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Mr. Jones Lyrics
Mr. Jones
Put a wiggle in your stride
Loosen up
I believe he'll be alright
Changing clothes
Now he's got ventilated slacks
Bouncing off the walls
Mr. Jones is back!
Bulge out
And wind your waist
Tight pants
Got curly hair
Drinking cold beer
From metal cans
Moonshine
And Handi-Wipes!
Mr. Jones is back in town
It's his lucky day
Hold up your hands and shout
Jones is on his way
Pitter pat
Mr. Jones is back in town
Aces high
Now his pants are falling down
He looks so fine
In those patent leather shoes
Mr. Jones, you look tired
I believe you'll be alright
Salesmen
Conventioneers
Some rock stars
With tambourines
Short skirts
And skinny legs
Selling Bibles
And real estate
It's a big day for Mr. Jones
He is not so square
Mr. Jones will stick around
He's everybody's friend
Fast cars
And motorbikes
I'm sure glad
He's on our side
The Jones Gang
Down at the bar
Watch out, this time
They've gone too far
They call for Mr. Jones
They put him in charge
Mr. Jones will help us out
He's a lucky guy
It is Mr. Jones' birthday party
For another year
In his hotel room party favors
It's a holiday
Put a wiggle in your stride
Loosen up
I believe he'll be alright
Changing clothes
Now he's got ventilated slacks
Bouncing off the walls
Mr. Jones is back!
And wind your waist
Tight pants
Got curly hair
Drinking cold beer
From metal cans
Moonshine
And Handi-Wipes!
It's his lucky day
Hold up your hands and shout
Jones is on his way
Pitter pat
Mr. Jones is back in town
Aces high
Now his pants are falling down
In those patent leather shoes
Mr. Jones, you look tired
I believe you'll be alright
Salesmen
Conventioneers
Some rock stars
With tambourines
Short skirts
And skinny legs
Selling Bibles
And real estate
He is not so square
Mr. Jones will stick around
He's everybody's friend
Fast cars
And motorbikes
He's on our side
The Jones Gang
Down at the bar
Watch out, this time
They've gone too far
They call for Mr. Jones
Mr. Jones will help us out
He's a lucky guy
It is Mr. Jones' birthday party
For another year
In his hotel room party favors
It's a holiday
Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
Fantastic song! I can't for the life of my think what it's actually about though.
Any suggestions?
My impression is that Mr. Jones is a timid sort of back-of-the-office type, who doesn't lead a very exciting life. But for his birthday his friends take him down to some casino in the city and he has a wild night. This song is about the excitement.
My impression is that Mr. Jones is a timid sort of back-of-the-office type, who doesn't lead a very exciting life. But for his birthday his friends take him down to some casino in the city and he has a wild night. This song is about the excitement.
Very astute, sirsawblade. I think you've got a lot of it... but there's more too I bet.
Very astute, sirsawblade. I think you've got a lot of it... but there's more too I bet.
I see Mr. Jones as a salesman visiting a third-world country for a convention. ("Sales men/conventioneers") He's a dorky loser in his own country but is treated like a king by the staff at the hotel where he stays because they want his first-world dollars. (The voices in the background waiting on him hand and foot. "Telephone call for Mr. Jones" and "Will that be cash or charge, Mr. Jones?".) He likes to go to those places because they make him relax and feel cool with how they pamper him. ("Loosen up/I believe he'll be alright") He has a coterie...
I see Mr. Jones as a salesman visiting a third-world country for a convention. ("Sales men/conventioneers") He's a dorky loser in his own country but is treated like a king by the staff at the hotel where he stays because they want his first-world dollars. (The voices in the background waiting on him hand and foot. "Telephone call for Mr. Jones" and "Will that be cash or charge, Mr. Jones?".) He likes to go to those places because they make him relax and feel cool with how they pamper him. ("Loosen up/I believe he'll be alright") He has a coterie of allies at the hotel, presumably fellow businessmen and partners in crime also going to the convention and living it up. ("The Jones Gang/Down at the bar") And because of their status there they can get drunk with power and practically get away with murder. ("Watch out, this time/They've gone too far") Etc., etc.
It is uncanny how much this song sounds like it could have been done by "They Might Be Giants." sort of like when Peter Paul and Mary did "I Dig Rock and Roll Music" and deliberately tried to sound like the Mamas and the Papas. Only, I doubt the Talking Heads were emulating TMBG, they weren't very big at the time.
But the tongue-in-cheek humor, both lyrical and musical. And the nonsensicalness of the whole enterprise. And even starting a title with "Mister". Geez, how many times did TMBG do that?
The whole album "Blind" for that matter.
@Zorro3 That's 'Naked'. And Byrne was there first, circa more songs about buildings and food - I'd think the Johns were big fans of the Talking Heads, and took a page of Byrne and company's book to expand into their own genius.
@Zorro3 That's 'Naked'. And Byrne was there first, circa more songs about buildings and food - I'd think the Johns were big fans of the Talking Heads, and took a page of Byrne and company's book to expand into their own genius.
Also, the "Mr." isn't TMBG. It's 1965 Dylan. The song Ballad of a Thin Man, from Highway 61, whose main character was . . . Mr. Jones. The hopeless square: "something's going on here, and you don't know what it is . .. do you Mr. Jones?" Byrne's sayin' (I think) that the...
Also, the "Mr." isn't TMBG. It's 1965 Dylan. The song Ballad of a Thin Man, from Highway 61, whose main character was . . . Mr. Jones. The hopeless square: "something's going on here, and you don't know what it is . .. do you Mr. Jones?" Byrne's sayin' (I think) that the Mr. Jones of the 60s has taken over the world in the 80s, it's 'hip to be square' -this was the era of Huey Lewis- and all the salesmen and conventioneers are doing tons of coke, and it's scary.
OK, guys.
"You walk into the room and you ask where it is Somebody points to you, and says it's his And you say, what's mien? And someone else says, well, what is? And you say "impossible" as he hands you the bone. Something's going on, and you don't know what it is Do you, Mr. Jones?" -Bob Dylan. 1965. Ballad of a Thin Man. From Highway '61.
Very big song/album, Byrne definitely knew it. That's where Mr. Jones came from. The symbol of the "square" outsider in the 60s completely perplexed by the hip, "cool" people doing drugs and left out. Byrne was writing these words in the 80s, when the script had flipped and all the rich fat cats were the ones doing the coke, fast cars, motorbikes, spending money like water . .. Byrne was part of that scene. And saw that, in the 80s, square values were cool again and Mr. jones was now the ideal - just make money,spend it, party, don't think. They put him in charge. Dylan's uncool outsider was the new insider. I think it's a reply.
@nathan1149 That's a good corollary to the other response on this album to a hippie-era song ("Nothing But Flowers" / "Big Yellow Taxi").
@nathan1149 That's a good corollary to the other response on this album to a hippie-era song ("Nothing But Flowers" / "Big Yellow Taxi").
tom jones, anyone?
@furpajamas I definately think you are correct. The music has “Tom Jones” all over it.
@furpajamas I definately think you are correct. The music has “Tom Jones” all over it.
"Cold beer... from metal cans." Does Byrne sound exactly like Robin Williams when he says that or what?
Mr. Jones is a very average guy, living a very average life. Even his name is pretty average. Yet every now and again he gets the chance to go out of town, and when he does, and he's surrounded by strangers in a place where nobody knows him and his averageness, he has a chance to see himself as he wants to be seen--as somebody special; a cool, suave, in-demand kind of guy who is adored, admired, needed, and celebrated. You want to cheer on this Walter Mitty-type character as he's strutting his stuff, but at the same time feel kind of embarrassed for his self-delusion.
Could it be about Jim Jones? The Vegas references would indicate that Tom Jones is the best option but something about some of these lyrics especially the last two lines makes me think the meaning is darker....just a thought though
I always felt Mr Jones was sort of a soft British colonial type who lucked into the sweet spot of being relatively wealthy in a relatively non violent/contentious locale
This song is about Alex Jones, the host of "InfoWars".
(obviously)
https://www.infowars.com/