Re: Santa Fe
 

Hi Guys,

This is just a general question in need of some responses and interpretations. Personally, I'm a big fan of JBJ's song Santa Fe. I think it quite a powerful song considering the way Jon sings it and the associated lyrics and harmonies. It would be in my Top 5 of BJ All time favorites.

I would just like to know any opinions that you might have of the song and what you think the true meaning and interpretation behind the lyrics are.

Btw, I wonder why Jon has never sung it live, especially when the Young Guns Album was initially released.

Thanks

Regards,
Daniel

i just see it as a song that follows the story line line to YGII, but it's more to do with billy regretting what he's done and wanting forgiveness because it's not entirley his fault, i guess a sort of wild west peer pressure. Quality song though one of the best from B.O.G.

One of the best songs ever written!!! It's my favorite from Blaze. Jon has never performed it live though.

He said in an interview he wanted the first three lines to be as cliche as possible because, in his mind, hearing those cliches would be like being reminded of the ghosts from your past or the skeletons in your closet. There was a scene in the YGII script where Keifer Sutherland's character was being taken in chains back to Santa Fe to face his past and that's the scene that inspired the song.

Jon has mentioned that he was hiding behind the characters in the songs and it took him a while to see that and admit it. I've always wondered if the line "it's this world that turns a killer into a hero" meant not only Billy the Kid, but also was about Jon's feelings toward the music industry. He has said (and I'm paraphrasing) when you start out you're naive to what the business is really like and you could allow it to crush your innocence and joy that you get from making music or you can take control of it and accept that side so you can still embrace the part that brings you joy. At that time in Jon's life, his greatest love, music, had been turned into a multimillion dollar business that was killing him.

I see "You've got ot face your ghosts and know with no illusion that only one of you is going home again" to be about facing those demons and knowing that either the bad part or the good part is going to win out and it's kind of up to him which part he let win. "Tell my guns I'm coming home" is like Jon's message to the band (his "guns" in old west talk) that he's going to take control and keep the good and throw out the bad.

Well, I'll stop there. I can get waaaaaaay too absorbed in talking about the lyrics on the Blaze CD. ;)

absolutely! I love the way you have described it there. I couldn't of put it into words any better. It is a brilliant song one of his finest. I love that whole album actually.

Kat

a real epic song....excellent dark, gritty lyrics...'I'm riding somewhere south of heaven, heading back to Santa Fe' - love that line. Its probably because of the orchestral arrangement that it hasn't been played live...I don't think you could re-create that massive sound without an orchestra...although I'd like to see them try.... plus Jon never toured Young Guns. I remember visiting Santa Fe and hoping it was gonna be a real dirty cowboy town...but I arrived 100 years too late. It was full of coffee shops and boutiques...not an outlaw or spitoon anywhere....there was a cool bar called The Cowgirl Hall of Fame there though. You could get this beer called Lone Star for 2 dollars a bottle and Smokey and the Bandit was playing on a loop....

Thanks a lot for that. I read a review one time that pointed out the line "Tell my guns I'm coming home", and how stupid it was. I admit, I never got it, I never used to read into lyrics too much and always thought he meant it literally, so it seemed silly, but now I can pick out a hidden meaning in every line. I'm getting goosebumps listening to it now, heh...amazing song!

Definitely one of my favorite Jon songs. Becky, thanks for the analysis.

deb

One of the best songs Jon has ever written.
I think it just shows what he's capable of when he's in the mood. As other fans have often said, if only Jon could be in a dark place more often if he can come up with songs like this. On the other hand I don't want him to be miserable!

I absolutetly agree. I remember really being drawn to that song the first time I heard it. It's phenomenal.

I was listening to it this morning as it happens - i ****ing love it :-)