I'm Alive

Album: Pick Me Up Off The Floor (2020)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • In this song, Jones explores a helpless feeling that the world is falling apart and there's nothing she can do about it. She doesn't name any names, but alludes to US President Donald Trump and his media enablers when she sings:

    He screams, he shouts
    The heads on the TV bow
    They take the bait
    They mirror waves of hate


    So what's a person to do? After four years of marching and fighting, many who oppose Trump feel they've gotten nowhere and are left with a hollow feeling in their souls. Jones, who donated to the Bernie Sanders campaign in 2020, finds a ray of light with a simple truth: she's alive. Maybe things will change.

    "If there's a darkness to this album, it's not meant to be an impending sense of doom," Jones said. "It feels more like a human longing for connection."
  • Jones wrote this song with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Tweedy also produced the track and contributed guitar and bass; his song Spencer played drums.
  • "I'm Alive" is the first single from Jones' seventh album, Pick Me Up Off The Floor, her first since 2016. Leading up to it, she did a number of one-off collaborations with artists like Mavis Staples and Thomas Bartlett, but wasn't planning to release an album. After a while, she realized she had a full collection of songs she hadn't released, so she decided to issue the album.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Tom Johnston from The Doobie Brothers

Tom Johnston from The Doobie BrothersSongwriter Interviews

The Doobies guitarist and lead singer, Tom wrote the classics "Listen To The Music," "Long Train Runnin'" and "China Grove."

Rickie Lee Jones

Rickie Lee JonesSongwriter Interviews

Rickie Lee Jones on songwriting, social media, and how she's handling Trump.

Jon Anderson of Yes

Jon Anderson of YesSongwriter Interviews

From the lake in "Roundabout" to Sister Bluebird in "Starship Trooper," Jon Anderson talks about how nature and spirituality play into his lyrics for Yes.

Lori McKenna

Lori McKennaSongwriter Interviews

Lori's songs have been recorded by Faith Hill and Sara Evans. She's performed on the CMAs and on Oprah. She also has five kids.

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"

Chris Frantz - "Genius of Love"They're Playing My Song

Chris and his wife Tina were the rhythm section for Talking Heads when they formed The Tom Tom Club. "Genius of Love" was their blockbuster, but David Byrne only mentioned it once.

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic Furs

Richard Butler of The Psychedelic FursSongwriter Interviews

Psychedelic Furs lead singer Richard Butler talks about their first album since 1991 and explains what's really going on in "Pretty In Pink."