the vulnerability of ray lamontagne

Ray LaMontagne . . . quite the songwriter . . . and I can't stop listening to his CD, Trouble. "Jolene" is my favorite song. I seriously get teary-eyed every time I listen to it, which is about 20 times a day. What strikes me about this song is how vulnerable and honest he's being--admitting that he is at a very broken point in his life, that he isn't about to turn his life around, and that he has no idea what love really means. Wow.

If only I could be that honest . . . admit that I am screwed up, that sometimes I have no desire to change, and that I really don't know what I'm doing or if I even know what love or anything in this life really means.

And who in this world hasn't experienced a loss of someone they love? "Held you in my arms one time--lost you just the same." That's my favorite line.

So thanks Ray for encouraging me to be more honest with myself and others.

Jolene

Cocaine flame in my bloodstream
Sold my coat when I hit Spokane
Bought myself a hard pack of cigarettes in the early morning rain
Lately my hands they don't feel like mine
My eyes been stung with dust, I'm blind
Held you in my arms one time
Lost you just the same

Jolene
I ain't about to go straight
It's too late
I found myself face down in the ditch
Booze on my hair
Blood on my lips
A picture of you, holding a picture of me
in the pocket of my blue jeans

Still don't know what love means
Still don't know what love means

Jolene

Been so long since I seen your face
or felt a part of this human race
I've been living out of this here suitcase for way too long
A man needs something he can hold onto
A nine pound hammer or a woman like you
Either one of them things will do

Jolene
I ain't about to go straight
It's too late
I found myself face down in the ditch
Booze in my hair
Blood on my lips
A picture of you, holding a picture of me
In the pocket of my blue jeans

Still don't know what love means
Still don't know what love means