Jez Lowe
Jez Lowe (born John Gerard Lowe, 14 July 1955) is an English folk singer-songwriter. Lowe was born and raised in County Durham, in a family with Irish roots. He is known primarily for his compositions dealing with daily life in North-East England, particularly in his hometown of Easington Colliery. He attended St Francis RC Grammar School in nearby Hartlepool and later studied languages at Sunderland Polytechnic. He performs both as a solo artist and with his backing band, The Bad Pennies. In addition to singing his songs, Lowe accompanies himself and The Bad Pennies on guitar, harmonica, cittern, and piano.
Songwriting
He grew up witnessing the decline of the coal-mining industry that had defined the region's economic profile for generations. A great many of Lowe's compositions address the economic distress that the North Country has suffered as a result of this industrial decline, and the social repercussions thereof. "Galloways," "Nearer to Nettles," and "These Coal Town Days" are among the songs that directly address economic conditions. In the much larger category of social impact songs, well known Lowe compositions are "Big Meeting Day," "Greek Lightning," and "Last of the Widows." (His song, "Last of the Widows", was written in 1991 to mark the fortieth anniversary of the pit disaster at Easington Colliery.) Numerous other songs by Lowe deal with the general issues of poverty and limited social opportunity in the region.
Podcasts:
Jez Lowe
ALBUMS
- Live At The Davy Lamp released:
- Back Shift released:
- Bad Penny released:
Heads Up
by: Jez LoweBlack Brothers, Album "Time for touching home"
When I was young me father said to me, he said to me
He said never take advice when it comes for free
Cause you can have all the riches of the golden kind
But without the riches of your peace of mind
He said you won't make old bones
You won't make old bones
You won't make old bones you'll see
And as the old men sit and curse times slipping sand,
slipping sand
I sit and I curse the time upon my hands
And the north wind blows like a song of the sea
The song that it carries comes quite plain to me
And says you won't make old bones .....
Now there is some folks make remarks and me fetals in
frown, me fetals in frown
And says the only way you can get up is when they turn
you down
Now everybody gives me the same advice
They said go sign up for the soldiers life or
You won't make old bones.......
So I went to the army like everybody told me to do,
they told me to do
They said we'd love to make a soldier out of you
But before I put me name down on the line
Me fathers words came to me on time, he said
You won't make old bones ....
I said your guns and your drums are not for the likes
of me, the likes of me
For me future it might look bleaker than bleak can be
'Cause your talk of many owing much to few
When all that I wanted was a job to do, he said
You won't make old bones.......
So you people in power and position I tell you beware,
I tell you beware
Of your tacts and your figures to tell you what went
where
'Cause your facts and your figures are the likes of me
And don't try and tell me how me life should be or
You won't make old bones....