Andrew Jackson Jihad was formed after its original drummer, Justin James White, approached Sean Bonnette and Ben Gallaty, who had just left Rodan (not the Rodan of Kentucky fame) and The Sub-Standards. Since then, many significant Arizona musicians have sat in with the remaining duo of Sean and Ben, including John De La Cruz of Fatigo and Asleep In The Sea's Owen Evans. Dylan Cook also plays mandolin regularly with the band.
According to Songfacts, Bonnette, who is also the lyricist of the band (with upright bass player Ben Gallant handling most of the production and some vocals as well) volunteered at a suicide prevention hotline for teenagers for eight years, and worked with homeless men and women in the Phoenix, Arizona area. These experiences gave him a sometimes bleak, but at moments, hopeful outlook on life, often reflected in the band's lyrics.
On Halloween 2005, Andrew Jackson Jihad covered Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea album in its entirety at CounterCulture Cafe.
Their biggest performance to date has been in their hometown with Flogging Molly and Authority Zero on St. Patrick's Day 2006.
On April 15, 2006, the band played as part of the 2006 New Times Music Showcase, nominated for Best Americana Band, and won a 2006 Best of Phoenix later that year.
Besides their local shows, where they have become arguably the most prominent representative in Arizona of the DIY ethic, they have also toured in clubs and basements across the Western United States, appearing at such venues as the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, CA. One show in Kimberly, Idaho saw the band in a cowboy bar and leaving the premises as soon as possible after the show.
Andrew Jackson Jihad also performed at St. Augustine, Florida's second annual Harvest of Hope Festival in 2010. They played a dual set with Bomb the Music Industry!
A Song Dedicated to the Memory of Stormy the Rabbit
Andrew Jackson Jihad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I have fled from my fortress
Foraging forests five footsteps in length
Fortitude found within 40oz bottles
Flowing like flies from your face
From your face!
My neighborhood is been filled brim with black cats
All the time
Every time
First we are babies
We're birthing and dying
And then we are children
We're playing and crying
And then we're teenagers
And smoking and fucking
But now we're all grown-up
And we're sadly sighing
And liking malarking
And licking our wounds
We've created by lusting
And lying, to ourselves
And to others
We're sadly sighing
We're sadly sighing
We're sadly sighing
We're sadly sighing
And I'd like to be, a big ball of meat
That bees can buzz all around and eat, when I die
So that I might be granted
One sense of purpose
In this song, Andrew Jackson Jihad describes his journey of self-discovery and reflects on the path that his life has taken. He begins by describing his isolation and feelings of vulnerability, using the metaphor of a fortress that he has fled from to forage in the forest. He finds escape in alcohol, which provides him with the fortitude he needs to face the world.
Next, he reflects on the stages of life, lamenting the loss of innocence that comes with growing up. He acknowledges that as we become adults, we become burdened by the mistakes we have made and the wounds we have inflicted on ourselves and others. In this sense, he is "sadly sighing," mourning the loss of the carefree days of childhood.
Finally, he expresses a desire for one sense of purpose after death, using the metaphor of being a "big ball of meat" that bees can buzz around and consume. This desire suggests a longing for simplicity and a return to the natural world, where his death can serve some greater purpose.
Overall, the song speaks to universal experiences of isolation, regret, and the desire for meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
For four fortnights
I have been running away for two months.
I have fled from my fortress
I have left my home.
Foraging forests five footsteps in length
I searched for food in forests nearby.
Fortitude found within 40oz bottles
I found courage in alcohol.
Flowing like flies from your face
Tears were streaming down your cheeks.
From your face!
I saw it coming from your eyes.
My neighborhood is been filled brim with black cats
My surroundings are full of bad omens.
And when I go driving they walk in my path
I keep encountering obstacles.
First we are babies
Our first stage in life is infancy.
We're birthing and dying
We come into and leave this world.
And then we are children
We grow up and become kids.
We're playing and crying
We experience joy and sorrow.
And then we're teenagers
We reach adolescence.
And smoking and fucking
We start smoking and having sex.
But now we're all grown-up
We are now adults.
And we're sadly sighing
We feel down and unhappy.
And liking malarking
We enjoy mischief-making.
And licking our wounds
We are healing from emotional pain.
We've created by lusting
We made mistakes by having sexual desires.
And lying, to ourselves
We deceived ourselves and others.
And to others
We also lied to other people.
We're sadly sighing
We are still unhappy.
We're sadly sighing
Our sadness persists.
We're sadly sighing
We can't help but sigh with despair.
We're sadly sighing
We keep on grieving.
And I'd like to be, a big ball of meat
I want to exist as a mass of flesh.
That bees can buzz all around and eat, when I die
I want insects to feed on me when I'm gone.
So that I might be granted
I hope to gain.
One sense of purpose
A purpose in life.
Contributed by Sophia K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@projectemissary6378
Puttin dese for reference
[Intro]
For four fortnights I have fled from my fortress
Foraging forests five footsteps in length
Fortitude found within forty ounce bottles
Flowing like flies from your face
From your face
[Verse 1]
And my neighborhood it's been filled brim with black cats
And when I go driving they walk in my path
All the time
Every time
[Interlude: Vocalization]
[Verse 2]
First we were babies, we're birthing and dying
And then we were children, we're playing and crying
And then we're teenagers and smoking and fucking
But now we're all grown up and we're sadly sighing
And liking, malarking, and licking our wounds
We've created by lusting and lying
To ourselves and to others
[Interlude]
We're sadly sighing
We're sadly sighing
We're sadly sighing
We're sadly sighing
[Outro]
And I'd like to be
A big ball of meat
That bees can buzz around and eat when I die
So that I might be granted one sense of purpose
@eligiblbachelor
Got this song recommended to me by a random person on Animal Jam about 4 years ago, if ur reading this thank you stranger
@lebbuce2293
Why does the date this was posted say 100 years ago?
@eligiblbachelor
@@lebbuce2293 I’m a time traveler 🤫
@asheBradleysWeatherAt5
this is ironic because i first saw this band on an animal jam masterpiece like two years ago aha
@clarethecat5199
Yoo hello fellow AJ player :)
@sterilized
I recommended this to someone in 2017. on ajpw. wondering if it was u lol
@jenniefrost3074
This isn’t what I expected when I asked for my friends favorite song ;-;
@kaitschmidt9390
your friend has good taste.
@0blacklynx002
@@kaitschmidt9390 yep
@Err0r_n33d5_h3lp
I like your friend :)