James formed in Manchester in 1982, when Paul Gilbertson (guitar), Jim Glennie (bass), and Gavan Whelan (drums) met Tim Booth (vocals) at Manchester University and asked him to join their fledgling band. During the next year, James became regulars on the local club circuit, and by 1983 they had signed to Factory, releasing their debut EP, Jimone, later that year. Two years later, their second EP, James 2, was released, and Morrissey, the lead singer of the Smiths, publicly endorsed the group, asking them to open for his band. By the summer of 1985, Larry Gott had replaced Gilbertson, and the group signed to Sire Records. Working with producer Lenny Kaye, the group recorded its debut, Stutter, that year, releasing it in early 1986 to generally positive reviews.
Over the next two years, James toured constantly, building up a solid fan base. They released their second album, the folky Strip-Mine, in 1988. The record failed to capitalize on their live following, and the band departed Sire the following year, signing with the independent Rough Trade. On their new label, James released the moderately successful "Sit Down" and the live album One Man Clapping, which climbed to number one on the indie charts. In 1990, Whelan was replaced by David Baynton-Power, and James expanded to a septet with the addition of keyboardist Mark Hunter, violinist Saul Davies, and trumpeter Andy Diagram. The new lineup signed to Fontana Records and released Gold Mother in the fall. Following a handful of minor hit singles, Gold Mother finally became a breakthrough success in the spring of 1991, when a re-recorded version of "Sit Down" -- now boasting a contemporary baggy beat -- climbed to number two on the U.K. charts and became a staple on U.S. modern rock radio. Although the success of "Sit Down" was a blessing, it also was a curse, as the single became all James were known for. The band began to rebel in concert, playing almost nothing but new material, and its next album, 1992's Seven, was perceived as a misguided stab at big arena rock.
For the follow-up to Seven, James stripped away Diagram and worked with producer Brian Eno. The resulting record, Laid, was a quieter, more ambitious album, and it received some of the band's best reviews. While the album was ignored in the U.K., it was an alternative rock hit in the U.S. on the strength of the title track, which became a crossover hit. During the Laid sessions, James recorded another album's worth of experimental music with Eno that was released in the fall of 1994 as Wah Wah. The album received mixed reviews and the group took an extended break throughout 1995, partly due to guitarist Gott's departure. In 1996, Tim Booth recorded a collaboration with composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet) entitled Booth and the Bad Angel, which received generally positive reviews.
With guitarist Adrian Oxaal in tow, James returned in early 1997 with Whiplash, a more straightforward record that was greeted with mixed reviews. Released in 1999, Millionaires, recorded with new guitarist Michael Kulas, was initially released only in the U.K. Their spectacular follow-up, 2001's Pleased to Meet You, was also available only in the U.K. A few months later, frontman Tim Booth announced his departure from the band he founded nearly 20 years before, and James called it quits following a winter tour of the U.K. in December 2001. The break was short-lived, however, as the band re-formed in 2007 and embarked on a tour in support of the double-disc compilation Fresh as a Daisy: The Singles. The following year saw the release of Hey Ma, James' tenth studio album.
The band returned in 2010 with a pair of "mini-albums" called The Night Before and The Morning After, respectively, before late 2011 brought a short, but novel, U.K. tour (the Orchestra of the Swan and the Manchester Consort Choir were their backup bands). In 2012, the lavish and long-awaited box set The Gathering Sound was issued, and included previously unreleased audio material alongside long-unavailable video concert footage. Details of the Max Dingel-produced La Petite Mort emerged in February 2014, and this first post-Mercury studio album was released four months later in June. Dingel then returned to produce their 2016 record, Girl at the End of the World. Written in Scotland and recorded in London, the album was described by the band as "big but personal, abrasive but warming" and "ultimately uplifting." Two years later, James teamed with producers Charlie Andrew and Beni Giles for Living in Extraordinary Times.
During the 2020 pandemic, Tim Booth teamed up with his Topanga Canyon neighbor Jacknife Lee to construct the basic tracks the rest of James completed while in quarantine. The resulting All the Colours of You was released in June 2021.
Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine
There are other artists using the same name:
2) James is the vocalist of popular Bangladeshi band Nagar Baul. He was a member of the band Feelings and later formed the band Nagar Baul. James was raised in Chittagong and later moved to Dhaka for his singing career. Stylishly longhaired James--overwhelmingly known as the Nagar Baul (the City Bard), was the pioneer of psychedelic rock in Bangladesh. Originally a lead singer and guitarist, he has always been respected for his solo projects. He became affectionately called Guru by his fans. His tunes were bright and his singing a divergence from the archetypal tunes preferred by the commercial-type directors. His songs expressed love, rage, discontent, frustration, and happiness.
3) A Dutch rapper connected to the Fakkelteitgroep.
4) James Lee - known as James - was a former member of Royal Pirates, a South Korean band. On 2015, he got into an accident that caused him unable to play bass any longer. Hence, he decided to left the band.
James moved back to Los Angeles and decided to release music written post accident in a project called ’the Light EP’ consisted of 5 tracks. (http://jamesleeofficial.com/)
Sit Down
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A song from the darkest hour
Secrets I can't keep
In sight of the day
Swing from high to deep
Extremes of sweet and sour
Hope that God exists
I hope, I pray
Drawn by the undertow
My life is out of control
I believe this wave will bear my weight
So let it flow
Oh sit down (sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down, sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down)
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down (sit down, sit down)
Down, down, down (sit down, sit down)
In sympathy
Now I'm relieved to hear
That you've been to some far out places
It's hard to carry on
When you feel all alone
Now I've swung back down again
And it's worse than it was before
If I hadn't seen such riches
I could live with being poor
Oh sit down (sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down, sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down)
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down (sit down, sit down)
Down, down, down (sit down, sit down)
In sympathy
Those who feel the breath of sadness
Sit down next to me
Those who find they're touched by madness
Sit down next to me
Those who find themselves ridiculous
Sit down next to me
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
In love, in fear, in hate
Down
Down
Oh sit down (sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down, sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down)
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down (sit down, sit down)
Down, down, down (sit down, sit down)
In sympathy
Oh sit down (sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down, sit down)
Oh sit down (sit down)
Sit down next to me
Sit down, down (sit down, sit down)
Down, down, down (sit down, sit down)
In sympathy
Down
The lyrics of James’s “Sit Down” reflect deep-seated emotions of hope and despair, and the need for connection in times of sadness. The opening lines, “I sing myself to sleep, a song from the darkest hour, secrets I can’t keep, in sight of the day,” allude to the depths of depression, anxiety and the inability to share one’s deepest fears and worries. The lines that follow, “Swing from high to deep, extremes of sweet and sour, hope that God exists,” are a vivid portrayal of the emotional rollercoaster that depression can be, where moments of happiness are quickly replaced by sadness and hopelessness.
The lines “Drawn by the undertow, my life is out of control, I believe this wave will bear my weight, so let it flow” are a powerful metaphor of the helplessness that many individuals experience when dealing with mental illness. The chorus lyrics, “Oh sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down, sit down next to me, sit down, down, down, down, down, in sympathy” convey a deep desire to connect with others and seek comfort in their presence.
The final verse opens with a hopeful message, “those who feel the breath of sadness, sit down next to me,” which is followed by “those who find they’re touched by madness, sit down next to me,” indicating that the song is not specific to depression but can apply to anyone dealing with mental illness. The lyrics, “in love, in fear, in hate, in tears,” remind us that everyone needs support, regardless of the form of mental illness or life struggle that they face.
Line by Line Meaning
I sing myself to sleep
I have trouble sleeping and I try to calm myself down by singing.
A song from the darkest hour
I sing a sad song because I am feeling down and it helps me cope.
Secrets I can't keep
I have things on my mind that I can't share with others.
In sight of the day
When daylight comes, I try to put on a brave face and hide my struggles.
Swing from high to deep
My moods are volatile, and I experience both happiness and sadness intensely.
Extremes of sweet and sour
My emotions fluctuate between positive and negative, like the taste of something sweet and sour.
Hope that God exists
I'm holding on to the possibility of a higher power or divine intervention to help me through my struggles.
I hope, I pray
I cling to the idea of something greater than myself that can help me.
Drawn by the undertow
I feel like I'm being pulled in different directions by uncontrollable forces.
My life is out of control
I feel like my life is in chaos, and I'm struggling to keep up with it.
I believe this wave will bear my weight
I have faith that I can withstand whatever challenges come my way, like riding a wave.
So let it flow
I surrender myself to fate and accept what comes my way.
Oh sit down (sit down)
I am asking someone to calm down and stay with me for a while.
Sit down next to me
I need someone's company and support to get me through my struggles.
Now I'm relieved to hear
I feel better now that I know I'm not the only one who goes through difficult times.
That you've been to some far out places
I find comfort in knowing that other people have had unique and challenging experiences too.
It's hard to carry on
I'm having a hard time coping with my struggles.
When you feel all alone
It's difficult to handle things by yourself without anyone else's support.
Now I've swung back down again
I'm back to feeling down again after a temporary improvement in my mood.
And it's worse than it was before
My current emotional state is even more intense and difficult to handle than before.
If I hadn't seen such riches
If I hadn't experienced happiness and success before, I could more easily accept my current situation.
I could live with being poor
If I hadn't experienced better times, I could more easily accept my current struggles.
Those who feel the breath of sadness
I am inviting anyone who is feeling sad to come and talk to me.
Those who find they're touched by madness
I am inviting anyone who feels overwhelmed or out of control to talk to me.
Those who find themselves ridiculous
I am inviting anyone who feels like they are struggling with something silly or petty to talk to me.
In love, in fear, in hate, in tears
No matter what emotions you're experiencing, I am here to listen and offer support.
Down
Things are tough right now, but I'll try to get through it
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Gavan Michael Whelan, James Lawrence Gott, James Patrick Glennie, Timothy Booth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind