"All Fall Down," lyrics by Jess Coffman

A waterfall of courage stinging down his throat.

Blackness creeping in, erasing every note.

There’s lipstick on her lips, but no one hears her voice.

She pulls him to her hips as if she had no choice. 

I’m dancin’ now and dying to love on you,

Free my arms, and show me what you want to do.

My heart is full of whiskey, all I have is time.

This makes me feel like shit, 

But I can’t quit. 

I’m dancin’ now and dying to love on you,

Free my arms, and show me what you want to do.

My heart is full of whiskey, all I have is time.

This makes me feel like shit, 

But I can’t quit. 

I'm stuck within these walls, the fake, is breaking me, 

This world of smoke and mirrors is overtaking me,

Nobody’s life is changing for the greater good, 

I'm fallin' down, but I don’t leave,
I know I should. 

I’m dancin’ now and dying to love on you,

Free my arms and show me what you want to do.

My heart is full of whiskey, all I have is time.

This makes me feel like shit, 

But I can't quit. 

Champagne’s on fire, 

Bills are flyin’ in the air,

Makes us feel wild all night,

Makes me toss my hair,

The flashing lights illuminate me like a star,

The blackness shields, from seeing who we truly are.

He passes out. She’s givin’ in,

Play in this place, nobody wins,

I know the truth, I see the light. 

But there’s no saving my soul tonight.

Light up a match and smoke me out, 

Show me what love is all about.

I can't judge, I’m just the same,

When the sins of the night call out my name.

When we all fall down...

I’m dancin’ now and dying to love on you,

Free my arms and show me what you want to do.

My heart is full of whiskey, all I have is time.

This makes me feel like shit, 

But I can’t quit.

JESS COFFMAN

I wrote the lyrics to this song, as part of a collaboration with a guitar player that I had known since high school. His name is, no joke…T-Bone Rogers. We had collaborated on a few songs that I had written previously for myself. When his band’s lead singer/lyricist parted for “artistic differences,” he asked me to write lyrics for one of their songs. It was the first time, that I had gotten the chance to write lyrics for a piece that was finished musically, and wasn't my own music. It was additionally, a thirilling challenge for me, because the feel of the music was completely different from my style naturally. The artists that I could see singing this song would be Pink, and possibly Gwen Stefani, though it would be on the darker end for Gwen Stefani. 

The inspiration for these lyrics came from an unprecedented and undesirable night that I spent observing the behavior of myself and other peeps, in a hot new dance club in Hollywood. I had been dating a guy at the time, which was many years ago at this point. He had taken me to this club, along with a few of this brothers and brother-in-law. I was slightly uncomforable with the company to begin with, and truthfully, I didn’t really like the guy I was dating. I think the night that I wrote these lyrics was the very last night that we saw one another. 

I was very turned off by the whole experience. I have never been one to care about, or even know about the newest, hottest dance clubs. Give me a craft beer, a Ms. Pacman machine, and people dancing ironically, and I’m down. Or…give me a dry, spicy red wine, a black cocktail dress and a jazz trio, and I’m equally down. But, I’m absolutely NOT into waiting ANY amount of time in line outside of a club, behind a red rope, only to get in and be hit on by sweaty dudes on cocaine. 

Nope. 

So this night was fascinating, in a kind-of a terrible way. I couldn’t leave because the boys had driven me there, and I was in L.A. which lacks reliable late-night public transportation. I was also, fairly poor at the time and I really didn't have money for a cab to head home by myself. The upside to this whole experience for me, was of course that it created such an “emotional stamp,” that I was able to write a whole set of lyrics about it. 

T-Bone and his band didn’t end choosing to keep the lyrics, but it was a fantastic opportunity, to write words to music that I was not emotionally or creatively connected to at all. I would love to do much more of that. Hit me up friends, if you happen to be a kick-ass musician looking for a lady who's all about them words. 

This is a photo of me, Kevin Hastings, Dru DeCaro and R.J. Kelly, kicking' it in NYC after they played The Governor's Ball with R&B artist Miguel. They are amazingly talented, kind and creative men. I was grateful to share space and beautiful conversation with them. 

Peace, Sweat and Lipstick,

Your Jess