tale of survival, strength, and resilience. Despite being haunted by memories of abuse and violence, Jolee does not give up. She takes matters into her own hands, protects herself, and leaves behind the life that caused her so much pain.
Line by Line Meaning
Out where the tracks cut county road 9
In a remote location where the tracks cross a less-traveled county road
A diesel pulls up a long line
A freight train slowly approaches
Slowin up the grade to a crawl
The train slows down to navigate an uphill slope
Where Jolee waits for an empty car
Jolee is waiting for an empty rail car to escape on
Away from that man
She is running away from an abusive man
With a cruel tongue and a violent hand
Her abuser is both verbally and physically abusive
Who done told her more than once
He has threatened her multiple times
I'll put you six under if you try to run
He has threatened to kill her if she tries to escape
She walked into the pawn and said I'll take the little 32
She goes into a pawn shop and buys a .32 caliber pistol
The man at the counter said are you sure, what you're gonna do
The pawn shop owner questions her intentions
Run, Jolee run, Jolee run
A repeated plea for Jolee to run away and escape her abuser
Arkansas border Tennessee bound
Jolee is heading from Arkansas to Tennessee
Across the muddy water into Memphis town
She crosses the Mississippi River and arrives in Memphis
A walk-up room, deadbolt on the door
Jolee rents a cheap room with a secure lock
Street light moon, a creak in the floor
Her surroundings are gritty and eerie
Neon glows till the break of day
The nearby streetlights and neon signs stay on all night
Where she goes to make money
She turns to sex work to earn a living
Pourin whiskey, pourin gin
She works as a bartender as well
Don't tell nobody where she's been
Jolee keeps her whereabouts a secret
And that little 32 in her pocket is loaded
She carries a loaded pistol with her for protection
The scene plays, in her head
Jolee replays the events of her abuse in her mind
Over and over again
She can't escape the trauma of her past
There's a movement, beneath the streetlamp
Jolee notices something suspicious outside her room
And that little 32 gun is in her hand
She arms herself with her pistol
It barks like a dog, two three four
She fires her gun multiple times
Last call in the shadows
The bars close and Jolee hides in the shadows
Now Jolee waits for a morning train
She plans to escape on a train the next day
Goin where nobody knows her name
She aims to start a new life where nobody knows her past
Run, Jolee run, Jolee run
A final plea for Jolee to run and escape from her dangerous situation
Contributed by Jordan H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.