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
The Killer
Damien Jurado Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'll meet you on the other side
Walk with me alone
Will not harm you or let you down
Paper said I'm a killer
Papers lie
To North California state line
If you call off the guns
I'll call off the dogs
Go put out the fire
Boy I'll meet you on the other side
Walk with me alone
Just might cut you and leave you to die
Paper said I'm a killer
Papers were right
Tomorrow we will drive
To your brand new burial site
If you call off the guns
I'll call off the dogs
They'll never find you
They'll never catch me, no
Damien Jurado's "The Killer" is a song that explores themes of violence, accountability, and redemption. The opening lines, "Go put out the fire, and I'll meet you on the other side" speak to a sense of urgency and danger that permeates the song. The singer is attempting to escape the consequences of his actions, offering assurances to his companion that he will not harm them. However, the lyric "Just might cut you and leave you to die" suggests that these assurances are tenuous at best, and the singer is prone to violence.
The chorus of the song, "Paper said I'm a killer, papers lie" speaks to the way that perceptions and narratives can be constructed and distorted. The singer rejects the label of "killer," insisting that he is not defined by the actions ascribed to him in print. However, the line "Papers were right" suggests that there is some truth to the accusations against him.
In the second verse, the singer and his companion are driving to a new location, one that holds an ominous promise of "your brand new burial site." Throughout the song, the singer offers a trade - if his enemies stop pursuing him, he will not harm them in turn. However, the final line "They'll never find you, they'll never catch me, no" suggests that this is an empty promise. The song ends on a deeply unsettling note, leaving the listener to contemplate the cycle of violence and the weight of one's actions.
Line by Line Meaning
Go put out the fire
Please extinguish the flame
And I'll meet you on the other side
I'll join you at the destination
Walk with me alone
Accompany me on this path without anyone else
Will not harm you or let you down
I'll protect and support you
Paper said I'm a killer
The news claims I'm a murderer
Papers lie
The newspapers are deceiving
Tomorrow we will drive
We'll travel in a vehicle the next day
To North California state line
To the boundary of Northern California
If you call off the guns
If you stop using firearms
I'll call off the dogs
I'll order my hounds to back off
Boy I'll meet you on the other side
Man, I'll face you at the opposite end
Just might cut you and leave you to die
I may wound you severely and abandon you to perish
Paper said I'm a killer
The reports state that I'm a murderer
Papers were right
The newspapers were correct
Tomorrow we will drive
We'll use a car tomorrow
To your brand new burial site
To the place where your remains will be interred
If you call off the guns
If you refrain from using firearms
I'll call off the dogs
I'll stop commanding my dogs
They'll never find you
They won't discover you
They'll never catch me, no
I won't be captured by them, never
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Damien Jurado
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bileductable
Thanks for uploading the song, was looking for it after seeing The Vanishing of Sidney Hall
@VendettaMadame
Pickle: Me too...great song and what an amazing movie.
@BiPolar53
Wow me too....I stopped to movie to search for this song
@emmarush4419
I did the same thing but I didn't dig the movie at all. This song & finding a new artist I'm in love with was the best thing about the whole movie!
@bertiestclr
The movie was beautiful, real life happens, real life moves you in directions you thought you would never follow. Love leads you into paths that may break you. This song is full of feeling. I needed this movie.
@xeniarta
Oh my god, me too! And this movie was an interesting and deep experience.
@beanotherbrick
Thank you for uploading! Amazing song
@runtismaximus
awesome
@DaisyLee1963
Love the lyrics and performance. Somehow reminds me of the Zodiac.
@Psyfi85
Why I commented on it above. It’s endearing to the possibility.