Skin and Bones came from our second session in February of 2014. I had the main riff but faked my way through the chorus. I knew I would have to change the chords to make the song work, but left that until later after we finished the drums. Luckily I found the right chords! While Jason was still here, I wanted to get some shakers on the track but realized I didn’t have any that would work (they break a lot). So I ran upstairs to the medicine cabinet and got a bottle of Advil and a bottle of Excedrin. The Advil tablets are small and gave a higher pitched ‘shake’ while the Excedrin tabs were bigger and had a deeper tone. Recording those pain relievers shaking in their bottles really helped the sonic landscape of the song and help set the mood. The lyrics were inspired by a trip I took to New Orleans to attend the French Quarter Festival with some good friends. We were all there to have fun and by the time noon arrived on our first day, the debauchery had begun. Some of my memories from those days and nights are a bit cloudy, but the French Quarter made a real impression on me. There’s a deep dark history that lies behind the patina of the old buildings. I had played gigs there before while touring in other bands, but never really got to take in the flavor of the town…
Lyrics
Skin and Bones
Walk me down to the Bourbon Street
You never know what you’ll see
Hit St. Phillip for a drink at Lafitte’s
To get your mojo going
Sazaraks are sinking in
I can hear the saints come marching in
Gonna catch a buzz lock it down tight
For some crazy shit in Storyville tonight
Gumbo and the ragtime beat
Will get you up moving your feet
From Buddy Bolden and Jelly Roll
Pushing the blues out of control
Ol’ Al Hirt blowing the horn
All through the night to the early morn
Sachmo playing on the riverboat
Better pay Marcello or he’ll cut your throat
Infect me New Orleans
Can you heal a broken soul?
Baby I’m just skin and bones
Jackson square got my fortune told
Voodoo woman with the Hoodoo glow
Hear the spirit of Daddy Rice
Children of his melodies fill the night
Dirty lace with the painted face
Looking like they landed from outer space
Follow me around with the colored beads
Funky mix of grace and sleaze
Infect me New Orleans
Can you heal a broken soul?
Baby I’m just skin and bones
Baby I’m just skin and bones
No matter how bad you find your life
Down here you know it’ll be all right
Everywhere the music fills the night
Wash away the dust of everyday life
Infect me New Orleans
Can you heal a broken soul?
Don’t leave me New Orleans
Can you heal a broken soul?
Baby I’m just skin and bones
Just skin and bones
Baby I’m just skin and bones…