Sinner or Saint: Ellis Paul’s “I Ain’t No Jesus” (video)

April 25, 2019 Brian Carroll

When naming the title for a record there are a few things to consider. I suppose the easiest route is “what is my strongest tune on this album?” and the just call the record that. But more in depth thinking could weave you into the direction that you want the audience’s mind to take. You could name it something catchy. Something that piques interest. Something totally inappropriate to draw a person in for some more. Or you could name it something that probes further questioning in a wonderful way.

Ellis Paul‘s forthcoming The Storyteller’s Suitcase, which is out May 31, does just that. It intrigues the mind to ponder what exactly that means. Or to impart your own perception of it. Ellis gives us his own take on it, telling us, “There are three sides to a journeyman’s suitcase— what you bring along, what you leave behind, and what you pick up along the way. I leave home with pens and journals and my man bag, that’s what I bring. I drop seeds of songs, CDs, and music items as I go. And I pick up adventures, friends, and stories along the way. It’s a title to convey the lifestyle, the flow of incidents and incidentals flowing in and out of my life and out my suitcase.”

Perhaps it’s that very life of a touring musician and songwriting, having to eke out a living night after night singing songs to strangers, that draws a distinct parallel between real life and storied narrative. “I Ain’t No Jesus”…thats a title that could be construed in a myriad of ways. We asked Ellis when he was writing this one, if there was there a specific event in his life that triggered that line and the idea of not being perfect, and perhaps within the confines of a relationship or marriage as the video might suggest.

“There’s this idea of men often marrying above their pay grade— when the song took a turn towards a wedding song, it seemed to be calling out for that kind of treatment, a combination of love, humility, humor,” Paul says. “I’ve been married a couple of times and I’d agree they were both days where I felt that way, that feeling of luckiness, but then I’m sure nearly every groom has had that feeling of fortune on the altar. You can lose a fortune to love as well, but that’s song for another day.” That juxtaposition makes itself known throughout the track. Mixing Ellis’s wit and humor with a tender and graceful vocal interplay. Lines like “I’ll ask forgiveness Sunday because I’m asking for trouble Saturday night” prevalent throughout the tune. Lines that are fine tuned and expertly placed. A crafter of his art, no word or line is ill placed or not thoroughly thought about.

“Usually after I have a first draft of a song, I ask myself “what are you trying to say here”, and I re-examine it under a microscope. I ask myself how could this be refined so it speaks the it’s best message with more integrity, clarity, and passion. It’s a crossroad moment for a song, it’s choosing its own direction. I look at its components and see what’s working best, then I follow the trail that will lead me to the best version of the idea. “I Ain’t No Jesus” was asking for me to give it a deeper meaning than what my original intention was. I was being flip and it was asking me for something more. I just followed the new trail, and I’m glad I did. The song has a degree of magic that feels like a gift from above. Sometimes there’s some kind of divine intervention that writes the best parts on its own. You don’t credit God as a co-writer, but you have to respect his role in the process.”

Give the new video for Ellis Paul’s “I Ain’t No Jesus” a watch below and be sure to keep an eye out for his upcoming album The Storyteller’s Suitcase, out May 31.

And if you are in the Massachusetts area you can catch him live in Chelmsford, MA and Duxbury, MA on May 3 and 4. Check his tour schedule for more info.