Damien Jurado (born 12 November 1972) is an American singer in the indie-ro… Read Full Bio ↴Damien Jurado (born 12 November 1972) is an American singer in the indie-rock tradition of Seattle, Washington. His music is regarded as being heavily influenced by folk music. Over the years he has released albums on many labels; today his primary label is Secretly Canadian. He was once in the band, Coolidge, with Seattle's David Bazan.

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

Motion Sickness
Damien Jurado Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The ship will not leave you
Land will make sure to keep you
And I have no money for my debts

Told you I was with it
You said I should forget it and move on
So I did

Cathy, do you feel the movement
Every time I walk into the room

Fear it will not leave you
Ghosts intend to keep you
And I have no more candy for the kids

Told you that you'd hate it
But it'd take so much convincing so move on
And you did

Cathy, I feel the movement
Every time I walk into the room

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Damien Jurado's song Motion Sickness deal with themes of stagnation, fear, and regret, all wrapped in a melancholic atmosphere. In the first verse, the singer seems to be stuck in a place he does not want to be, with land holding him back as if the ship is leaving without him. He is also burdened by debts and the lack of money, adding to the feeling of helplessness. The second verse is more relational in nature, with a person named Cathy also being trapped by her fears and ghosts of the past. Despite the warning, both the singer and Cathy move on, but the memories and the movement of the past continue to haunt them.

The repeating line "Cathy, do you feel the movement?" and its response in the final verse, "Cathy, I feel the movement every time I walk into the room," suggest a strong emotional connection between the two characters. The movement could refer to regrets, feelings of guilt, or a shared past that they cannot escape. This is supported by the line "Every time I walk into the room," which indicates a sense of presence or lingering, echoing their inability to truly move on.

Line by Line Meaning

The ship will not leave you
You won't be able to escape your troubles

Land will make sure to keep you
You'll be stuck dealing with your problems

And I have no money for my debts
I'm in financial trouble and can't pay what I owe

Told you I was with it
I told you I could handle it

You said I should forget it and move on
You advised me to let it go and move forward

So I did
I followed your advice

Cathy, do you feel the movement
Cathy, can you sense the changes happening

Every time I walk into the room
Whenever I enter the space

Fear it will not leave you
You'll be haunted by your anxieties

Ghosts intend to keep you
The past won't free you

And I have no more candy for the kids
I can't provide for the children anymore