The initial impulse behind McMahon’s new project Jack’s Mannequin was "Locked Doors", a song he recorded in December 2003, which he felt was too different from previous Something Corporate material to be one of their songs. He realized that, if he would ever decide to release it, it would be on a solo album rather than a Something Corporate record. The idea seemed to be off the table, until in late summer 2004 both McMahon and his band mates were exhausted from months of touring. They decided to take a temporary break. During his time off, McMahon started writing songs, knowing they would not see the light of day as Something Corporate songs. These songs were a more therapeutic approach McMahon took, and therefore a more personal and intimate testament of his songwriting.
Over the next couple of months, McMahon began recording the newly written songs with producer Jim Wirt, who would play guitar and bass over sampled drum tracks, while McMahon contributed vocals and piano. They later brought in additional musicians such as Bobby Anderson (formerly of River City High) and Tommy Lee to add to the mix. In March 2005, Jack’s Mannequin (now consisting of McMahon, Jon Sullivan on bass, Anderson and Jacques Brautbar on guitar and Jay McMillan on drums) played their first live show at Molly Malone’s Irish pub in Los Angeles, California.
Their debut album, Everything in Transit, was released on August 23, 2005 debuting at #37 of the Billboard 200 with over 22,000 copies scanned within its first week.
Everything in Transit received a positive response from fans and critics alike. A summer tour was scheduled to support the record release, but was canceled after McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant. The band began recording their second album in the summer of 2007. In August 2007, McMahon posted the lyrics to the song “Cellular Phone” on his blog,which the band played live at several shows in 2007 and 2008. Also, in February 2008, videos of live performances of two songs off the new record (“Caves” and “Suicide Blonde”) were uploaded onto YouTube for public viewing. McMahon appears on the cover of Alternative Press’s January 2008 issue, which contains an interview with him.
Their second album, The Glass Passenger, was released on September 30th, 2008, and is their first album with Sire Records. Despite numerous delays (the album was originally slated for release in April 2008) it has been well-received, and debuted #8 on the Billboard 200.
Previously, in August of 2008, The Ghost Overground EP was released exclusively on iTunes to promote the album, containing the songs "The Resolution", "Bloodshot", and two live performances of tracks from Everything in Transit. After the release of the EP, "The Resolution" topped the Billboard "Hot Singles Sales" charts.
Songfacts reports that "My Racing Thoughts," the first single from their third album People and Things, was released on August 2, 2011. People and Things was released October 4, 2011.
On the evening of the 24th August 2012, the official Jack's Mannequin website & official Twitter account were changed to www.andrewmcmahon.com & "amslingshots" respectively. A blog post on the official Andrew McMahon website confirmed that Jack's Mannequin were no longer & that Andrew would be working on solo material.
Dark Blue
Jack's Mannequin Lyrics
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Breathing down my neck, breathing down my neck
I don't, don't know
What you could possibly expect
Under this condition, so
I'll wait, I'll wait
For the ambulance to come, ambulance to come
Pick us up off the floor
What did you possibly expect
Under this condition, so
Slow down
This night's a perfect shade of
Dark blue, dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
When I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning, burning down
Dark blue, dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
Well, I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning
'Til there's nothing but dark blue
Just dark blue
This flood (this flood)
This flood is slowly rising up
Swallowing the ground, beneath my feet
Tell me how anybody thinks
Under this condition, so
I'll swim, I'll swim
As the water rises up, sun is sinking down
And now all I can see are the planets in a row
Suggesting it's best that I
Slow down
This night's a perfect shade of
Dark blue, dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
When I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning, burning down
Dark blue, dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
Well, I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning
Dark blue
We were boxing
We were boxing the stars
We were boxing (we were boxing)
You were swinging for Mars
And then the water reached the West Coast (hoo)
And took the power lines, the power lines (hoo)
And it was me and you (this could last forever)
And the whole town under water
There was nothing we could do
It was dark blue
Dark blue, dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
When I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning, burning down
Dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
Well, I'm here with you
I said the world could be burning
Now there's nothing but dark blue
If you've ever been alone
You'll know
Dark Blue
If you've ever been alone
You'll know
You'll know
The song "Dark Blue" by Jack's Mannequin seems to be about being in a crowded room yet feeling completely isolated and alone. The singer has someone breathing down their neck, and they don't know what is expected of them under these circumstances. They wait for an ambulance to come to pick them up off the floor but are left wondering what anyone could have expected under these conditions. The flood is rising slowly, and the singer talks about how anyone can think under these circumstances. As the water rises, the sun is sinking down, and the singer can only see planets in a row, suggesting that they should slow down. The night is the perfect shade of dark blue, and the world could be burning down, but the singer is with someone who makes them feel less alone.
The lyrics seem to suggest that the singer is going through a difficult time and may be feeling depressed or isolated. The flood represents the overwhelming emotions that are rising up inside them, and they are struggling to keep their head above water. They are grateful to be with someone who can provide some comfort and reassurance, but they are still struggling to make sense of their situation. The reference to boxing the stars suggests that they are fighting an uphill battle and that the odds are stacked against them. In the end, the world is nothing but dark blue, which could represent the singer's sense of hopelessness or despair.
Line by Line Meaning
I have, I have you
I have you in my life
Breathing down my neck, breathing down my neck
You are always close to me, and it feels suffocating
I don't, don't know
I have no idea
What you could possibly expect
What you want or expect from me
Under this condition, so
Given the current circumstances
I'll wait, I'll wait
I will patiently wait
For the ambulance to come, ambulance to come
For help to arrive
Pick us up off the floor
To save us from this situation
Slow down
Take it easy and relax
This night's a perfect shade of
The night is perfect and beautiful
Dark blue, dark blue
The color of the night is dark blue
Have you ever been alone in a crowded room?
Have you ever felt alone despite being surrounded by people?
When I'm here with you
But when I'm with you
I said the world could be burning, burning down
Even if the world is falling apart
This flood (this flood)
The flood that's coming
This flood is slowly rising up
The water level is continuously rising
Swallowing the ground, beneath my feet
The water is covering everything up
Tell me how anybody thinks
I can't comprehend how anyone is thinking in this situation
As the water rises up, sun is sinking down
As the flood continues, the day is coming to an end
And now all I can see are the planets in a row
The flood has covered up everything except the sky
Suggesting it's best that I
It's better for me to
We were boxing
We were fighting
We were boxing the stars
We were fighting against impossible odds
You were swinging for Mars
You were trying for the impossible
And then the water reached the West Coast (hoo)
The flood had spread to the West Coast
And took the power lines, the power lines (hoo)
The water had destroyed the power lines
And it was me and you (this could last forever)
It was just the two of us, and it could continue like that indefinitely
And the whole town under water
The entire town was submerged under the water
There was nothing we could do
We were helpless in that situation
If you've ever been alone
If you've ever felt lonely
You'll know
You understand
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Andrew Ross Mcmahon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind