Jurado's solo career began during the mid-1990s, releasing lo-fi folk based recordings on his own cassette-only label, Casa Recordings, beginning in 1995.
Jurado often makes use of found-sound and field-recording techniques, and has experimented with different forms of tape recordings. In 2000 he released Postcards and Audio Letters, a collection of found audio letters and fragments that he had found from sources such as thrift store tape players and answering machines. Also released in 2000 was Ghost of David,, Jurado's bleakest and most personal sounding record to date. I Break Chairs, (2002) was produced by long time friend, David Bazan. It was his last album for Sub Pop, and was a much rockier, electric affair. After signing for the Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian, Damien Jurado reverted to his trademark folk ballad-based style, releasing six more albums: Where Shall You Take Me? (2003), On My Way To Absence (2005), And Now That I'm In Your Shadow (2006), Caught in the Trees (2008), Saint Bartlett (2010) and Maraqopa (2012).
Official blog: iamcaughtinthetrees.blogspot.com
A.M. Am
Damien Jurado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Living in the now and between
Pages from a magazine
Instruction manuals for your dreams
This is where you stop and rewind
This where our dreams all collide
Streaming through your heart that was mine
It was you all along
It was you all along
Waiting for a life that was allowed
Not my own but yours all alone
Wide awake until your home
Black on black, roses gold
I was yours all along
I was yours all along
I was yours all along
I was yours all along
Don′t go changing
I'm not leaving you
Don′t go changing
I'm not leaving you
In Damien Jurado's song A.M., the singer seems to feel stuck in a repetitive, stagnant life, living between the present and the imagined future, as symbolized by "pages from a magazine / instruction manuals for your dreams." The lyrics suggest a sense of dissatisfaction or longing for something more, but also a reluctance to fully take control of one's life and identity ("Waiting for a life that was allowed / Not my own but yours all alone"). The lines "It was you all along / Waiting for a life that was allowed" could be interpreted as addressing both the singer's inner self and a significant other, suggesting that the singer has been seeking validation or purpose in external sources. The repeated refrain of "I was yours all along" further highlights this theme of self-negation or subsuming oneself to another's desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Stuck here in a life that repeats
Feeling trapped in a cycle of the same experiences
Living in the now and between
Existing in the present moment while also feeling unsure of what is to come
Pages from a magazine
Images and ideals perpetuated by the media
Instruction manuals for your dreams
Society's expectations and guidelines for achieving your aspirations
This is where you stop and rewind
An invitation to reflect on the current state of one's life
This where our dreams all collide
The intersection of multiple people's aspirations and desires
Streaming through your heart that was mine
Our experiences and emotions affecting one another
Living in my world that was yours through your eyes
Seeing someone else's perspective and adapting to it
It was you all along
Realizing that the other person has always been the central focus
Waiting for a life that was allowed
Hoping for a chance to live a life that is accepted by society
Not my own but yours all alone
Feeling like one's life is controlled by another person
Wide awake until your home
Staying alert and aware until the other person is safe and sound
Black on black, roses gold
Contrasting and unexpected elements coming together to form something beautiful
Don't go changing
A promise to remain steadfast and committed
I'm not leaving you
An assurance of loyalty and devotion
Writer(s): Damien Jurado
Contributed by Sebastian C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.