J.R. is said to have started dabbling in music when he was six and his mother mandated – as she did with his older and younger brothers – that he take piano lessons. A self-taught guitar and banjo player, J.R.’s fondness for old gospel hymns, bluesmen like Son House and R.L. Burnside, and artists like The Carter Family and Tom Waits, helped shape his sound, which has been described as “haunting stomp blues tempered with a touch of honey.”
Growing up the middle of three brothers, J.R.’s childhood developed in him a strong sense of home and yearning to return to it – despite being shot in the back by his blood brother with a BB gun – the pellet is still nestled comfortably behind his ribs to this day.
J.R. pulls from a constellation of sensory experiences “the smell of being in an apple orchard first thing in the morning, the sound of boots on old wood floorboards, the feeling of falling asleep to the hum of a fan in the summer, early autumn in the country” that inspire and inform his music.
With a musical style that adeptly toes the line between folky and sorrowful lullabies to dirty, grainy, blues-influenced songs, J.R.’s voice communicates a level of intimacy and passion that carries with it a quiet sense of loss, yearning, and wanting.
Performing on stage with a kick drum, high-hat, and guitar/banjo (as well as the occasional harmonica and kazoo) J.R.’s live shows are visually impressive – a powerful and dynamic display that showcases his musical and emotional range.
His songs speak of sorrow and hope, a longing for home, and, he says, “The more unsavory desires and wants in your life – those demons and devils that haunt you.” *
*taken from his website, The-Wildness.com.
13 Kinds
The Bones of J.R. Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know them all by name
I call them on my phone
When i'm looking for some pain
For some pain
Oh i′m waiting all day like my neck
They get it tied up in their rope
But its little tight across my throat
Tight across my throat
Oh across my throat
So keep your damage to yourself
No don't trouble me at all
Cause I've loved enough
I′ve got trouble for us all
For us all
Cause I just need to dance
Dance till I feel clean
Get a hold of this fever
Let it pour out it of me
Out of me
Cause i′m on fire
There's a furnace inside
Take me to the water
It eases my mind
It eases my mind
The Bones of J.R. Jones's song "13 Kinds" is a hauntingly beautiful track that speaks about the human condition. The song begins with the singer listing off the 13 kinds of blues, indicating the depth of his despair. He knows each of these blues intimately, and he calls them when he's looking for some pain. The repetition of the phrase "for some pain" emphasizes the need for the singer to feel something, even if it's sadness.
Later, the singer reveals that he's waiting for something, perhaps a sign or an opportunity to present itself. The metaphor of the neck being tied up in a rope is a powerful image that suggests feeling stuck or suffocated. The singer feels pressure to perform and sing, but it's too tight across his throat, indicating a sense of constriction or fear.
The final lines of the song shift in mood from despair to hope. The singer declares that he just needs to dance until he feels clean, suggesting a desire to cleanse himself of pain through movement. He acknowledges that there's a furnace inside him, suggesting a powerful force, but he also recognizes the need for water to ease his mind.
Overall, "13 Kinds" is a complex and emotional song that speaks to the human experience of pain and struggle, but also the hope for redemption and release.
Line by Line Meaning
I've got 13 kinds of blues
I have multiple types of sadness or distress that I am familiar with.
I know them all by name
I am well-versed in identifying and acknowledging my various emotional hardships.
I call them on my phone
Metaphorically, I reach out to these blues or troubles when seeking pain or discomfort.
When I'm looking for some pain
I am deliberately seeking out these negative emotions or feelings.
Oh I'm waiting all day like my neck
I am anxiously waiting or anticipating like my neck is stiff or tense.
They get it tied up in their rope
Others, possibly those who have caused me harm, are restricting me or holding me back from expressing myself or healing.
Telling me to sing
Others, possibly those who have caused me harm, are pressuring me to perform or put on a façade instead of addressing my true emotions.
But it's little tight across my throat
Trying to fake happiness or hide my true feelings is difficult and uncomfortable, as if there is a physical obstruction in my throat.
So keep your damage to yourself
I am telling those who have caused me pain or trouble to not burden me any further with their issues.
No don't trouble me at all
I do not want to be bothered or burdened with the problems of others.
Cause I've loved enough
I have experienced enough pain and heartbreak caused by others, and I do not want to endure any more.
I've got trouble for us all
My emotional struggles and troubles can affect not just myself, but those around me as well.
Cause I just need to dance
Dancing is a way for me to release and express my emotions, possibly helping me process them.
Dance till I feel clean
Dancing is a way to cleanse or purify myself from negative emotions or past struggles.
Get a hold of this fever
The intense emotions or pain that I am feeling is overwhelming and feverish.
Let it pour out it of me
I want to release my intense emotions through dancing or some other form of expression.
Cause I'm on fire
My emotions are so intense and overwhelming that I feel as if I am burning or on fire.
There's a furnace inside
The intense emotions or pain that I am feeling are akin to a burning furnace within me that needs to be released.
Take me to the water
Water, such as a river or ocean, is a calming and transformative force for me.
It eases my mind
Being near water brings me peace and helps calm my mind.
Writer(s): Jonathon Linaberry
Contributed by Blake B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Nolan
on Bless Your Soul
Oh, when all of your ghosts in your dark hollow
All them move to whats holy in you
Oh and Bless Your Soul
If your keeping time, aint hard if your blind
Just tap your feet to your prayers off beat
Oh and Bless Your Soul
Oh, Lord only knows
'Cause I, got all sorts of time
Yes I got all sorts of time
Oh, when all of your ghost in your dark hollow
All them move to whats holy in you
'Cuase your keeping time, aint hard if your blind
Just tap your feet of your prayers off beat
Oh and BLESS YOUR SOUL
Lord only knows
'Cause I, got all sorts of time
I got all sorts of time
Yes I got all sorts of time
Mel Menchini
on St. James' Bed
These are the lyrics to "St. James Infirmary" not "St. James's Bed". They're not even close. Literally the only thing they have in common is St. James.
Tonio Niémo
on Hearts Racing
Love this one... keep it simple, keep that melancholia...