Songs: Ohia was largely a solo project for singer-songwriter Jason Molina (… Read Full Bio ↴Songs: Ohia was largely a solo project for singer-songwriter Jason Molina (December 30, 1973 – March 16, 2013). Critics and fans alike have found considerable difficulty in trying to define the band's sound, usually settling on more general labels such as indie rock and folk-rock. Most are quick to draw comparisons to Neil Young and Will Oldham, (the latter of which Molina has collaborated with, alongside Alasdair Roberts, as the Amalgamated Sons of Rest). Molina died aged 39 on March 16, 2013, in Indianapolis as a result of alcohol abuse-related organ failure. Henry Owings, a friend of the musician, published an article on his online music magazine Chunklet that said Molina had struggled with alcoholism for most of the decade leading up to his death.

Molina was born in Lorain, Ohio and attended Oberlin College. After playing bass guitar in various heavy metal bands in and around Cleveland, Ohio, Molina made the decision to become a solo artist, recruiting other musicians as needed. He made several home recordings under various names, including Songs: Albian, Songs: Radix, and Songs: Unitas, which he distributed himself at live performances. Molina's first release under the Songs: Ohia moniker came in 1996 as a single on Palace Records, Nor Cease Thou Never Now. This was followed by the 1997 full-length album Songs: Ohia (known among fans as the Black Album), released on the Bloomington, Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, the label on which Molina has remained since. Though the band is still virtually unknown in the mainstream, 2002's Didn't It Rain garnered widespread critical acclaim with the indie community throughout the United States, and is arguably the group's most popular album. He also released Axxess and Ace and The Ghost both in 1999. 2000 saw the release of the "passionate" album The Lioness and the very sparse Ghost Tropic.

The release of Magnolia Electric Co. in 2003 marked a shift in direction for Songs: Ohia. Several major differences set this album apart from previous Songs: Ohia releases. Firstly, the album, recorded with renowned producer/engineer Steve Albini, is the most upbeat and straightforward rock album in the Songs: Ohia catalogue. Every song was recorded live in the studio with a full band. The album's sound draws heavily from the Southern rock and folk-rock of the 1960s and 70s, as well as, to some degree, Molina's heavy metal roots (British metal pioneers Black Sabbath are often cited as one of Jason Molina's biggest influences). For the first time, Magnolia Electric Co. sees Molina relinquishing vocal duties on two of the eight tracks; Lawrence Peters lends his voice to "The Old Black Hen", while fellow Secretly Canadian artist Scout Niblett takes over on "Peoria Lunch Box Blues" (both songs were written by Molina).

From 2003 on Molina buried the moniker Songs: Ohia, to go on under the name Magnolia Electric Co. which he used he for his full band records up until his death. Jason Molina died March 16th 2013 of natural causes at age 39.
http://www.last.fm/music/Magnolia+Electric+Co./+wiki

John Henry Split My Heart
Songs: Ohia Lyrics

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I stood on the 66 highway
I stood on the 66 highway
Wysteria, Magnolia beside the green line track
Said Don't Come Back

I found myself standing on the mountain
I found myself standing on the mountain
Beneath my full moon heart

John Henry split this heart, split this full moon heart
John Henry split this heart, split this full moon heart

Swing the heaviest hammer you got
Hit this one out of the park
John Henry split my heart

He says, "Boy what you going to do
With your heart in two?"
"Boy what you going to do
With your heart in two?"

If its good enough
Only if its good enough
If its good enough
But only if its good enough

Half, I'm going to use
To pay this band

Half, I'm saving
'Cause I'm going to owe them

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "John Henry Split My Heart" by Songs: Ohia are cryptic and evoke intense emotion. The song tells a powerful story of a broken heart and the struggle to put the pieces back together. The singer of the song stands on the 66 highway, surrounded by Wysteria, Magnolia, and the green line track. He hears a voice telling him not to come back, suggesting that he may be leaving a place where he is no longer welcome or has been hurt. He then finds himself standing on a mountain beneath a full moon, where John Henry splits his heart, indicating heartbreak.

The chorus of the song involves John Henry, an American folk hero who was a steel-driving man, famous for his strength and endurance. In the song, he wields the heaviest hammer the singer has ever seen, metaphorically hitting his heart out of the park. The singer faces a difficult decision with his broken heart split in two, with half going towards paying his band, and the other half being saved to repay a debt. The song's closing line echoes John Henry's question of what he will do with his heart in two - only if it's good enough, will he use it.

The song's symbolism and metaphorical language tell a tale of heartbreak, loss, and the struggle to move on. The imagery of standing on the 66 highway, a place of moving on and leaving things behind, is particularly powerful, as is the repetition of John Henry's name and the echoes of his hammer.

Line by Line Meaning

I stood on the 66 highway
I was on Route 66

Wysteria, Magnolia beside the green line track
There were flowers next to the railroad tracks

Said Don't Come Back
Someone told me not to return

I found myself standing on the mountain
I ended up on a mountain

Beneath my full moon heart
Feeling deeply emotional

John Henry split this heart, split this full moon heart
Heartbreak has shattered me

Swing the heaviest hammer you got
Do your worst

Hit this one out of the park
Give me your best shot

He says, "Boy what you going to do
Someone asks me what I'll do

With your heart in two?"
After having my heart shattered

"If its good enough
Only if it's worth it