Eskimo Joe is alt-rock band from Fremantle, Western Australia comprising Ka… Read Full Bio ↴Eskimo Joe is alt-rock band from Fremantle, Western Australia comprising Kavyen Temperley (bass/vocals), Joel Quartermain (guitar/drums) and Stuart MacLeod (guitar)
The group initally formed to compete in the National Campus Band Competition in 1997. Temperley and Quartermain were already in a band at the time, Freud's Pillow, but had met with little success and asked Temperley's childhood friend MacLeod to form a new band, which became Eskimo Joe. The band ended up winning the competition prize: a slot at the 1997 Livid Festival and a session in a studio to record their first EP, Sweater. The title track became so successful on national broadcaster Triple J, it gained much airplay and featured in the Hottest 100 of 1998. A second EP Eskimo Joe followed up in 1999.

Later in 1999, Eskimo Joe was signed on to Modular and in 2001, their debut album Girl, which went gold. After splitting with Modular, they signed a new contract with Mushroom in 2002, releasing sophomore album A Song is a City in 2004. The album went double-platinum and earned the group Best Artist the following year.

Settling down for six weeks over Christmas in 2005, the noticeably darker album Black Fingernails Red Wine, was recorded and released the following June, debuting at number one on the ARIA charts and later going platinum. The band (jokingly) described the album as their "stadium rock" record and headed out on extensive touring around the country, including a stint at Live Earth in Sydney.

The band eventually went on to tour the globe, with trips around the US and Europe, before recording their fourth album, Inshalla, in Byron Bay. The album was released in May 2009 and topped the charts at number one in the ARIA album charts. It explores a very different sound for Eskimo Joe, with lead singer Temperley saying the band were a stage where they wanted to do something different musically and also in their personal lives.

Smoke
Eskimo Joe Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

If I keep smoking
This cold'll never go away
If I keep talking
I know you'll never come and stay

Stand the two up next to the other
Don't feel strange to me my
Lover

All I got here is books and music
I used to have exercise but I out
Grew it

Say I'm going home
And you go silent
Never know what to do
Just say it's cool
And I'll feel
O.K.

I feel cold next to the fire
It's an old story
But I think I like it

All I got here is books and music
I used to have exercise but I out
Grew it

Say I'm going home
And you go silent
Never know what to do
Just say it's cool
And I'll feel
O.K.

I feel cold next to the fire
It's an old story but I think I like it
Send your days
In indecision

I got a lot of things on my mind this
Morning

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Eskimo Joe's song "Smoke" reflect the singer's struggle with addiction and loneliness. The opening lines "If I keep smoking, this cold'll never go away" suggest that the singer's smoking is not just a habit, but a crutch to cope with deeper issues. The addiction has caused a persistent cold or illness, indicating the physical harm it is causing. The following line "If I keep talking, I know you'll never come and stay" suggests that the singer is struggling with personal relationships or perhaps talking to a therapist, but it will not ultimately help the situation. The next section of the song reflects the idea that the singer's addiction and loneliness are intertwined. The singer is trying to bridge the gap between the two by saying that standing addiction and loneliness side by side does not make them feel strange in his presence. This suggests that he has become comfortable being dependent on his addiction to fill the void of human connection.

The next lines "All I got here is books and music, I used to have exercise but I outgrew it" reflect the monotony of the singer's life. He is stuck in a cycle where he tries to replace his addiction with other activities like exercise, but it doesn't last. He has given up on exercise and is resigned to books and music as his only sources of comfort. The repetition of the line "Say I'm going home and you go silent" suggests that the singer is reaching out to somebody, but they are not engaging with him. The response he expects is "It's cool" which will make him feel okay, but the silence from the other person suggests that they do not understand his struggle.

The final lines "I feel cold next to the fire, it's an old story but I think I like it, send your days in indecision, I got a lot of things on my mind this morning" suggest that the singer is at a crossroads in his life. He is conflicted between what he knows is good for him and what he is comfortable with. The cold next to the fire represents his addiction and how he is stuck in a cycle of dependency. The line "send your days in indecision" suggests that he is unable to break free from his addiction and make a decision that will improve his life. This song perfectly captures the internal struggle of a person dealing with addiction and isolation.

Line by Line Meaning

If I keep smoking
Continuing to smoke is preventing my cold from getting better.

This cold'll never go away
My cold is persisting because of my smoking habit.

If I keep talking
Talking to you won't make you stay with me.

I know you'll never come and stay
I understand that you won't commit to a long-term relationship with me.

Stand the two up next to the other
Comparing our relationship with smoking and talking.

Don't feel strange to me my
I don't find it unusual to compare our relationship with smoking and talking.

Lover
Term of endearment for the person being addressed.

All I got here is books and music
I have nothing else in my life except for reading and listening to music.

I used to have exercise but I out
I used to engage in physical activity, but I no longer do it because I lost interest.

Grew it
Lost interest in exercising.

Say I'm going home
Informing the person that I am leaving.

And you go silent
When I tell you that I'm leaving, you become quiet.

Never know what to do
I don't know how you'll react to my leaving.

Just say it's cool
If you tell me that it's alright, I'll feel better.

And I'll feel
It will improve the situation for me.

O.K.
Alright.

I feel cold next to the fire
I feel lonely and empty, even though I'm in a warm and comfortable place.

It's an old story
This feeling of loneliness is a recurring theme in my life.

But I think I like it
Despite the loneliness, there's a certain comfort in familiarity.

Send your days
Spending your time.

In indecision
Unable to make a decision.

I got a lot of things on my mind this
I have many thoughts that occupy my mind during this particular morning.

Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: DAVE GUTTER, DAVE NOYES, JASON WARD, JON ROODS, RYAN ZOIDIS, SPENCER ALBEE, TONY MC NABOE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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