Formed under the banner “a modern American string band,” Joy Kills Sorrow first emerged out of Boston’s thriving folk music scene in 2005, releasing their self-titled debut album in 2007. Two years and several band members later, Joy Kills Sorrow is poised to make its mark with a new lineup of some of the area’s finest young talent. Founding member Matthew Arcara, a subtle and expressive guitarist, was the 2006 winner of Winfield’s National Flatpicking Championship and has performed with such luminaries as Darol Anger. Joy Kills Sorrow’s newest addition, mandolin virtuoso Jacob Jolliff, is Berklee’s first full-scholarship mandolin student and a veteran performer, having toured professionally since age eleven and shared the stage with mandolin legends David Grisman and Mike Marshall. Wesley Corbett, a banjoist of uncommon facility and grace, was featured in the August 2008 issue of Banjo Newsletter and has toured nationally with Crooked Still and The Biscuit Burners. Emma Beaton, the 2008 Canadian Folk Music Awards’ Young Performer of the Year, adds an earthy, powerful presence to the band as its newly-minted vocalist. And bassist Bridget Kearney, winner of the 2006 John Lennon Songwriting Contest, is largely responsible for Joy Kills Sorrow’s inimitable sound, thanks to her impeccable musicality and distinctive songwriting style.
Since its inception, Joy Kills Sorrow has performed at theaters, listening rooms, and festivals across the continent and has been featured on nationally syndicated radio programs. In 2007, the group won first prize in the Podunk Bluegrass Festival Band Contest; that same year, they were deemed the “‘poster children’ for the burgeoning Americana format” by Sing Out! magazine. The band has evolved considerably in the years since then, and their sophomore effort promises to deliver. Slated for release February 23 on Signature Sounds, the new album, entitled Darkness Sure Becomes This City, was produced by Eric Merrill and features a wealth of original material from members of Joy Kills Sorrow as well as some fine new songs from other composers. Darkness Sure Becomes This City is an accomplished piece of work, laced throughout with polished arrangements and pop-inflected melodies. With it, Joy Kills Sorrow gracefully combines the old and the new, and the outcome, however surprising, is sublime.
One More Night
joy kills sorrow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I′m a fool for holding onto you so tight
And I know it's wrong, and I know it ain't right
But I′m gonna be a fool for you for one more night
Why do you treat me so bad?
So much worse than before
Though I try to ignore
And I′ve had too much
Why do you treat me so mean?
So much worse than the start
You keep on tearing apart
My resilient heart
'Til I need your touch
I′ve got no reason to stay for you
You hurt me so, but I can't let go
And I know it′s true, and I know it ain't right
I′m a fool for holding onto you so tight
And I know it's wrong, and I know it ain't right
But I′m gonna be a fool for you for one more night
Why did you treat so nice?
And say all the right stuff
Baby, your poetry made it hard to believe
That our love could go wrong
Why did you treat me so good?
When you hurt me so right
After so many nights,
A girl should get some rights
And I should move it along
You gave me every single reason to leave you
You hurt me so, but I can′t let go
And I know it's true, and I know it ain′t right
I'm a fool for holding onto you so tight
And I know you′ve been cruel, but I don't want to fight
Baby, let me be a fool for you for one more night
You gave me every single reason to leave you
You hurt me so, but I can′t let go
And I know it's true, and I know it ain't right
I′m a fool for holding onto you so tight
And I know you′ve been cruel, but I don't want to fight
Baby, let me be a fool for you for one more night
And I know it′s true, and I know it ain't right
I′m a fool for holding onto you so tight
And I know it's wrong, and I know it ain′t right
But I'm gonna be a fool for you for one more night
Gonna be a fool
The lyrics to Joy Kills Sorrow's "One More Night" describe the inner turmoil of someone who knows they are in a toxic romantic relationship but cannot bring themselves to let go. The singer acknowledges that they are a fool for holding onto the other person, even though they know it's wrong. The questioning of why the other person treats them so badly and the acknowledgement that they have been given many reasons to leave only adds to the emotional tension of the song.
The repeated plea to be a fool for the other person for just one more night shows how difficult it is for the singer to end the relationship, even though they know it's not healthy. The mention of poetry and how it made it hard for them to believe that their love could go wrong is a poignant reminder of how powerful words can be in relationships, both good and bad.
Overall, the song is a powerful portrayal of the internal struggle that comes with trying to let go of a toxic relationship, even when it's the right thing to do.
Line by Line Meaning
And I know it's true, and I know it ain't right
I'm aware of the reality that I'm holding onto you despite knowing it's not the right thing to do
I'm a fool for holding onto you so tight
Despite knowing the negative impact it has on me, I can't help clinging onto you
And I know it's wrong, and I know it ain't right
I'm conscious that what I'm doing is incorrect and not in my best interest
But I'm gonna be a fool for you for one more night
Despite the negative consequences, I'm going to continue to act foolishly for just one more night with you
Why do you treat me so bad?
I'm perplexed as to why you're treating me so poorly compared to in the past
So much worse than before
Your treatment towards me has deteriorated significantly compared to how you used to treat me
Though I try to ignore
I attempt to overlook the negative behavior and treatment you exhibit towards me
You keep on hurting me more
Your actions continue to cause me harm and pain
And I've had too much
I've reached my limit and can no longer tolerate being hurt by you
Why do you treat me so mean?
I'm curious as to why you're treating me with such cruelty and harshness
So much worse than the start
Your treatment has gotten progressively worse instead of improving over time
You keep on tearing apart
Your actions are continuously causing damage and breaking me down
My resilient heart
Despite being strong and resilient, my heart is beginning to weaken and give up
'Til I need your touch
Even though you hurt me, I continue to crave and desire your touch and affection
I've got no reason to stay for you
I don't have any logical or justifiable motive to remain in a relationship with you
You hurt me so, but I can't let go
Despite causing me harm, I can't seem to move on from you and let go of the relationship
Why did you treat so nice?
I'm wondering why you treated me with kindness and affection in the past
And say all the right stuff
You said and did all the things that showed me you cared, but now you're acting differently
Baby, your poetry made it hard to believe
Your sweet words and elaborate expressions of love made it difficult for me to accept that our relationship could go wrong
That our love could go wrong
I didn't see any reason for our love to fall apart, but now I'm realizing it's happening
Why did you treat me so good?
I'm questioning why you treated me so well at first and now you're treating me terribly
When you hurt me so right
You're hurting me more than ever, but it somehow feels like the right thing to do
After so many nights,
After a long period of time being together
A girl should get some rights
I deserve to have my feelings and needs respected and addressed in the relationship
And I should move it along
It's time for me to let go of this relationship and move on from the hurt it's causing me
And I know it's true, and I know it ain't right
I'm aware of the reality that what I'm doing is incorrect and not in my best interest
I'm a fool for holding onto you so tight
Despite knowing the negative impact it has on me, I can't help clinging onto you
And I know you've been cruel, but I don't want to fight
I'm aware that your actions have been hurtful, but I don't want to argue or cause conflict
Baby, let me be a fool for you for one more night
Despite being aware of the consequences, I want to act foolishly and spend one more night with you
Gonna be a fool
I'm prepared to act foolishly and make poor decisions in regards to this relationship
Writer(s): Christian Beermann, Frank Beermann, Marie-claire Cremers, K. Kama
Contributed by Colin V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.