When it comes to songwriting, less is more, and simplicity is strength. Just ask Paul Thorn, who has spent three decades turning soulful grooves and small syllables into songs that pack a big wallop.
Maybe he learned the power of minimalism from his years as a pro boxer; maybe it just comes naturally. But whether he’s targeting heads, hearts, hips or the occasional funny bone, he somehow manages to condense large nuggets of wisdom into tight little mantras, the kind embroiderers stitched onto pillows before internet memes existed.
Thorn will be bringing his unique style of songwriting and storytelling to Columbus for a pair of album release concerts on March 1 at Cromwell Theater on the Mississippi University for Women campus. The shows, produced by Steve and Kay Ellis of The Barn Concert Series, will begin at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.
“Paul Thorn is one of those storytellers, both in song and words, that you just can’t get enough of,” Steve Ellis said. “He is a master entertainer in every sense of the word and always leaves his audience wanting for more. He has played our concert series several times and we’re so excited that he’s allowing us to produce and promote the shows that will bring his newest songs to his fans.”
Thorn’s new album, “Life is Just A Vapor,” contains the lines: “Life is a vapor, let’s live it while we can”; “tough times don’t last, but tough people do” (from “Tough Times Don’t Last”); “any mountain up ahead is just a hill” (from “Old Melodies”). They’re words of advice, comfort, support, encouragement, often meant to uplift, especially in times of struggle.
The new album is the culmination of a lot of work and collaboration, and Thorn said he couldn’t be prouder of the finished product.
“I am yeah, I feel so good about the group of songs we got and my band all seem like they’re at their best right now,” Thorn said. “I’m proud to have the great guitar player Joe Bonamassa on there and Luther Dickinson, from North Mississippi Allstars, he contributed as well and I’m really proud of how it all turned out. I like for people to be touched by music and get something from it, something that they can take with them throughout the day. Every song on this album, there’s a message in it of some sort about how to live life.”
American Blues Scene writer Don Wilcock calls Thorn “an everyman (who) addresses things we all think about, but few can articulate with the kind of candor, humor and folksy truth that immediately endear him to almost everyone lucky enough to hear his music.”
Whether he’s expressing love in “I Knew,” warning an ex’s new conquest about the dangers ahead in “She Will,” extolling the value of holding off on sex in “Wait” or listing the ingredients for making a marriage work in “Courage My Love,” Thorn delivers his messages with consummate skill — and pinpoint precision. One minute, he’ll unwind an outrageous tale full of wild characters (often accompanied by his own cartoonish illustrations); the next, he’ll tug at heartstrings with confessions of love, loss or failed dreams, balancing wit and pathos with an ease only the best storytellers can pull off.
One of Thorn’s favorites was his friend and mentor John Prine, who inspired the title tune. It’s safe to say no one but Thorn would start a song with the lines, “Me and John Prine was eating ice cream / at the Double Tree Inn Suite 1019.” And no one but Thorn would follow them with, “Don’t tell Fiona she won’t understand / Life is a vapor. Let’s live it while we can.”
“He was one of the greatest songwriters of all time, and one of the nicest people, too. I can’t even count the times I’ve opened up for him, which was a great opportunity for me. I’m just trying to put out a good body of work that will be remembered like John’s music,” Thorn said of his late friend. “I’m trying to carry on his tradition, to keep it alive.”
Thorn will be playing his album release concerts in his home state, not far from his birthplace in Tupelo. Thorn said that “really does mean a lot.”
“In addition to being proud of the project, when I play locally which is very rare these days, I get to see people I haven’t seen in a long time,” Thorn said. “Friends I’ve made down through the years and fans who’ve followed me for many years. You know it’s a lot of local people that I haven’t seen in a long time and hopefully they’ll come out and we can say hello and hug each other. These are my people.”
“Back in the day I had a little side gig playing two different places in Tupelo. One was at Papa Vanelli’s and the other one was an old bar on our street called the Village Tavern and I would go in there and just gig with my guitar,” Thorn added. “There were a bunch of folks who would come in there and listen to me again and again. I became friends with a lot of them, and after all this time you know, I was able to become a professional musician and to know that a lot of them will be at this show in Columbus, that’s gonna be a real treat for me and it’s gonna be a spirit lifter.”
General Admission tickets for Paul Thorn’s concerts are $40 each and are available at barnconcertseries.com. Both shows will be at Cromwell Theater on the MUW campus.
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Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 30 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
