Froberg and Reis had originally played in Pitchfork, but despite musical similarities, there were some significant changes in the lineup of Drive Like Jehu. Froberg, no longer just a vocalist, picked up a guitar, while Kennedy and Trombino formed the rhythm section of the new band after having played together in Night Soil Man, a prog-influenced punk outfit.
The group released their self-titled debut album on Cargo in 1991. The following year, they released the double a-side single, Hand Over Fist/Bullet Train To Vegas on Merge Records, and released the original recorded version of Sinews on the Headstart to Purgatory compilation of San Diego bands.
Drive Like Jehu and Rocket From the Crypt (a garage-punk band fronted by Reis) were signed to Interscope Records as a pair, with the label releasing Drive Like Jehu's second album, Yank Crime, in 1994 after which the band embarked on tours of the United States and Europe.
Drive Like Jehu played their final shows in 1995 with little fanfare. While John Reis concentrated on Rocket From the Crypt full-time, Froberg and Trombino would both eventually leave San Diego. Froberg briefly played in Thingy with Rob Crow (of Pinback) before moving to New York City to work as an illustrator. Kennedy went back to school and became a chemist, while Trombino, who engineered most of the band's recordings, became a audio engineer and producer for the likes of Blink 182 and Jimmy Eat World, among others.
Since the breakup, Reis continued to front Rocket From The Crypt until 2005, whilst working on other projects including Back Off Cupids, Sultans, and starting his own record label, Swami Records.
In 2000, Froberg and Reis reunited to form Hot Snakes, who released three full-lengths on Swami before retiring in the summer of 2005.
In 2007, Reis formed The Night Marchers with former Hot Snakes bandmates Gar Wood and Jason Kourkounis, releasing their debut album, See You In Magic earlier this year.
Turn it Off
Drive Like Jehu Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To this place. yer flawless sense of timing. you got so many lines, the
Faucet just keeps on running, water down in style - ya know the soft
Answer, from a thinkin' man, makes for the softest landing, turn away a
Whole flock of wrath, but when yer plumbing backs up, you're gonna drink it
Down, where ya gonna shack up? Who's yer landlord now? - etc...
The lyrics to Drive Like Jehu's song Turn it Off seem to be a commentary on the effects of our actions on the world around us. The opening line "Turn it off, wipe that look off your face" suggests that the listener is doing something that is having a negative impact and needs to stop. The repetition of "Turn it off" throughout the song reinforces this idea.
The next line "look what you've done to this place" implies that the listener's actions have caused damage or destruction to their environment. The following lines "your flawless sense of timing" and "you got so many lines, the faucet just keeps on running" suggest that the listener is being reckless and irresponsible in their actions, with no regard for the consequences.
The rest of the lyrics continue in this vein, with references to "soft answers" and "soft landings" that suggest the listener is avoiding responsibility for their actions. However, the final lines "where ya gonna shack up? Who's yer landlord now?" suggest that eventually, the consequences of their actions will catch up with them.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be a warning about the need to be responsible for the impact we have on the world around us. The repetitive use of "Turn it off" reinforces this message, while the references to plumbing and landlords suggest that there are real-world consequences to our actions that we cannot escape.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn it off, wipe that look off your face.
Stop what you're doing and remove the expression on your face that shows you're up to something.
Turn it off, look what you done To this place.
Stop what you're doing and take a look at how much damage you've inflicted upon this place.
Yer flawless sense of timing.
You have an impeccable sense of timing.
You got so many lines, the Faucet just keeps on running, water down in style.
You have so many persuasive words that it seems like water is constantly flowing out of you in a graceful manner.
Ya know the soft Answer, from a thinkin' man, makes for the softest landing.
You're aware that when a man responds calmly, it leads to a peaceful resolution.
Turn away a Whole flock of wrath, but when yer plumbing backs up, you're gonna drink it Down.
You can avoid a lot of anger and frustration, but when you're faced with problems, you'll have to face them head-on.
Where ya gonna shack up? Who's yer landlord now?
Where will you reside and who will be responsible for taking care of you?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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