DJ Shadow spent his teenage years in Davis, California and was a DJ at the community radio station KDVS. During his time as a radio disc jockey, DJ Shadow was significant in developing the experimental instrumental hip-hop style associated with the California-based Solesides record label. His early singles for the label, including In/Flux and Lost and Found (S.F.L.), were genre-bending works of art merging elements of funk, rock, hip-hop, ambient, jazz, soul, and used-bin found records. DJ Shadow is often cited as a leading creator of trip-hop, though this is a label he strongly contests.
Although he previously released a couple of original works (during 1991-1992 for Hollywood Records) by the time Mo' Wax's James Lavelle contacted him about releasing In/Flux on the fledgling imprint, it wasn't until his distribution association with Mo' Wax that his sound began to mature and cohere.
Shadow's first full-length work, Endtroducing....., was released in late 1996 to immense critical acclaim. Following the success of this album, he acted as a shadow producer for Rage Against The Machine for their album, Evil Empire. It is said he influenced the solo on their song "Bulls On Parade". Endtroducing... made the Guinness World Records book for "First Completely Sampled Album" in 2001. Preemptive Strike, a compilation of early singles, followed in early 1998. Later that year, Shadow produced tracks for Psyence Fiction, the debut album by U.N.K.L.E., a long-time Mo' Wax production team that gained superstar guests including Thom Yorke (of Radiohead), Richard Ashcroft (of The Verve), Mike D (of the Beastie Boys) and others. His next project came in 1999, with the transformation of Solesides into a new label, Quannum Projects. Nearly six years after his debut production album, his second album, The Private Press, was released in June 2002. In the same year, the movie "Scratch" (2001, Doug Pray) was released to DVD with DJ Shadow appearing several times throughout the movie.
The documentary films "Dark Days" and "Wisconsin Death Trip" feature music of DJ Shadow while "Scratch" features an interview and more music.
DJ Shadow has also collaborated with fellow artist Cut Chemist. Together they have made two CDs entitled Brainfreeze and Product Placement. These albums fuse jazz, funk, and soul in the framework of a cohesive concept. The second of these (Product Placement) followed a very similar pattern to the first, but using remixes/other versions of the songs in roughly the same order.
In the year 2004, Shadow released his feature length DVD, In Tune and On Time. The DVD features a live performance in London, emphasizing intricate visuals.
In 2005, Shadow released a Deluxe Edition of his first album, Endtroducing.... and a new album, titled "The Outsider" in 2006.
While Shadow's earlier works, especially 'Endtroducing.....', are known for their innovation in genres such as hip-hop, ambient, and trip-hop, his fourth full length album, The Outsider, had several tracks dedicated to Hyphy. This decision has been controversial, leaving many fans feeling alienated. DJ Shadow addressed this point in an August, 2006 interview, in which stated, "Repeat Endtroducing over and over again? That was never, ever in the game plan. Fuck that. So I think it's time for certain fans to decide if they are fans of the album, or the artist."
Also in 2005, Brian Udelhofen began work on the Shadow Percussion Project, an attempt to adapt some of the tracks from Endtroducing... for a live performance group. The result was largely successful and well-received by DJ Shadow himself.
In 2007 DJ Shadow was contacted by the Hollywood Bowl to do a show featuring Freeze with Cut Chemist. However, not wanting to repeat old material DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist came up with a whole new routine entitled The Hard Sell. In 2007 and 2008 they went on The Hard Sell tour and were accompanied on stage by two large video screens with visuals created for the tour.
Discography
Solo Albums
* 1996 - Endtroducing.....
* 1998 - Preemptive Strike
* 2000 - Dark Days
* 2002 - The Private Press
* 2003 - The Private Repress (Japanese Remix Album)
* 2004 - In Tune and On Time
* 2005 - Endtroducing... (2xCD Deluxe Edition)
* 2006 - The Outsider
* 2007 - The 4-Track Era Vol.1 Best of the KMEL Mixes
* 2007 - The 4-Track Era Vol.2 Best of the Remixes and Megamixes (1990-1992)
* 2011 - The Less You Know, the Better
with Q Bert
* 1997 - Camel Bobsled Race (Q-Bert Mega Mix) CD-EP
with UNKLE
* 1998 - Psyence Fiction
with Cut Chemist
* 1999 - Brainfreeze
* 2001 - Product Placement
* 2004 - Product Placement on Tour
* 2005 - Freeze
* 2008 - The Hard Sell
with Dan The Automator
* 1998 - Bombay the Hard Way: Guns, Cars and Sitars
03 Stay The Course
DJ Shadow Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some say cause we in hell 'till we die
What if that death is no sign of Mohamed
No sign of visa, just an early asking for your visa
We're back on the third rock
People trying got keep 'em head up, you heard pop?
And bad time trespasses on your premises
Good times avoid you like a Nemesis
Find a way to put food on a place mat
Stay sound, don't feed your anger
'Cause trouble always imposing with this bulldozer
The majority will not see the few chosen
But will see our way through before curtain closing
Maneuver around
Be the one, be the man, be forever, the style
Never stop, never rest, always know, never guess
Navigate to the north east south or west
Just stay the course, just stay the course
Keep your eye on the prize and your thoughts out the box
And your head in the sky, take the knife, cut the pie
Take a peek, no matter east, north, south or west
And just stay the course, I gotta stay the course
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
Maintain, just stay on track
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
Maintain, just stay on track
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
Maintain, just stay the course
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
'Cause if you don't that's when you're lost
Stay the course take a horse as
I make my way across the high planes
An army instead of shaking and
Let it drop for never taking the loss
From the start to the finish, my heart will never diminish
Hit the stage but I started in the park
On the benches I was singing for
When I sing it's such a blessing
They for redemption poem bringing with dimensions
Bring on different dimensions, you see that shit?
You say you're making a movie, but I've seen that flick
Kissing in the picture I really complete the photo
Electric fire, electric lighter like beat of
Living la vida loca, my life is sort of
Like the tornado that took ToTo
I watch it get slow-mo'd and I shape up like Plato
I don't mean the clay-dough, what
I mean to my philosophy keepin' me real stable
Be the one, be the man, be forever, the style
Never stop, never rest, always know, never guess
Navigate to the North East south or west
Just stay the course, you gotta stay the course!
Keep the eye on your pride and your thoughts out the box
And your head in the sky get the knife, cut the pie
Take a peek, no matter east, north, south or west
And just stay the course, I got stay the course
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
Maintain, just stay on track
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
Maintain, just stay on track
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
Maintain, just stay the course
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
'Cause if you don't that's when you're lost
Be the one, be the now, be forever, the style
Never stop, never rest, always know, never guess
Navigate to the North East south to west
Just stay the course, you gotta stay the course
Keep an eye on the prize and your thoughts out the box
And your head in the sky, let your knife cut the pie
Take a peace, no matter east, north, south or west
And just stay the course, just stay the course
Be the first not the last, get a hold of the craft in your soul
Never slow be fast, keep it right never wrong, write a poem,
Write a song, just stay the course, just stay the course
The opening lyric of "03 Stay The Course," which is, "from the first in hell, a child let out a cry," is significant because it suggests that we start life in a hellish environment. The following lines, "Some say cause we in hell till we die, what if that death is no sign of Mohamed, no sign of visa, just an early asking for your visa," provides listeners with a sense of the difficulties and injustices we experience regardless of cultural or socioeconomic background. The chorus, "Just stay the course, you gotta stay the course," serves as a reminder to persevere through challenges and hardships. The lyrics suggest the importance of remaining resolute and avoiding getting sidetracked by distractions that could detour one from their goals. The line "Take a peek, no matter east, north, south or west," speaks to the idea of having an open mind and exploring all options, regardless of where they may lead you.
Line by Line Meaning
From the first in hell, a child let out a cry
The moment we enter this world is filled with pain and suffering.
Some say cause we in hell 'till we die
Some people believe that life is a form of hell that we must endure until we die.
What if that death is no sign of Mohamed
What if death is not a religious symbol, but simply an early departure from life?
No sign of visa, just an early asking for your visa
Death doesn't require any documentation or approval, it simply takes you from this world.
We're back on the third rock
We are living on planet Earth.
People trying got keep 'em head up, you heard pop?
Despite the difficulties of life, people try to maintain a positive attitude and stay strong.
And bad time trespasses on your premises
Hardship and difficult times can enter your life at any moment.
Good times avoid you like a Nemesis
Happiness and good fortune can seem elusive or impossible to attain.
With or without we all gonna face that
Regardless of how we live our lives, we will all eventually face death.
Find a way to put food on a place mat
We must work to provide for ourselves and our families.
Stay sound, don't feed your anger
Try to remain calm and don't let anger or negativity consume you.
'Cause trouble always imposing with this bulldozer
Difficulties and challenges are always looming and can be overwhelming.
The majority will not see the few chosen
Only a select few will achieve great success or recognition.
But will see our way through before curtain closing
Despite the challenges, we will persevere and make it through to the end.
Maneuver around
We must navigate the obstacles and challenges in our lives.
Be the one, be the man, be forever, the style
Be confident and proud of who you are and what you represent.
Never stop, never rest, always know, never guess
Keep pushing forward and don't give up. Be confident in yourself and your abilities.
Navigate to the North East south or west
Find your own path in life and take control of your own destiny.
Just stay the course, just stay the course
Stay true to yourself and your goals, despite any obstacles you may face.
Keep your eye on the prize and your thoughts out the box
Focus on what you want and avoid distractions or negative influences.
And your head in the sky, take the knife, cut the pie
Be optimistic and confident, take what you want in life.
Take a peek, no matter east, north, south or west
Be open to new opportunities and experiences, regardless of where they may come from.
We'll be talking back, a matter of fact right and exact
We will communicate with others honestly and directly.
Maintain, just stay on track
Keep focused and continue working towards your goals.
'Cause if you don't that's when you're lost
Without direction and focus, you can easily become lost or confused.
Stay the course take a horse as
Stick to your path and don't deviate, even if the journey is long and difficult.
I make my way across the high planes
I will persevere despite the challenges I face.
An army instead of shaking and
I will gather my strength and determination, rather than be weakened by fear or doubt.
Let it drop for never taking the loss
I won't let anything bring me down or cause me to lose my motivation.
From the start to the finish, my heart will never diminish
I will remain passionate and determined throughout my entire journey.
Hit the stage but I started in the park
I may have started small, but I will keep pushing to achieve my goals.
On the benches I was singing for
Even when things were tough, I remained passionate and dedicated to my craft.
When I sing it's such a blessing
I love what I do and am grateful for the opportunities I have.
They for redemption poem bringing with dimensions
My work and art can help others to find redemption and new perspectives.
Bring on different dimensions, you see that shit?
My work and art can inspire people and help them to see things in new ways.
You say you're making a movie, but I've seen that flick
People may claim to be original, but often they are just copying what has come before.
Kissing in the picture I really complete the photo
My presence or work can complete and enhance others' experiences or creations.
Electric fire, electric lighter like beat of
My work and creativity are powerful and can ignite inspiration or passion in others.
Living la vida loca, my life is sort of
My life and experiences are exciting and unpredictable.
Like the tornado that took ToTo
Like a tornado, my life can be chaotic and unpredictable.
I watch it get slow-mo'd and I shape up like Plato
Despite the chaos and unpredictability of life, I am able to remain calm and adaptable.
I don't mean the clay-dough, what
I am not referring to literal clay, but rather to the ability to shape and adapt to change.
I mean to my philosophy keepin' me real stable
My beliefs and philosophy provide me with stability and strength, even in difficult times.
Be the first not the last, get a hold of the craft in your soul
Take control of your own destiny and pursue your passions with drive and determination.
Never slow be fast, keep it right never wrong, write a poem,
Move quickly and with purpose, always striving to do your best and make the right choices.
Write a song, just stay the course, just stay the course
Express yourself and be creative, but never lose focus on your goals and your path in life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSH DAVIS, KELVIN MERCER, TALIB KWELI GREENE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind