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!
Sense Sensibility
Andrew Jackson Jihad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
those wonderful mentalities
of decent positivity
are all that we can scribe
but misery and poverty
they follow me and my family
and though it seems that i can't win
i think i have to try
everyone's afraid of me
they'll never see that we all leave
the same damn blood each night
so you'll go your way
and i'll go mine
i hope we meet later on down the line
sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
but there's so much hostility
in all the things surrounding me
the awful blow of ethnity
is trying to stop me shine
so i try to look inwardly
at all the things inside of me
but sodomy and buggery keep bubbling to the top
so you'll go forward
and i'll go back
i hope we catch up with each other on the track
and i've been thinking awkwardlyabout the things that are holy
like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
and Mary Magdalene
and even theoretically
i don't think i could ever see
the perfect human being
Jesus lived without sin
so you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
i'll see you in hell when we die
In Andrew Jackson Jihad's song "Sense Sensibility," the lyrics reflect the internal struggle between striving for positive virtues such as earnestness, clarity, sense, and sensibility, while at the same time battling against personal challenges of poverty, misery, and discrimination. The singer acknowledges that their desired qualities do not come easy, and they may appear to be losing the fight. Despite feeling misunderstood and isolated from others, the singer hopes for a future meeting with the listener, who seems to be taking a different path in life.
The singer also reflects on the idea of what is holy and perfect, such as Jesus, Joseph, and Mary, while questioning their own capacity for achieving such goodness. There is an inner-conflict of desires: desiring a "pretty girl with broken wings" with pure intentions, but also struggling with more taboo, sexual desires.
Overall, the song's tone is one of melancholy, self-reflection, and uncertainty. The lyrics articulate the personal struggles of striving for positive virtues, while battling against personal and societal factors that may hinder their growth.
Line by Line Meaning
Earnesty and clarity
The qualities of being sincere and clear
those wonderful mentalities
Those wonderful mindsets
of decent positivity
Of respectful positivity
are all that we can scribe
Are all that we can describe
but misery and poverty
However, both misery and poverty
they follow me and my family
They follow me and my family around
and though it seems that i can't win
And even though it seems like I can't succeed
i think i have to try
I believe that I have to try anyway
everyone's afraid of me
Everyone's scared of me
they'll never see that we all leave
They won't realize that we all eventually die
the same damn blood each night
With the same blood flowing through our veins every night
so you'll go your way
So you'll continue on your path
and i'll go mine
And I'll continue on my own path
i hope we meet later on down the line
I hope we see each other again in the future
sense and sensibility
Having good judgment and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
And productive peacefulness
a pretty girl with broken wings
A beautiful girl who's struggling
is all that i desire
Is all that I want
but there's so much hostility
But there's so much unfriendliness
in all the things surrounding me
In everything around me
the awful blow of ethnicity
The negative impact of ethnicity
is trying to stop me shine
Is holding me back
so i try to look inwardly
So I try to turn inwards
at all the things inside of me
At everything inside of me
but sodomy and buggery
But homosexual acts
keep bubbling to the top
Keep coming up to the surface
so you'll go forward
So you'll keep moving forward
and i'll go back
And I'll go backwards
i hope we catch up with each other on the track
I hope we meet each other again in the future
and i've been thinking awkwardly
And I've been thinking uncomfortably
about the things that are holy
About things that are considered sacred
like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
Such as Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
and Mary Magdalene
And Mary Magdalene
and even theoretically
And even in theory
i don't think i could ever see
I don't believe that I could ever see
the perfect human being
A person who is completely free of faults
Jesus lived without sin
Jesus lived his life without sinning
so you'll go upward
So you'll continue to climb higher
and i'll go down
And I'll go down lower
i'll see you in hell when we die
I'll see you in hell when we both pass away
Contributed by Nathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jiggybrak359
earnesty and clarity
those wonderful mentalities
of decent positivity
are all that we can strive
but misery and poverty
they follow me and my family
and though it seems that i can't win
i think i have to try
but everyone's afraid of me
they'll never see that we all bleed
the same damn blood each night
so you'll go your way
and i'll go mine
i hope we meet up later on down the line
and sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
but there's so much hostility
in all the things surrounding me
the awful glow of enmity
is trying to stop my shine
so i try to look inwardly
at all the things inside of me
but sodomy and buggery keep bubbling to the top
so you'll go forward
and i'll go back
i hope we catch up with each other on the track
and i've been thinking awkwardly
about the things that are holy
like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
and Mary Magdalene
and even theoretically
i don't think i could ever see
the perfect human being
Jesus live without sin
so you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
i'll see you in hell when we die
@jiggybrak359
earnesty and clarity
those wonderful mentalities
of decent positivity
are all that we can strive
but misery and poverty
they follow me and my family
and though it seems that i can't win
i think i have to try
but everyone's afraid of me
they'll never see that we all bleed
the same damn blood each night
so you'll go your way
and i'll go mine
i hope we meet up later on down the line
and sense and sensibility
and peaceful productivity
a pretty girl with broken wings
is all that i desire
but there's so much hostility
in all the things surrounding me
the awful glow of enmity
is trying to stop my shine
so i try to look inwardly
at all the things inside of me
but sodomy and buggery keep bubbling to the top
so you'll go forward
and i'll go back
i hope we catch up with each other on the track
and i've been thinking awkwardly
about the things that are holy
like Jesus, Joseph, and Mary
and Mary Magdalene
and even theoretically
i don't think i could ever see
the perfect human being
Jesus live without sin
so you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
you'll go upward
and i'll go down
i'll see you in hell when we die
@HoduAphrodite
"A pretty girl with broken wings is all I desire". I can't express how many lines I have written about this. Instant approval
@jerrywhoomst1116
That line creeps me out tbh.
@junebug2325
I don't quite understand it ? or my understanding of it is too messed up to want to believe.
@HoduAphrodite
@@junebug2325 The way I interpret it is that the deepest empathy and appreciation only comes from having experienced pain, then it only makes sense that someone who is permanently scarred will be capable to love the most selflessly. Which is a bit fucked up in a way, but pain and helplessness is one of the strongest humbling factors for human beings.
Not that human complexity can be defined by a simple axis of pain = good and not pain = distorted sense of how reality us, but as an artistic construct, I think it's pretty cool.
Could also mean to say that he wants someone broken so that they don't have to fear being left for someone better, as that other person's standards will be too low to leave them, in which case, yes that's quite toxic, but what I talked about before hits too close , so I prefer to make that reading.
@jerrywhoomst1116
@@HoduAphrodite he says he regrets putting that line in there, doesn't even sing it anymore. Says: "pretty girl with a PhD." in reference to his wife who has a PhD. So yeah I think if he goes that far to get rid of this line, it's some creepy gross shit.
@HoduAphrodite
@@jerrywhoomst1116 Guess he meant it that way after all :/
@HelloThere-lm1vo
Hey you, yes you. You have good taste in music
@sergeantbigballs1864
You too
@uh6348
you too :)