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!
Temple Grandin Too
Andrew Jackson Jihad Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A revolving door that only goes one way
A simple force speaking through a conduit
A baby born on an ordinary day
A Jesus that doesn’t want to be a Jesus
Is given no other choice than to be a Jesus.
Understanding life is meaningfully worthless
There’s something big and powerful and wise
And it’s begging us to end its worthless life
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
And find a friendly way to make it die.
On an empty street in a neighborhood that used to be better
In an empty house once filled with heavy shit
In a nearly empty bed inside a nearly empty room
I learned it
There’s something big and powerful and wise
And it’s begging us to end its tragic life
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
A hug without a human is alright
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
A hug without a human is alright
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
The lyrics of Andrew Jackson Jihad's song "Temple Grandin Too" explore the concept of a higher power, described as "something big and powerful and wise," that seemingly desires to end its own life. The imagery of a god begging to be murdered and a revolving door that only goes one way adds to the morbid tone of the lyrics. The song poses the idea that even a Jesus figure, who may not want to fulfill that role, has no choice but to do so, and ultimately meets their demise as the world was "born to kill all the Jesuses."
The reference to Temple Grandin, a professor of animal science who is known for developing systems to reduce stress and pain of livestock during handling, adds another layer of understanding to the lyrics. Temple Grandin's work was based on the idea that empathy and understanding can inform better treatment of animals, and the song suggests that we ought to approach this higher power with empathy in order to bring about a painless death.
Overall, the lyrics and imagery of "Temple Grandin Too" convey a complex message about the nature of power and existence, while also advocating for understanding and empathy even in the face of something strange and powerful.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a god begging to be murdered
Something great and powerful is wishing to be ended
A revolving door that only goes one way
A situation where there is no way out
A simple force speaking through a conduit
A basic power that uses a medium to communicate
A baby born on an ordinary day
A regular birth on a typical day
A Jesus that doesn’t want to be a Jesus
A person who does not want to bear the burden of being a savior
Is given no other choice than to be a Jesus.
But is forced to carry out the role by circumstance
Understanding life is meaningfully worthless
Realizing that human existence is almost insignificant
The world was born to kill all the Jesuses
The cruel fate of life is aimed to take down all those who take on the role of savior
On an empty street in a neighborhood that used to be better
In a place that once flourished but now struggles
In an empty house once filled with heavy shit
A vacant dwelling that held a lot of weight in the past
In a nearly empty bed inside a nearly empty room
A bed in a room that is almost completely vacated
I learned it
The artist gained insight from their surroundings
There’s something big and powerful and wise
There exists a being that is dominant, intelligent, and imposing
And it’s begging us to end its tragic life
The creature desires to be spared from its sorrowful state of being
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
Let us be like the real-life scientist who devised a humane method of slaughtering livestock
A hug without a human is alright
Even without our physical presence, showing compassion to this creature is enough
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
We will put an end to its life with empathy and respect
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Gorose
Like a god begging to be murdered
A revolving door that only goes one way
A simple force speaking through a conduit
A baby born on an ordinary day
A Jesus that doesn’t want to be a Jesus
Is given no other choice than to be a Jesus.
Understanding life is meaningfully worthless
The world was born to kill all the Jesuses
There’s something big and powerful and wise
And it’s begging us to end its worthless life
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
And find a friendly way to make it die.
On an empty street in a neighborhood that used to be better
In an empty house once filled with heavy shit
In a nearly empty bed inside a nearly empty room
I learned it
There’s something big and powerful and wise
And it’s begging us to end its tragic life
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
A hug without a human is alright
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
A hug without a human is alright
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
ForestFireNumber21
this is the last song i remember listening to with my best friend before he died in 2015. listening to it now always feels so weird I feel like there's some message here for me
KiddoPlastic
Sorry for your loss. Hope everything is ok now
macklemore
crying alone on a swing set in a desolate suburb in texas while this plays
Poet C
My teenage years in la Porte exactly
Roxannette Smith
This could be a line in the song
Jack
Critically underrated compared to other AJJ songs.
Gorose
Like a god begging to be murdered
A revolving door that only goes one way
A simple force speaking through a conduit
A baby born on an ordinary day
A Jesus that doesn’t want to be a Jesus
Is given no other choice than to be a Jesus.
Understanding life is meaningfully worthless
The world was born to kill all the Jesuses
There’s something big and powerful and wise
And it’s begging us to end its worthless life
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
And find a friendly way to make it die.
On an empty street in a neighborhood that used to be better
In an empty house once filled with heavy shit
In a nearly empty bed inside a nearly empty room
I learned it
There’s something big and powerful and wise
And it’s begging us to end its tragic life
So let’s be Temple Grandin for the night
A hug without a human is alright
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
A hug without a human is alright
We’ll find a friendly way to make it die
Nola Gale
I'm deeply in love with Sean Bonnette's songwriting.
Ballet Roses
A hug without a human is alright.
Accepted Criticism
(Just my demented interpretation) It sounds like they are balancing between the concept of the death of Christ along side the life of Temple Grandin. "Like a God begging to be murdered" like how Jesus Christs only purpose was to die by the hand of man. He was begging for it. If he comes back he will beg for it again. It also shows the simliarity in innocence between Christ, the animals we kill, and in the way we need to kill them.