1. Dionysos is a Fren… Read Full Bio ↴There is more than one artist under this name:
1. Dionysos is a French rock band formed in 1993 in Valence, Drôme. The band consists of five members known as Élisabeth Maistre a.k.a Babet, Guillaume Garidel a.k.a Guillermo, Mathias Malzieu, Michaël Ponton a.k.a Miky Biky and Éric Serra Tosio a.k.a Rico. Mathias is the main songwriter and fronts the band. Their latest studio album is La mécanique du cœur. Their first release, Happening Songs, was entirely in English, and Babet wasn't part of the band yet. In 1999, they released Haïku, which brought the band into the public eye, mainly thanks to the success of the single Coccinelle.
The name is based on the name of the ancient Greek god, Dionysus (Dionysos in French).
Almost all Dionysos songs evoke a surreal world, in part due to the influence of Tim Burton and Roald Dahl on the group. The song La métamorphose de Mister Chat tells the story of a ladys' man transformed into a cat, and the story of the group's biggest hit (Song for Jedi) is encapsulated in the English chorus, "When I was a child, I was a Jedi".
Babet is currently working at the same time on her own solo album (released on March 5, 2007), and career. The lead singer, Mathias Malzieu, is also working on other projects such as the career of Olivia Ruiz (his partner) and his other hobby, writing (he published three books in 2002, 2005 and 2007). His second book is based on the same world as the album Monsters in Love. The sixth member of the group, Stéphan Bertholio a.k.a Stéphano, was their backliner before playing with them during live tour, and working on the fifth album Monsters in Love.
2. Dionysos was a Canadian band formed in 1967 in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Giant Jack
Dionysos Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Giant Jack was dead
Giant Jack is maybe dead
Giant Jack looks dead
Giant Jack is not dead!
He's carrying his shadow
Skeleton tree growing
On his own grave
He's trembling cold
With a frozen wind blowing
Blowing through his teeth
Blowing through his mouth
Battle on his big blinked eyes
Jack is on my back now...
I was trembling like a bird with no feather on the skin
I had gasoline all over my wings
He looked like a storm with a solid body
He looked like a storm...
He took off his shadow and put it on mine
I said :
« It's too large for a little me »
He said : « You need this big black shadow
To fight against the night
It's a good shadow A bit encumbering
And cold like ice...
But it will protect you well »
He said
He wore a strange coat with a hundred pockets full of books
He said : « I give you books cos' books are really good to fight against the night »
Giant Jack shakes my hand
Giant Jack and little me…
Giant Jack is on my back!
Giant Jack is on my back!!
The song "Giant Jack" by French rock band Dionysos appears to tell the story of a character named Giant Jack who has died, but it's unclear whether he actually did. The opening lines present a paradoxical situation where Giant Jack is both dead and not dead simultaneously. The image of someone carrying their shadow while walking through a "grave city" creates a haunting atmosphere, and the lyrics suggest that Giant Jack's body may have become a part of the environment, with a "skeleton tree" growing on his grave.
The song takes on a surreal quality when the singer interacts with Giant Jack, who seems to be a mythical figure. Giant Jack offers the singer his own shadow, claiming that it will help him "fight against the night." This moment of the song is symbolic, as it suggests a need for protection against the darkness that comes with death. The lyrics hint at a great battle, with "big blinked eyes," and Giant Jack ending up on the singer's back. The song ends with the repeated line "Giant Jack is on my back!" serving as a haunting reminder of death's presence.
Overall, this song seems to explore themes of mortality, the afterlife, and the need for protection in the face of death. The lyrics paint vivid and haunting images that provoke reflection and contemplation.
Line by Line Meaning
Jack comes home
Jack has returned home
Giant Jack was dead
It appears that Giant Jack has died
Giant Jack is maybe dead
It's uncertain whether or not Giant Jack has died
Giant Jack looks dead
Giant Jack appears lifeless
Giant Jack is not dead!
Contrary to appearances, Giant Jack is alive
He's carrying his shadow
The shadow of Giant Jack is being carried along with him
Through the grave city grave
He is traversing through a city or place full of graves and death
Skeleton tree growing
A tree, likely representing death or decay, is growing in the area
On his own grave
The tree is growing on the very spot where Giant Jack's grave would be
He's trembling cold
Giant Jack is shivering in the cold
With a frozen wind blowing
A cold wind is blowing in the area
Blowing through his teeth
The wind is making a sound as it passes through Giant Jack's teeth
Blowing through his mouth
The wind is blowing through Giant Jack's mouth, likely indicating his open posture
Battle on his big blinked eyes
There is a fierce struggle present in Giant Jack's eyes
Jack is on my back now...
Giant Jack is being carried on the singer's back
I was trembling like a bird with no feather on the skin
The artist is shaking uncontrollably, feeling exposed and vulnerable like a bird missing its protective feathers
I had gasoline all over my wings
The artist feels primed for destruction, as gasoline soaked on wings can easily spark a fire
He looked like a storm with a solid body
Giant Jack is imposing, to the point of resembling a destructive force of nature
He looked like a storm...
Giant Jack's appearance is likened to a force of nature again
He took off his shadow and put it on mine
Giant Jack is passing on his own shadow to the artist
I said : « It's too large for a little me »
The artist feels that the shadow is too big for them to bear comfortably
He said : « You need this big black shadow
Giant Jack insists that the artist needs the shadow to survive the darkness
To fight against the night
The shadow is a crucial tool in order to battle the darkness
It's a good shadow A bit encumbering
The shadow is useful, but comes with its own difficulties
And cold like ice...
The shadow is both useful and perhaps painful to carry, just like ice can be both helpful and hurtful at times
But it will protect you well
Despite its drawbacks, the shadow will keep the singer safe
He said
Giant Jack spoke to the singer with this advice
He wore a strange coat with a hundred pockets full of books
Giant Jack's coat is filled with many pockets, each containing a book
He said : « I give you books cos' books are really good to fight against the night »
Giant Jack is offering a gift of books to help the artist battle the darkness
Giant Jack shakes my hand
Giant Jack is shaking the singer's hand, a gesture of friendship or partnership
Giant Jack and little me...
Giant Jack and the singer, two unlikely companions, are now united in their fight against the darkness
Giant Jack is on my back!
Giant Jack is now keeping the artist company on their journey, still being carried on their back
Giant Jack is on my back!!
The repetition of the line reinforces the fact that Giant Jack is still present and important to the artist's mission
Contributed by Hannah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.