Jo Jo's Jacket
Stephen Malkmus Lyrics

In "Jo Jo's Jacket" by Stephen Malkmus, we hear the artist exploring the ideas of identity and self-image. The first stanza seems to be a reflection on the liberating experience of shaving his head. Through this act, Malkmus suggests, he has freed himself from the pressures of vanity and conformity. The second stanza is more playful and surreal, featuring Malkmus adopting the persona of Yul Brynner, the bald-headed movie star known for his roles in The King and I and West World. The reference to West World is significant, as the film is about a theme park populated by lifelike robots, blurring the lines between reality and illusion.

The third stanza seems to shift focus to address a specific person, calling them "monumental slime" and threatening to use music to punish them. The lines "we'll tie you to a chair, the house music will blare, and turn your ears into a medicinal jelly" suggest a sadistic, almost absurd form of torture. The final stanza continues the theme of desire, as Malkmus suggests he spent Christmas pretending that the person in question was his candy cane. The reference to the candy cane seems to play off the earlier image of Brynner as a robotic cowboy, as both are symbols of false sweetness and manufactured desire.

Overall, "Jo Jo's Jacket" is a fascinating exploration of the tension between authenticity and illusion, vanity and liberation, desire and disappointment. Malkmus's lyrics are witty, surreal, and self-aware, inviting the listener to question their own assumptions and identities.