Everybody’s Got A Line
Deeply relatable in lyric yet firmly fun in its delivery, “Everybody’s Got a Line,” written by Chris Jones and recorded by Chris Jones and The Night Drivers (Make Each Second Last, 2021), is a standout relationship song in today’s endless sea of relationship songs.
Written early in 2021, the song became a milestone for Chris and the band as their 20th #1 song on Bluegrass Today. To boot, it’s the seventh of eight #1 singles from Make Each Second Last, the first album to feature the current lineup of the band and the first 100% original album (Jones wrote or cowrote all the songs).
As easygoing as Jones himself, “Everybody’s Got a Line” comes across with honesty, even gravity, but with a lighthearted feel musically that feels distinct to Jones and his band. From its bouncy, bluesy intro lick—that repeats between verses and perfectly winds down the song—to its minute-long instrumental before the final chorus, the song captures the attention and truly rewards listeners for spending their time.
Concept and Approach
“The title was related to something a friend of mine said in conversation, which I then related to a relationship in the song,” said Jones. “Certainly, everybody—even if they’re the tolerant type—has a line that someone can cross. In a way, it was easy for me to relate to because I’m somebody with a fairly long fuse.”
With that phrase, “everybody’s got a line,” stuck in his head, Jones sat down with a guitar. “It felt like a bluesy thing, which pulled me to the key of E. I ended up with what is a very short chorus (Anyone can reach a final limit / Everybody’s got a line / You just crossed mine), but I already had a counter melody going and was gravitating towards a 1970s Waylon feel.”
That signature lick—or counterpoint melody—is something that’s been part of his songwriting of late. “I think the first time I did that was in a train song called ‘Tonight I’m Gonna Ride.’ It was up-tempo, and I wrote a little fiddle-tune kind of thing that we stuck in there and it became part of the song,” he said. “I like doing that if it fits. In the case of this song, I wanted to do something on the guitar together with Mark Stoffel, our mandolin player, so, I made a slow recording of my lick, sent it to Mark, and we played it in unison in the studio. I had that before the verses came about.”
Calling the approach “a little different for bluegrass,” Jones said he doesn’t dwell on such things when he’s writing a song. “I try to write a song that I like,” he said. “I never worry about whether it’s ‘bluegrass’ enough or whether people that play bluegrass on the radio are going to like it. Because I’ve been a bluegrass musician all my life, I figure some way or another, it’s going to be bluegrass because that’s just what comes out.”
As far as response to the song, fans and radio took to it immediately. “It wasn’t that I thought it would be a dud or anything, but the response to it has been great,” said Jones. “In the way that I can relate personally, I think a lot of people can relate.”
The Lyrics, and that Mandolin Solo
The verses portray a patient person who has clearly been pushed too far in some sense (I know I may seem like I’m resilient / Absorb a little heat then move along … But this time even that won’t make a difference / after I’ve sustained this kind of blow). Whether pushed too far in love, friendship, or business, we’re not told. That doesn’t seem to matter, as listeners can relate it to their own situations.
Several lines stand out in the song, but for Jones, favorites include two lines that point to a reward for the singer’s suffering (And while it may have left me doubled over / I’ve gained wisdom and a scar I’m proud to keep).
While some songs are lyric-heavy, “Everybody’s Got a Line” delivers a strong message in just three short verses and a three-line chorus. Of course, there’s still plenty of time for reflection during the extended mandolin ride mid-song by long-time band member Mark Stoffel.
“When it came time to record, I liked the idea of letting Mark shine,” said Jones. “Mark’s mandolin has always been integral to our band sound, and he really stands out on mid-tempo, groovy songs like this; his sense of timing is so good. When I was arranging the song, I thought a long mandolin solo would be appropriate, and what Mark was doing was sounding so good, we decided to have him play it three times through, building intensity as we went along, before coming back into the chorus.”
The Songwriter
Asked about his intent for this and other songs he writes, Jones reflected, “I didn’t write this song for this album particularly, but it was already looking like we were going to do an all-original album, so it became a good fit. I didn’t write it for anyone else, either. I’m honored and flattered when other people record songs of mine, but I don’t tend to think along those lines.”
As for a writing “schedule,” per se, Jones doesn’t really have one but instead carves out time when it makes sense. “When an album comes out, I’m focused on playing and promoting,” explained Jones. “When we get ready to go back in the studio, I turn my attention to writing new songs. I’ve co-written many songs, but I don’t think of myself as much of a co-writer. I’m a pretty private writer, so I like to create time alone when I’m traveling. But just like a writing session with someone else, if I know I’ve got time coming up, I don’t go into it cold. I make sure I have musical and melodic ideas percolating. I try to get those down even just humming into my phone because things do tend to strike that way.”
Although less frequent than his solo writes, Jones has co-written with prolific writers like Thomm Jutz, Jon Weisberger, and band members Stoffel and Grace van’t Hof. Weisberger, a past bassist for The Night Drivers and longtime collaborator, commented on Jones and this song. “Chris is truly one of my favorite writers,” he said. “He doesn’t set out to avoid ‘relationship songs’ – always an option in bluegrass (and beyond) – but he’s got other subjects on his mind, too, and that stands out. In the same vein, his songs aren’t musically complicated, yet they’ve got all kinds of interesting twists and turns in the melodies, chords and meters that keep things interesting, and keep a band on its toes. ‘Everybody’s Got a Line’ is a perfect example of these characteristics: it’s kind of a relationship song, but not necessarily a romantic one, and it’s got a couple of unexpected chord changes and what I like to call a ‘hanging’ chorus that doesn’t resolve. Distinctive and elegant without being complicated or ‘heady,’ – to me, that’s the essence of Chris’s writing.”
Keep up with Jones and the band at chrisjonesgrass.com.
