It's been a long, strange trip for this outfit, which formed from the ashes of various collegiate bar bands in and around Berkeley, CA in 1994. The band has since released 7 albums on 5 different national labels, had 12 different members, logged over 50,000 miles, played hundreds of shows, contributed music to numerous film and television projects, and generally endured all manner of threats and pitfalls that haunt any band who dares to shoulder the Mantle of Rock. However, some things have never changed: Kelly on the skins, Scanlin on the wires/mics, and an unswerving dedication to and obsession with writing Songs. For Actionslacks the melody is key. It doesn't always have to be pretty, but if you don't have one, you don't have a song.
The penultimate album, Kids with Guitars, was an EP the band produced over the course of seven days in May of 2008, following a year of songwriting, demoing, and practicing (though never in the same room). It was initially released on-line (http://slacksaction.com/) on a pay-what-you-want basis, but is now available through iTunes and similar digital retailers or, more recently, as a CD release available through CDBaby.
The self-titled Actionslacks was recorded in mid-November 2009 and while it was slated for a Spring 2010 release, delays resulted in a release in early-October 2012.
Shining Jewels
Actionslacks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
and all the people hit this town
So excited to be free
I crawl through the traffic lights
and then I climb the seven flights
Just to see you again
And watch you put on your face
I want to come undone
Come on honey let's go have some fun
And it's OK cause all we have is hell to pay
For all we see and moonlight's free
There's no money saved but we are rich in other ways
Yeah it's alright 'Cause your eyes are like shining jewels tonight
And after dinner at Joe's
We'll drive downtown and see a show
I like to sit with you in the dark
And if it makes us think
We'll drive uptown and have a drink
I like to sit with you in bars
It's written on my shoes
How I'm in love with you
We'll be old but not before
All of the nights we were beautiful and poor
The lyrics to Actionslacks' "Shining Jewels" paint a vivid picture of youthful freedom and romance. The song starts off on a Friday night in a bustling town, with people excitedly enjoying their newfound freedom. The singer is described as crawling through traffic lights and climbing seven flights just to see their love interest again, showing the lengths to which they will go to be with them. The singer watches as their love interest puts on their face and expresses a desire to "come undone" and have fun together.
Throughout the song, the themes of poverty and a lack of monetary wealth are juxtaposed against the richness of their relationship, with the lyrics stating that they might have "hell to pay" and "no money saved," but they are "rich in other ways." The shining jewels in the song's title refer to the singer's love interest, whose eyes are compared to precious stones.
The couple goes on to enjoy a night out, with dinner at Joe's and a show downtown. They then drive uptown to have a drink and sit in bars together. The final lines of the song are particularly poignant, as the singer reflects on their love and the memories they will have when they are old: "We'll be old but not before/All of the nights we were beautiful and poor."
"Shining Jewels" is a song that speaks to the beauty of youthful love and the experiences that come with being young, poor, and in love. The lyrics are simple and nostalgic, evoking a feeling of wistful longing for the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Friday night comes down
The beginning of the weekend, where people are ready to have a good time
and all the people hit this town
Everyone is out and about in the town, enjoying the weekend
So excited to be free
People are excited to let go of their responsibilities and enjoy themselves
I crawl through the traffic lights
The singer is maneuvering through the heavy traffic
and then I climb the seven flights
The singer is climbing seven flights of stairs to meet someone
Just to see you again
The singer went through all the trouble just to see the person they want to meet
I will sit in my place
The singer will sit and wait for the person to arrive
And watch you put on your face
The singer will watch the person get ready
I want to come undone
The singer wants to let go and have a good time
Come on honey let's go have some fun
The singer is encouraging the person to go out and have a good time with them
And it's OK cause all we have is hell to pay
There may be consequences for their actions, but they are willing to face them
For all we see and moonlight's free
There is no cost to enjoy the beautiful sights they will see at night
There's no money saved but we are rich in other ways
They may not have a lot of money, but they are wealthy in other aspects of life
Yeah it's alright 'Cause your eyes are like shining jewels tonight
The singer thinks their companion looks beautiful tonight
And after dinner at Joe's
After having dinner at Joe's
We'll drive downtown and see a show
They will go downtown to see a performance
I like to sit with you in the dark
The singer enjoys being with the person in intimate settings
And if it makes us think
If the show makes them think
We'll drive uptown and have a drink
They will go uptown for a drink
I like to sit with you in bars
The singer enjoys being with the person in relaxed settings
It's written on my shoes
The singer's love for the person is evident
How I'm in love with you
The singer is in love with the person
We'll be old but not before
They will grow old together
All of the nights we were beautiful and poor
They will always remember the nights when they were poor but happy together
Contributed by Isaiah R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.