Formed in 1996, they played consistently for two years in and around the north-eastern United States and Canada, opening for The New Bomb Turks, Nashville Pussy, Blonde Redhead, The Make-Up, The Dirtbombs, The Chrome Cranks and The Demolition Doll Rods. Originally they did not even want to release an album opting to have the band's live reputation spread via word of mouth.
Eventually, the trio relented and put out a self-titled six song e.p. on Sonic Unyon records in 1998. In 1999 they released the self-produced My Love Is Bold E.P. and achieved national exposure with the single "Bounce". They were nominated for a Juno Award in 2000 for Best Alternative Album.
In 2001 Bad Taste Records released a compilation of the band's early recordings, demos, and b-sides entitled, I'm Alive and On Fire. A 5 week European tour followed to promote the release including shows at the Roskilde festival in Denmark and Hultsfred festival in Sweden. By the end of the year they had returned 2 more times, most notably as main support for the Backyard Babies.
2002: Born A Lion
In 2002 they released their first full-length album, Born A Lion, produced by Bill Bell, on Bad Taste Records in Europe and on Universal in Canada. The band did several European tours and two Canadian tours to promote the record including an unprecedented repeat performance at Roskilde and the now legendary return to Hultsfred as well as notable stops to Pukkelpop in Belgium and The Lowlands festival in the Netherlands. They also managed to grab the opening slot with The Rolling Stones on their "40 Licks" World tour kick-off show at the Palais Royale in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on August 16, 2002.
2003: We Sweat Blood
2003 saw the release of We Sweat Blood, produced by Matt DeMatteo, and the group taking a heavier approach to their hard-rock sound. More touring followed that included Europe and Japan. They were also nominated for two Junos: Best Rock Album (Born a Lion) and Best video (Lovercall).
While success was happening abroad, home relations with Universal Canada had soured and the band was dropped mid-album run. Explanations from the label were vague, but speculations point to Jones' February 2004 appearance on CBC Sunday where Jones appeared as a pro-downloader opposite then CRIA president, Brian Robertson. Getting dropped from Universal Canada did little to stop the group as they continued to tour heavily for the rest of the year well into 2004 with bands like Turbonegro, Sepultura and The Bronx. While touring they managed to pick up another Juno nomination for Best Rock Album (We Sweat Blood) and tour Australia as well as more European dates including Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park in Germany and Download, Leeds and Reading in England.
2005-2006: Sleep Is The Enemy
Early 2005 was taken up by recording the follow-up to We Sweat Blood, but not without a series of tours amidst recording that brought the band to the Netherlands, Germany and South Africa. In April, American label, Razor & Tie released We Sweat Blood and the band set out to America in support as well.[6] Working two releases simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic proved quite hard and the worldwide release for the upcoming album, Sleep Is The Enemy, produced by Matt DeMatteo, was pushed back to 2006.
During the summer and fall of 2005 the band toured America heavily with two of We Sweat Blood's singles being second most added to active rock radio in America ("Lovercall" and "Forget My Name"). Stateside tours with Flogging Molly, Our Lady Peace, The Supersuckers, and The (International) Noise Conspiracy followed. Prior to the release of Sleep Is The Enemy drummer Damon Richardson left the band, citing fatigue as a reason for leaving. He was replaced by Dan Cornelius.
In January and February 2006, under new Canadian label, Aquarius Records, the band set out to do their first Canadian tour in almost 4 years opening up for Nickelback, With the release of Sleep Is The Enemy came more touring including America and a headlining European club tour with support from Brant Bjork & The Bros.
The summer saw them perform at Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, With Full Force and Wacken Open Air in Germany; Hellfest and Furiafest in France, Metaltown in Sweden, Pinkpop and Lowlands in The Netherlands, Tuska Festival, Ruisrock and Ankkarock in Finland, Gampel in Switzerland and Wireless in the UK among at least a dozen more. In October 2006, a 2 week tour of Norway saw the band play with ex-Kyuss front-man, John Garcia who appeared on the song "Invisible" off Sleep Is The Enemy.
2008: Never Too Loud
Their fourth album, Never Too Loud was released on February 27, 2008[9] and produced by Nick Raskulinecz. The album yielded three singles, "Code Of The Road" followed by "Take Me Home" and "King Of Magazines". A major city tour of Europe in April 2008 was followed by a Canadian tour in May and a three month stint in Europe playing almost 30 dates on the festival circuit that included Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park and With Full Force in Germany; Bospop and Lowlands in The Netherlands; Sziget Festival in Hungary; Rabarock in Estonia; Provinssi Rock in Finland; and Eurockeennes and Hellfest in France, where Jones got to sing on stage with one of his favorite bands, Death Angel for the song, "Bored". In the fall/winter of 2008 Danko Jones toured England, Germany, France and Benelux opening for Motörhead.
2009: B-Sides
On February 3, 2009 B-Sides was released in Europe only - a collection of previously released b-sides from European singles and unreleased tracks that spanned 1996 to 2008. On February 24 they commenced a 7 week tour in support of the release that spanned The Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, France and the UK with support coming from The Backyard Babies, Winnebego Deal and The Black Spiders. The CD yielded the singles "Sugar High" and "My Problems (Are Your Problems Now)". A greatest hits compilation titled This Is Danko Jones was released on April 7 the same year in Canada only.
In the summer the band managed a few festival appearances, most notably, the Sziget Festival in Hungary on the main stage with Faith No More and The Offspring, as well as Huntenpop in The Netherlands, Wintherthur and Gampel Open Air in Switzerland, Parken Festival in Norway and Jurassic Rock in Finland. In January and February 2010 the band toured across Canada with Guns N' Roses and Sebastian Bach. In March the same year they toured the United States with Clutch.
2010: Below the Belt
Their fifth album Below the Belt was released on May 11, 2010 and produced by Matt DeMatteo. The album's first single, "Full of Regret", features Elijah Wood, Lemmy Kilmister, Selma Blair and Mike Watt in the accompanying video. It debuted at #36 on Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks in November. It is also featured on EA's NHL 11 soundtrack. The second single, "Had Enough", has Ralph Macchio appearing in the accompanying video.
On June 8, 2011 Danko Jones announced on the band's website that drummer Dan Cornelius was no longer with the band. In the same statement Danko Jones said Atom Willard had joined as a replacement. In a March 2012 question-and-answer session with fans on Twitter Danko Jones said: "Dan's time with the band had run its course but it was completely mutual from both sides. An amicable split."
2012: New Album
In early 2012 Danko Jones revealed the band was working on a new album, posting footage of the writing process on the band's YouTube channel. Jones said the album was likely to be out in the European fall (autumn). He added a book and DVD about the band's history would also be released in 2012.
Albums
Born a Lion (2002) (Bad Taste Records / Universal Canada)
We Sweat Blood (2003) (Bad Taste Records / Razor & Tie)
Sleep Is the Enemy (2006) (Bad Taste Records | Aquarius Records)
Never Too Loud (2008) (Bad Taste Records / Aquarius Records)
Below the Belt (2010) (Bad Taste Records / Aquarius Records)
EPs and Others
Sugar Chocolate 7" (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
Danko Jones EP (1998) (Sonic Unyon)
My Love Is Bold (1999) (Sound King / Outside Music)
I'm Alive and on Fire (2001) (Bad Taste Records)
Ritual of the Savage 10" (split with Gluecifer & Peter Pan Speedrock) (2003) (Drunken Maria / Suburban)
B-Sides (2009) (Bad Taste Records)
This Is Danko Jones (2009) (Canadian-only greatest hits release) (Emd Int'l Records)
Having Fun on Stage with Danko Jones 7 (2009) (Yeah Right! Records)
Mouth to Mouth (2011) (digital-only release)
Bring On the Mountain (2012) (DVD)
Take Me Home
Danko Jones Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've done this all before
Hotel to motel
Motel means all alone
I sense a reacurrence
It's happening again
So let's do it one more time
Grab the keys
Start the car
Take me home
To where my records are
Hit the gas
Take the open road
I'm turning on the stereo
First thing when I get home
Time's moving on
I haven't slept for days
It's eating me up inside
Inside I've slipped away
I know it's getting closer
I feel I'm almost there
Still one more time can't hurt me
But I won't shed a tear
Grab the keys
Start the car
Take me home
To where my records are
Hit the gas
Take the open road
I'm turning on the stereo
First thing when I get home
The time has come
Been waiting for so long
It's written on my face
My face has turned to stone
Not asking for your sympathy
I just want out of here
So scratch the day off the month
And say the coast is clear
Grab the keys
Start the car
Take me home
To where my records are
Hit the gas
Take the open road
I'm turning on the stereo
First thing when I get home
Grab the keys
Start the car
Take me home
To where my records are
Hit the gas
Take the open road
I've had enough
Now take me home
The lyrics of Danko Jones's song "Take Me Home" depict a sense of exhaustion and desperation. The singer is tired of living a life on the road, moving from hotel to motel and feeling increasingly isolated as they go. They sense the recurrence of this pattern and feel themselves slipping away inside. However, they take solace in the fact that they will soon return home, where their records are, and be able to turn on the stereo and find some relief. The chorus repeats the phrase "grab the keys, start the car, take me home" as a desperate plea for escape.
The lyrics suggest a deep longing for familiarity and comfort. The singer feels like they have slipped away from themselves, losing their sense of identity as they continue down this exhausting path. The repetition of the chorus almost sounds like a chant, as if the singer is trying to convince themselves that they can make it through one more time before they finally get to go home. The final verse suggests that this homecoming has been a long time coming and that the singer has been waiting for it for a while. They are not looking for sympathy, just a way out of their current situation.
Overall, the lyrics of "Take Me Home" offer a poignant depiction of the toll that a life on the road can take on a person. They convey a deep sense of weariness and longing for familiarity that is both relatable and emotional.
Line by Line Meaning
It's getting on
Time is moving on and things are progressing.
I've done this all before
I have experienced this situation in the past.
Hotel to motel
Moving from one cheap accommodation to another.
Motel means all alone
Being in a motel implies being lonely.
I sense a recurrence
I have a feeling that this is happening again.
It's happening again
The situation is repeating itself.
So let's do it one more time
Let's repeat this one last time.
Before we go to hell
Before the situation gets even worse.
Grab the keys
Take the car keys.
Start the car
Turn on the car engine.
Take me home
Drive me to my home.
To where my records are
To the place where my music collection is.
Hit the gas
Press the accelerator pedal.
Take the open road
Choose to drive on the less crowded roads.
I'm turning on the stereo
I'm going to play my music loudly.
First thing when I get home
As soon as I reach home.
Time's moving on
Time keeps progressing.
I haven't slept for days
I have not slept in several days.
It's eating me up inside
It's causing me emotional distress.
Inside I've slipped away
Mentally, I'm falling apart.
I know it's getting closer
I'm aware that the end is approaching.
I feel I'm almost there
I have a sense that I'm close to reaching my destination.
Still one more time can't hurt me
Doing it one last time won't cause any additional harm.
But I won't shed a tear
I won't cry about it.
The time has come
It's time to leave.
Been waiting for so long
I have waited patiently for this moment.
It's written on my face
My emotions or intentions are obvious from my facial expression.
My face has turned to stone
My face now appears emotionless.
Not asking for your sympathy
I'm not expecting you to feel sorry for me.
I just want out of here
I want to leave this place immediately.
So scratch the day off the month
Mark this day as done and move on.
And say the coast is clear
Confirm that it's now safe to leave.
I've had enough
I've reached my limit and can't take it anymore.
Now take me home
Please drive me home immediately.
Contributed by Reagan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.