The group initally formed to compete in the National Campus Band Competition in 1997. Temperley and Quartermain were already in a band at the time, Freud's Pillow, but had met with little success and asked Temperley's childhood friend MacLeod to form a new band, which became Eskimo Joe. The band ended up winning the competition prize: a slot at the 1997 Livid Festival and a session in a studio to record their first EP, Sweater. The title track became so successful on national broadcaster Triple J, it gained much airplay and featured in the Hottest 100 of 1998. A second EP Eskimo Joe followed up in 1999.
Later in 1999, Eskimo Joe was signed on to Modular and in 2001, their debut album Girl, which went gold. After splitting with Modular, they signed a new contract with Mushroom in 2002, releasing sophomore album A Song is a City in 2004. The album went double-platinum and earned the group Best Artist the following year.
Settling down for six weeks over Christmas in 2005, the noticeably darker album Black Fingernails Red Wine, was recorded and released the following June, debuting at number one on the ARIA charts and later going platinum. The band (jokingly) described the album as their "stadium rock" record and headed out on extensive touring around the country, including a stint at Live Earth in Sydney.
The band eventually went on to tour the globe, with trips around the US and Europe, before recording their fourth album, Inshalla, in Byron Bay. The album was released in May 2009 and topped the charts at number one in the ARIA album charts. It explores a very different sound for Eskimo Joe, with lead singer Temperley saying the band were a stage where they wanted to do something different musically and also in their personal lives.
Black Fingernails Red Wine
Eskimo Joe Lyrics
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I wanna make you all mine
A lot of people underground
You wanna get there
You gotta go straight down
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
There's a culture everywhere
Smoke clouds hang in the air
So loud, can't hear you talk
You and I should take a walk downtown
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Downtown
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
The argument over God continues
In this house
All of us stand and point our fingers
At the ground
All of us stand and point our fingers
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Red letter day, black heart
It's gonna tear you all apart
So loud, can't hear you call
You and I are gonna fall straight down
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Downtown
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
The argument over God continues
In this house
All of us stand and point our fingers
At the ground
The argument overall continues
In this house
All of us stand and point our fingers
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Black fingernails, red wine
I wanna make you all mine
A lot of people underground
You wanna get there
You gotta go straight down (down, down, down, down, down)
The argument over God continues
In this house
All of us stand and point our fingers
At the ground
The argument overall continues
In this house
All of us stand and point our fingers
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
Straight down
Oh wow oh
"Black Fingernails Red Wine" is a song by the Australian alternative rock band Eskimo Joe, released as the second single from their fourth studio album entitled "Black Fingernails, Red Wine" in 2006. The song is a cautionary tale about lust and addiction. The black fingernails and red wine symbolize darkness and decadence, while the straight down refers to the dangerous descent one can take when indulging in these vices. The song's upbeat tempo is in contrast to the dark themes in the lyrics, highlighting the seductive nature of desire.
The first verse sets the scene by introducing the black fingernails and red wine; the singer's desires for them are made clear in the following line. The second verse describes a culture of indulgence where smoke clouds hang in the air, and the singer suggests going downtown to explore. The pre-chorus suggests a confrontation over beliefs, pointing fingers at the ground. The chorus repeats the phrase "straight down," emphasizing the dangers of unchecked desires. The bridge warns that indulging too much will lead to one's downfall.
The song is a bleak commentary on the allure of addiction and desire, portraying it as a descent into darkness. Nevertheless, it is presented in a catchy and upbeat style, making the listener complicit in the singer's desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Black fingernails, red wine
The singer is trying to express their desire to be with someone, using the imagery of black fingernails and red wine.
I wanna make you all mine
The singer wants to be in a relationship with the person they are addressing in the song.
A lot of people underground
There are many people who are working hard and struggling to achieve their goals. This is represented by the metaphor of being underground.
You wanna get there
The singer is addressing the listener of the song and saying that if they also want to achieve their goals, they need to work hard.
You gotta go straight down
Success often requires going through difficult challenges and facing them head-on.
Oh wow oh
This is a repeated phrase used to emphasize the intensity of the emotions in the song.
There's a culture everywhere
The world is full of different cultures and ways of life.
Smoke clouds hang in the air
There is a lot of pollution in the world, represented by the imagery of smoke.
So loud, can't hear you talk
The singer feels overwhelmed by the noise and distractions of the world, to the point where they cannot hear what others are saying.
You and I should take a walk downtown
The singer suggests that they and the listener should take a break from the chaos of the world and go for a walk.
The argument over God continues
There is ongoing debate and disagreement about religion and spirituality.
In this house
The argument is happening in the context of the singer's personal life.
All of us stand and point our fingers
People are quick to blame others and take sides in the argument.
Red letter day, black heart
This suggests a special occasion filled with love, but with an underlying feeling of darkness or negativity.
It's gonna tear you all apart
The intensity of emotions in the situation will put a strain on relationships.
You and I are gonna fall straight down
The singer and the person they desire will experience difficult times and fall into depression.
Downtown
The place where the singer wants to go and escape the chaos of the world.
Down, down, down, down, down
The repeated use of the word 'down' reinforces the idea that achieving success requires hard work and perseverance.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Joel Peter Quartermain, Kavyen Beaton Temperley, Stuart Leslie Macleod
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind