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The Barricades of Heaven Lyrics
Running down around the towns along the shore
When I was sixteen and on my own
No, I couldn’t tell you what the hell those brakes were for
I was just trying to hear my song
Jimmy found his own sweet sound and won that free guitar
We’d all get in the van and play
Life became the paradox, the bear, the rouge et noir
And the stretch of road running to l.a.
Pages turning
Pages we were years from learning
Straight into the night our hearts were flung
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from
All the world was shining from those hills
The stars above and the lights below
Among those there to test their fortunes and their wills
I lost track of the score long ago
Pages turning
Pages we were years from learning
Straight into the night our hearts were flung
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from
Childhood comes for me at night
Voices of my friends
Your face bathing me in light
Hope that never ends
Pages turning
Pages torn and pages burning
Faded pages, open in the sun
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from.
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from.
When I was sixteen and on my own
No, I couldn’t tell you what the hell those brakes were for
I was just trying to hear my song
We’d all get in the van and play
Life became the paradox, the bear, the rouge et noir
And the stretch of road running to l.a.
Pages we were years from learning
Straight into the night our hearts were flung
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from
The stars above and the lights below
Among those there to test their fortunes and their wills
I lost track of the score long ago
Pages we were years from learning
Straight into the night our hearts were flung
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from
Voices of my friends
Your face bathing me in light
Hope that never ends
Pages torn and pages burning
Faded pages, open in the sun
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from.
Better bring your own redemption when you come
To the barricades of heaven where I’m from.
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This is a gorgeous and haunting guitar ballad. One of my favorite JB tunes. I heard him sing it just last night on PBS Soundstage. Sure glad that show is back. Should be a treat for all. About the meaning, I think it is pretty self-explanatory. A young band setting out for fame and glory and growing up too fast and too hard. This song stays in the soul for a long time.
@dcwsilverleigh Amen brother. One of my favorite JB tunes as well. Brown\'s music has done everything for me that art ought to/ It causes me to think and sometimes to act, to consider and take an uncompromising position on the questions of our time, just plain entertain me, and some, as you put it, stays in my soul for a long time. Artists like Jackson Browne have enriched my life.
@dcwsilverleigh Amen brother. One of my favorite JB tunes as well. Brown\'s music has done everything for me that art ought to/ It causes me to think and sometimes to act, to consider and take an uncompromising position on the questions of our time, just plain entertain me, and some, as you put it, stays in my soul for a long time. Artists like Jackson Browne have enriched my life.
@dcwsilverleigh Amen brother. One of my favorite JB tunes as well. Brown\'s music has done everything for me that art ought to/ It causes me to think and sometimes to act, to consider and take an uncompromising position on the questions of our time, just plain entertain me, and some, as you put it, stays in my soul for a long time. Artists like Jackson Browne have enriched my life.
@dcwsilverleigh Amen brother. One of my favorite JB tunes as well. Brown\'s music has done everything for me that art ought to/ It causes me to think and sometimes to act, to consider and take an uncompromising position on the questions of our time, just plain entertain me, and some, as you put it, stays in my soul for a long time. Artists like Jackson Browne have enriched my life.
I think it is a look back on his life, starting at age 16, he was starting his fledgling career in California. I think possibly "the barricades of heaven" is a metaphor for California. I'm interested in his thoughts about how "on his own" he was at 16. Somehow, I find common ground between Barricades of Heaven, Hotel California, and The Last Resort. At first there seems to be something compelling and enticing about "paradise," and in the end, something less, and even just the opposite of paradise. Thoughts?
@staffhorn You hit the nail on the head with this one. Jackson was indeed on his own at 16. Left his family but I'm still not sure why. This is his story about running off to LA. Times were good but also rough for him. He's describing how fast he had to grow up.
@staffhorn You hit the nail on the head with this one. Jackson was indeed on his own at 16. Left his family but I'm still not sure why. This is his story about running off to LA. Times were good but also rough for him. He's describing how fast he had to grow up.
@staffhorn keep in mind he grew up in Orange County, a very conservative county. Very religious.
@staffhorn keep in mind he grew up in Orange County, a very conservative county. Very religious.
What would you find at "the barricades of Heaven"? Gates, Pearly Gates of course.
And what would be at those gates? The Angels - "Los Angeles". (Has everyone forgotten what L.A. means?)
Having spent my youth there, it's pretty obvious to me what Jackson, Eagles, and everyone else who was or is there with hopes and dreams is searching for. But how many find it there? Better bring it when you come.
How can this song not have any comments yet?? I love this song -- remembering childhood, the time when everything was possible, the young standing on the borderline of dreams and knowing some of them might someday come true. The time when things seemed easy, not knowing the obstacles you have to face later in life ("pages we were years from learning").
And even realizing afterwards things aren't as easy as they seem when you are young ("faded pages open in the sun"), fond memories of those days always remain. Beautiful, nostalgic song.
The first verse, he's driving on the shore, only using the gas pedal, "couldn't tell you what those brakes were for", trying to find his sound for music. It expresses the joy and carelessness of being young and free.
The first verse, he's driving on the shore, only using the gas pedal, "couldn't tell you what those brakes were for", trying to find his sound for music. It expresses the joy and carelessness of being young and free.
His friend found his sound as soon as he won a guitar and they played music all the time. Music became life, life became music, "life became the paradox...", and they dreamt of playing in Hollywood "...and the stretch of road running to L.A."
His friend found his sound as soon as he won a guitar and they played music all the time. Music became life, life became music, "life became the paradox...", and they dreamt of playing in Hollywood "...and the stretch of road running to L.A."
Pages turning symbolizes growing older or life experiences and the...
Pages turning symbolizes growing older or life experiences and the "pages we were years from learning" are all of the experiences they were waiting for in the years to come.
In the chorus, he's warning that you'd better bring your own escape from the grip of Hollywood that can pollute and corrupt a person like it did others who aren't the same as they were when they were back home, and now the protection of home, the "barricades of Heaven" that can protect you from that corruption, can't help them recover the people they used to be.
The third verse, the "shining hills" are L.A. and all the stars that live there and all the up and comers testing their will trying to make it big, making it a competition, but he "lost track of the score long ago."
The bridge talks about how we still thinks about childhood and how great it was to be young.
The torn and burning pages symbolize experiences he's forgotten, friends he's no longer friends with, and faded pages are the memories that he's starting to forget.
I think JordanMacPhee sums it up pretty well. It's all about coming of age, being passionate about music, and ultimately getting into the music business. I especially like your thoughts about what redemption and the barricades of heaven mean in the context of the song.
I think JordanMacPhee sums it up pretty well. It's all about coming of age, being passionate about music, and ultimately getting into the music business. I especially like your thoughts about what redemption and the barricades of heaven mean in the context of the song.
I believe that the "Paradox", the "Bear" and the "Rouge et Noir" in the second verse refer to clubs they played music in in southern California.
I believe that the "Paradox", the "Bear" and the "Rouge et Noir" in the second verse refer to clubs they played music in in southern California.
One of my favorite songs.
One of my favorite songs.
First. :] I like this song; I like how... simple the music is, but how much the words mean. As for exactly what the words mean, I don't know. I was hoping someone else could tell me,
I always thought this song was about religion, but it just occurred to me that as Jackson eschews the lifestyle of the rich and famous, the line "all the world was shining from those hills" may refer to Hollywood - most of the song seems to refer to aspects of LA. "Among those there to test their fortunes and their wills/I lost track of the score long ago ..." I suspect Jackson would see the culture of Hollywood and his own view of the world as being diametrically opposed, and that he sees that plastic culture as irredeemable.
I agree with that youthful nostalgia, Dreamgirl. I grew up in the same part of So Cal as JB. I remember those clubs, even tho' I am younger ("In '65 I was 17..." but 7!) The Golden Bear in Huntington Beach across from the pier on PCH was hallowed ground.
Summer nights in high school, piled into someone's car or van, driving up the 405 to Westwood and Santa Monica and West Hollywood.
One thing. When the resources are there to write these lyrics correctly, to see Jimi Hendrix spelled as "Jimmy" is unacceptable. A couple titles are wrong as well.
It may not havebeen the same Jimmy. Jackson played with other bands.
It may not havebeen the same Jimmy. Jackson played with other bands.
@MMMerry Yeah, not necessarily Jimi Hendrix...in fact, unlikely to have anything to do with Hendrix, who was already dead by the time Browne was playing the clubs in LA.
@MMMerry Yeah, not necessarily Jimi Hendrix...in fact, unlikely to have anything to do with Hendrix, who was already dead by the time Browne was playing the clubs in LA.
@MMMerry no no, Jimmy Ibottson from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band . Jackson played with them.
@MMMerry no no, Jimmy Ibottson from the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band . Jackson played with them.
@MMMerry it is not Jimi Hendrix he is speaking of. It’s Jimmie Spheeris an amazing song writer who died in a motorcycle crash in 1984. Jackson and Jimmie were friends.
@MMMerry it is not Jimi Hendrix he is speaking of. It’s Jimmie Spheeris an amazing song writer who died in a motorcycle crash in 1984. Jackson and Jimmie were friends.
This song means youth, glory, and riches all fade away at the "Barricades of Heaven" so you bet ter find redemption before you come to the gates. Why Jackson says he's from there is a mystery, unless he was inspired by an angel, possibly a fallen one. I dig the tune and the theme of the early years. I first heard this song on a C.D. that I bought at a pawn shop. It also had "Call it a loan" on it. Another one I had never heard and play a lot. Jackson is the "Dylan from L.A."
in our youth, we start ready to be somebody we know little but that never stops us we rush to define ourselves to be recognized to make a difference to find our song
but we aren't alone we share with others some of those, in our eyes, seem to find what we seek so we connect and follow that road and pages of our lives are written many times never knowing what any of it meant or how important it was but we feel this barrier deep within and an undefinable cry for redemption a cry that is always with us
the cry drives us to define ourselves but we never meet those visions deep within we rush down the road to find the fortunes pit our will against others we want to follow those who have found success we think that will silence the cry feeling hollow, we are disillusioned at the futility disappointed that the struggle never redeems us
our youth gone, those ambitions rooted deep within our souls never answer the cry, never overcome the barricade pages continue to turn we still don't fully understand what any of it means
visions give way to dreams in the dark of night, we look back at how it all started the friends who shared those pages voices still clear the face of a long lost love we hope to always remember we begin to find meaning
we look back and see it all fading what we once held is past faded, torn, lost the failures and successes the good and the bad the only thing left are just the memories those define us now and give us meaning those in our lives who wrote the pages with us at that moment, we were recognized we made a small difference
still wanting to redeem ourselves confronted again by the barricades walls that still stand before us always an insurmountable barrier as if heaven itself denies us no redemption ever comes nothing we've done redeems us we never measure up there's no redemption for who we are there are only memories of those in our lives and we never seem to know this until we look back we find meaning in others we define ourselves by those in our life and we still want redemption but now it's for the past
Great interpretive effort. I think you got captured a lot of what the song expresses.
Great interpretive effort. I think you got captured a lot of what the song expresses.
@meanings great take on a terrific song. I\'m a year older than JB, grew up on the Jersey shore, hitchhiked out to LA in 1966. Remember it all. All of it. Amazing.
@meanings great take on a terrific song. I\'m a year older than JB, grew up on the Jersey shore, hitchhiked out to LA in 1966. Remember it all. All of it. Amazing.
@meanings great take on a terrific song. I\'m a year older than JB, grew up on the Jersey shore, hitchhiked out to LA in 1966. Remember it all. All of it. Amazing.
@meanings great take on a terrific song. I\'m a year older than JB, grew up on the Jersey shore, hitchhiked out to LA in 1966. Remember it all. All of it. Amazing.
This is a song, basically about Jacksons life. Jackson left home at the age of 16. Ran off to southern California. The barricades of heaven represent SoCal. When Jackson was there, he rented an apartment in Echo Park. It just so happened to be the apartment below Glenn Frey and JD Souther. Jackson would be up every morning..making tea at 9 am. Jackson would start playing and Glenn would listen. Supposedly, Glenn learned a lot by listening to Jackson. The song is merely a description of that time in Jacksons life. Young, talented and in LA.