Joe Henry — Dead To The World
Album: Kindness Of The WorldAvg rating:
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Total ratings: 863
Length: 3:28
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There's a truck pulling up to the house next door
However, I'm dead to the world,
There's a hat blowing off of your head to the floor
Now I'm dead to the world;
On dirty old Dean Street the power is down
And too cold to dig a good hole in the ground
For the hope that we used to all pass around
I'm dead to the world
I came up a fighter I was quicker than blood
Now I'm dead to the world,
Riding the rails and drunk on the flood
Now I'm dead to the world;
And I had a dream that nobody knew
To laugh with your last breath when you're through
But now nobody knows any better than you
I'm dead to the world
Give me some sugar don't talk so mean
I'm dead to the world
Ain't nobody knows all the glory I've seen
Now I'm dead to the world;
And you loved me best with no promise to keep
And no way to hear what I shouldn't repeat,
My mouth full of gold and no weight on my feet
And dead to the world
The devil may care when you've had enough
Of whatever it is overflowing your cup,
I'll follow you down but I'm not coming up
I'm dead to the world
However, I'm dead to the world,
There's a hat blowing off of your head to the floor
Now I'm dead to the world;
On dirty old Dean Street the power is down
And too cold to dig a good hole in the ground
For the hope that we used to all pass around
I'm dead to the world
I came up a fighter I was quicker than blood
Now I'm dead to the world,
Riding the rails and drunk on the flood
Now I'm dead to the world;
And I had a dream that nobody knew
To laugh with your last breath when you're through
But now nobody knows any better than you
I'm dead to the world
Give me some sugar don't talk so mean
I'm dead to the world
Ain't nobody knows all the glory I've seen
Now I'm dead to the world;
And you loved me best with no promise to keep
And no way to hear what I shouldn't repeat,
My mouth full of gold and no weight on my feet
And dead to the world
The devil may care when you've had enough
Of whatever it is overflowing your cup,
I'll follow you down but I'm not coming up
I'm dead to the world
Comments (104)add comment
Sounds 'zactly like Blue Rodeo
I love this song and the vocals… really great job William! Long live RP
Such a terrible song. Correctly titled tho. Screetchy aweful vocals. Skip.
snakechaser wrote:
I initially thought this sounded like Jolene, another southern (NC?) band.
Whenever I hear this song, I think of The Backsliders, a band I used to see in Raleigh, NC. Joe Henry is from Charlotte and The Backsliders originated in Athens, GA. That southern twang....
I initially thought this sounded like Jolene, another southern (NC?) band.
Whenever I hear this song, I think of The Backsliders, a band I used to see in Raleigh, NC. Joe Henry is from Charlotte and The Backsliders originated in Athens, GA. That southern twang....
I like Joe henry. A great voice, a great inspiration. I didn't know this album. So good to have a new gem to discover.
BCarn wrote:
No you won't play it at your funeral. You'll be dead and quite incapable of doing anything.
Capable of decomposing.
No you won't play it at your funeral. You'll be dead and quite incapable of doing anything.
Capable of decomposing.
dmcanany wrote:
Perhaps you should consider having someone else play this for you. Just saying.
OLAM
Perhaps you should consider having someone else play this for you. Just saying.
OLAM
martinc wrote:
. . . with a dash of Steve Earle?
Thought this was Blue Rodeo . . .
. . . with a dash of Steve Earle?
sounds an awful lot like Greg Keelor of Blue Rodeo...uncanny.
hippiechick wrote:
Bit of trivia.. he was wearing those undies when he recorded this album.
Every time I hear this guy, I think of the cover of Trampoline and I get grossed out
Bit of trivia.. he was wearing those undies when he recorded this album.
AhhtheMusic wrote:
Hmmm, I thought it was Bob Dylan singing, i.e.; not the best sounding, but likeable nevertheless - it works for me!
Get better speakers. This sounds not even remotely like Dylan in any of his incarnations.
Hmmm, I thought it was Bob Dylan singing, i.e.; not the best sounding, but likeable nevertheless - it works for me!
Get better speakers. This sounds not even remotely like Dylan in any of his incarnations.
Thought this was Blue Rodeo. Like it. nice guitar break.
BCarn wrote:
No you won't play it at your funeral. You'll be dead and quite incapable of doing anything.
You don't know him!
Keep the faith LLRP
No you won't play it at your funeral. You'll be dead and quite incapable of doing anything.
You don't know him!
Keep the faith LLRP
Kaisersosay wrote:
Perhaps you should consider having someone else play this for you. Just saying.
I think I'll play this at my funeral ......
Perhaps you should consider having someone else play this for you. Just saying.
I thought this was Alejandro Escovedo, voice is very similar.
Not a bad thing - for either one.
c.
Not a bad thing - for either one.
c.
Kaisersosay wrote:
No you won't play it at your funeral. You'll be dead and quite incapable of doing anything.
I think I'll play this at my funeral ......
No you won't play it at your funeral. You'll be dead and quite incapable of doing anything.
whomhow wrote:
Hmmm, I thought it was Bob Dylan singing, i.e.; not the best sounding, but likeable nevertheless - it works for me!
David Byrne, Joe Henry with awful backvocals... Waiting for Neil Young to make contest of worst-ever vocalists on Earth completed 
Hmmm, I thought it was Bob Dylan singing, i.e.; not the best sounding, but likeable nevertheless - it works for me!
I like it, but I couldn't quite believe that Joe Henry isn't also the lead singer of Soul Asylum
Joe Henry is awesome and this is great - in my opinion
I think I'll play this at my funeral ......
David Byrne, Joe Henry with awful backvocals... Waiting for Neil Young to make contest of worst-ever vocalists on Earth completed 
John Hiatt sound with a horrible Bob Dylan like voice maybe?
raga wrote:
HA! Too funny....
One Springsteen is not enought?
HA! Too funny....
One Springsteen is not enought?
happiness
ScottFromWyoming wrote:
Agree! Also hearing The Plimsouls A Million Miles Away!
Well I thought it sounded like Beat Farmers 
Agree! Also hearing The Plimsouls A Million Miles Away!
Well I thought it sounded like Beat Farmers
...some Blue Rodeo might be appreciated by some of RP's listeners...you can't please everyone all of the time...
Sawyer wrote:
Yep just saw them in Calgary on their 25th anniversary tour. No opener, two sets strong as ever!
.... BTW I agree that Joe Henry definintely has the Blue Rodeo alt Country down pat.
Yes, I hear the similarity too.... I think Blue Rodeo may be a great additon to RP— Canadians have been in love with them for decades now! I've always been amazed, as have many, that they didn't catch on in the US market. I heard that Meryl Streep heard them in her Limo while on set in T.O. filming "Postcards from the Edge" and arranged to have one of their tracks put into the movie's soundtrack -but unfortunately it never went anywhere...guess it didn't fit neatly into any particular genre down there... unfortunate—in a way.
Yep just saw them in Calgary on their 25th anniversary tour. No opener, two sets strong as ever!
.... BTW I agree that Joe Henry definintely has the Blue Rodeo alt Country down pat.
Yes, I hear the similarity too.... I think Blue Rodeo may be a great additon to RP— Canadians have been in love with them for decades now! I've always been amazed, as have many, that they didn't catch on in the US market. I heard that Meryl Streep heard them in her Limo while on set in T.O. filming "Postcards from the Edge" and arranged to have one of their tracks put into the movie's soundtrack -but unfortunately it never went anywhere...guess it didn't fit neatly into any particular genre down there... unfortunate—in a way.
martinc wrote:
Yep just saw them in Calgary on their 25th anniversary tour. No opener, two sets strong as ever!
.... BTW I agree that Joe Henry definintely has the Blue Rodeo alt Country down pat.
dmeis wrote:
Still playing and putting on great shows around here. Had a new album and won a Legends award at the Junos. Their music would really fit the RP mix.
It does sound like blue rodeo. Whatever happened to Blue Rodeo anyway?
Still playing and putting on great shows around here. Had a new album and won a Legends award at the Junos. Their music would really fit the RP mix.
Yep just saw them in Calgary on their 25th anniversary tour. No opener, two sets strong as ever!
.... BTW I agree that Joe Henry definintely has the Blue Rodeo alt Country down pat.
Sounds like John Mellencamp should have sounded.
Thank gawd for the PSD.
RP further enhances my musical education. I've never heard Joe Henry before. Very catchy.
dmeis wrote:
Still playing and putting on great shows around here. Had a new album and won a Legends award at the Junos. Their music would really fit the RP mix.
It does sound like blue rodeo. Whatever happened to Blue Rodeo anyway?
Still playing and putting on great shows around here. Had a new album and won a Legends award at the Junos. Their music would really fit the RP mix.
I miss alt-country Joe Henry...
It does sound like blue rodeo. Whatever happened to Blue Rodeo anyway?
Hmm, sounds a lot like Blue Rodeo to me. Which is a good thing. I like this tune a lot. Another artist I'd never before on RP :-)
I love this song!!!
So, hearing this nice tune makes me wonder why I haven't heard Robert Earl Keen on RP in ages?
I love the guitar work on this track.
right song for the moment
I have been listening to artists in my mind tonight and eastern modality is there...Dead to the World. Cue up some Cracker and Jazz in it up with Nick Drake.
hmmm cool song
Every time I hear this guy, I think of the cover of Trampoline and I get grossed out
Darlington wrote:
He's on the short list of artists I need to explore...any suggestions out there as to where I should start?
I'd start with this album or Trampoline, the name of the one he did with the Jayhawks escapes me but worrth finding. It, Hollywood Town Hall by the Jayhawks and Blue Rodeo's Lost Together all came out about the same time (fall of 1992 IIRC) and all sound of a piece.
Can never get enough Blue Rodeo, Jayhawks or Joe Henry.....
Irrelevant amusing Joe Henry factoid; he's Madonna's brother-in-law.
lazylemming wrote:
THANK GOODNESS FOR JOE HENRY!
He's on the short list of artists I need to explore...any suggestions out there as to where I should start?
If you like this music (and you don't already have an opinion of him) check out Chuck Shaffer and his band "The Why Store". They are "TX country" as can be, even if they are from Indy! 
Glad to hear you are safe from the fire Bill and still able to spin some slick tracks. Saturday morning code sessions would not be the same without my latte and RP
Misterfixit wrote:
Consider the known fact that of all serial killers captured in the USA, ALL of them have as a middle name "Earl"?
ZOMG robert earl keen is evil!!! and john wayne bobbit was nipped short in his prime!
Misterfixit wrote:
Consider the known fact that of all serial killers captured in the USA, ALL of them have as a middle name "Earl"?
Follow this with that song "This is scary".
nope...the serial killers have "Wayne" for a middle name don't they?
THANK GOODNESS FOR JOE HENRY!
Blue Jayhawky.
eastcoast wrote:
sounds like a cross between Tom Petty and Elvis Costello
. . . or Blue Rodeo.
this a good song, on a pretty good album, by a pretty darn good artist.
much better is "king's highway"; what good songwriting yearns to be.
Joe Henry is one hell of a song writer... Love this album!
Had to register so I could stand up for Joe Henry. This tune's is from an old record (1994), and it's good stuff but Henry has since evolved into a world-class songwriter and producer. He's easily in a class with Costello and Waits (though personally I prefer him to either). Try TRAMPOLINE or FUSE or SCAR. If you don't love those records, lemme know and I will send along some smelling salts.
sounds like a cross between Tom Petty and Elvis Costello
alux wrote:
Son, now git yer hillbilly rockers straight:
Robert EARL Keen
Steve EARLE
Joe Henry = nothin' like either the above.
REK's vocals are flatter. Steve Earle, grittier.
All three, brilliant.
Consider the known fact that of all serial killers captured in the USA, ALL of them have as a middle name "Earl"?
Follow this with that song "This is scary".
Like a whole bunch o' people here ... I would have sworn this was Blue Rodeo.
physicsgenius wrote:
My great uncle thought it was more like Tom Petty and recent fossil evidence suggests that Mitochondrial Eve may have believed this is John Mellencamp.
Back then he was still known as John Sabertooth.
Sounds like Tom Petty singing John Hiatt.
physicsgenius wrote:
My great uncle thought it was more like Tom Petty and recent fossil evidence suggests that Mitochondrial Eve may have believed this is John Mellencamp.
I'll have to admit that I find most of your posts (90% or so :-) to be a waste of perfectly good electrons, but every once in a while you get off a good one. This is one of those times.
This guy must listen to lots of John Mellencamp
I guess it's just hard to be original anymore.go_ski_mully wrote:
These guys are great, love Robert Earl as well! ...if you like this sound you should checkout a great Canadian band "Blue Rodeo" that's what i thought we were listening to until I checked.
Totally!!! I thought it must be a new Blue Rodeo also -- uncanny how similar even the voices are.
RP listeners, be sure to check out Blue Rodeo -- the most awesome Country Alt (or whatever you call it) band in Canada!
These guys are great, love Robert Earl as well! ...if you like this sound you should checkout a great Canadian band "Blue Rodeo" that's what i thought we were listening to until I checked.
yep, I thought that was Robert Earl Keen. Good stuff though. Perhaps some REK could be added to the playlist?
Son, now git yer hillbilly rockers straight:
Robert EARL Keen
Steve EARLE
Joe Henry = nothin' like either the above.
REK's vocals are flatter. Steve Earle, grittier.
All three, brilliant.
Odyzzeuz wrote:
I thought this was Robert Earle Keen. He's got that same ''sing one note the whole song'' thing going on.
More solid proof that Bob Dylan begat the Universe.
Is this the guy from Blue Rodeo?
This guy sounds like ... everybody... it's a good thing... a comforting familiarality but you find yourself always thinking "where have I heard that before?"
buck-arkansas wrote:
this is "good old" joe henry. he used to use the jayhawks as his back-up band. alas, he's moved on.
not necessarily for the better i fear. married madonna's sister, but you can't pin it on that.
sometimes things change, but not in the way we hoped.
Yes! Prefer this "rootsier" Joe over the "jazzier" Joe.
Every bit as good a singer as Robert Earl Keen. Hits that one note very well.
Not sure if you all heard, but Joe here's dead to the world. You might not have caught that, it's pretty subtle.
Repetition supported by sonic variety can make for good music. Unfortunately, this misses that mark. Acceptable at best.
Never heard this before, but it's a great tune, thanks RP
It is too bad JH's back catalog is no longer available.
this is "good old" joe henry. he used to use the jayhawks as his back-up band. alas, he's moved on.
not necessarily for the better i fear. married madonna's sister, but you can't pin it on that.
sometimes things change, but not in the way we hoped.
Tuned in partway through an instrumental portion and thought it was Wilco.
orionblu wrote:
I just came to the site to see what this new Blue Rodeo song was... And it's not. But I like it.
Me too! Blue Rodeo meets Dylan
I just came to the site to see what this new Blue Rodeo song was... And it's not. But I like it.
Joe Henry is hard to categorize-he does sound like many artists, but only fleetingly. He's all ove the map. Eclectic, yes derivitive, no.
philip_randle wrote:
My daughter and i thought this was REM
My great uncle thought it was more like Tom Petty and recent fossil evidence suggests that Mitochondrial Eve may have believed this is John Mellencamp.
My daughter and i thought this was REM
I thought this was Robert Earle Keen. He's got that same ''sing one note the whole song'' thing going on.
Look at all those comments. Everybody thinks this guy sounds like somebody else :)
Well, it doesn't sound very original, but it got power somewhere. Certainly above avarage.
I like the touch of country music in this. Fits with his voice.
guitar_man_101 wrote:
Man, does this guy EVER have a bob dylan voice to him!
I don't hear Dylan at all. Is this the guy from the Drive By Truckers? If not, it sure sounds like him.
Man, does this guy EVER have a bob dylan voice to him!
First few seconds had a Counting Crows feel to it as well. I was certainly hoping.
Not REM? Could have sworn after the first seconds
Visions of Blue Rodeo suddenly entered my brain or has that band suddenly called themselves Joe Henry.
Q: Mr. Henry, whose music influenced your style?
A: I wore out my Springsteen albums.
Excellent crunchy guitar sound.
reminds me that i need a beer.
Reminds me of Steve Earle.
buck-arkansas wrote:
not my favority joe henry tune, but still good. but most of his stuff is excellent. early albums are his peak. shortman's room is fantastic. the backup band on this one is the "jayhawks."quote>
That explains why my head snapped up as soon as I heard this.
not my favority joe henry tune, but still good. but most of his stuff is excellent. early albums are his peak. shortman's room is fantastic. the backup band on this one is the "jayhawks."
Still at work at 8 pm and this song is pulling me thru! Thanx RP!
Nice little song.
I like Blue Rodeo too.
And pie.
Although a Joe Henry song, and not a Blue Rodeo song, I wholeheartedly second all the requests for Blue Rodeo. And, I liked the Joe Henry song as well, so let's hear more of him.
Originally Posted by zaphodb:
You beat me to it lyn, I was going to say the exact same thing! Add some Blue Rodeo, please!
Oh yes yes yes - ANYTHING from 5 Days in July PLEASE!!!
Originally Posted by lyn:
He actually sounds like a poor imitation of Blue Rodeo. Bill, if you get a chance, how about adding some Blue Rodeo to the playlist, please? Anyone who likes Cowboy Junkies or this would really like them, IMHO.
You beat me to it lyn, I was going to say the exact same thing! Add some Blue Rodeo, please!
I way prefer his mellow, moody, laid-back work. His voice and songs seem to be much more suitable for that sort of music.
This rock \'n\' roll song sounds a bit like the reason why he usually doesn\'t do that kinda stuff.
He actually sounds like a poor imitation of Blue Rodeo. Bill, if you get a chance, how about adding some Blue Rodeo to the playlist, please? Anyone who likes Cowboy Junkies or this would really like them, IMHO.