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.
liar
Eskimo Joe Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't, I can't get burnt by the fire
But you, had too
I know, its you, when you come around crying
I cannot sleep with a room full of trying
But you, had too
Its not cool
don't make me cry, she said she doesn't want to go
Don't make me cry, I can't make her so I won't
You come to me in a terrible hour,
I can not sleep, so I'll go have a shower
But you, had too, its not cool
Ohh ohh, the things you do
don't make me cry, she said she doesn't want to go
Don't make me cry, I can't make her so I won't
Don't make me cry, she said she doesn't want to go
Don't make me cry, I can't make her so I won't
you know, you know, you know I'm a liar
You know, you know, you know I'm a liar
You know, you know, you know I'm a liar
You know, you know, you know I'm a liar
You know, you know, you know I'm a liar
You know, you know, you know I'm a liar
The lyrics of Eskimo Joe's song "Liar" express the inner turmoil in the mind of the singer who is struggling with the fact that he has been deceitful. The repetition of the words "You know, you know, you know I'm a liar" conveys a sense of guilt and remorse. The singer cannot escape from the consequences of his actions, and even though he thought he would not be affected, he was proven wrong. The line "I can't, I can't get burnt by the fire, But you, had too" shows how the singer thought he could deceive someone without any repercussions, but he was wrong.
The song also explores the singer's inability to deal with emotions. He admits that he cannot sleep with a room full of trying, and therefore, he has to take a shower to calm himself down. Additionally, the line "don't make me cry, she said she doesn't want to go, Don't make me cry, I can't make her so I won't" shows how the singer is trying to hold back his tears, and he does not want to force someone to do something they do not want to do.
In summary, "Liar" by Eskimo Joe delves into the inner thoughts and emotions of the singer who has been dishonest and is struggling to deal with his actions and emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
You know, you know, you know I'm a liar
I am not to be trusted and consistently deceive others
I can't, I can't get burnt by the fire
I am not vulnerable to consequences, but you are
But you, had too
You have suffered the consequences of my actions
I know, its you, when you come around crying
I am aware of your pain caused by my lies
I cannot sleep with a room full of trying
I have a guilty conscience and find it difficult to rest when surrounded by reminders of my deceit
Its not cool
Ohh ohh, the things you do
Your actions in response to my lies are not justified, but I understand why you feel the way you do
don't make me cry, she said she doesn't want to go
Don't make me cry, I can't make her so I won't
I plead with you not to cause me emotional pain by leaving, but I also recognize that I cannot control your decisions
You come to me in a terrible hour,
I can not sleep, so I'll go have a shower
You confront me at an inconvenient time, which disturbs me and prompts me to take a moment to compose myself
you know, you know, you know I'm a liar
I reiterate my lack of trustworthiness
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dolores Mary O'Rordan, Noel Hogan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
hayd×n cooper
I've always loved this 😍
Anomie.
One of the best Eskimo Joe songs 💛💛💛
Kitava
Thanks for posting I love this song
notded77
Such a great video to go with an awesome song. And so damn dark!
SUAVE
fun fact: cinematographer of Dune, Grieg Fraser wrote a letter to Joel Edgerton praising this music video as "one of the finest uses of a limited-budget, single shot video I've ever seen"
Erik London
I was thinking of the music video but was having the hardest time finding it. Glad i finally did! So good.
Doctor Derpage
This video always comes back to me over the years. Three dudes kidnapped from a wedding or something, for an offence against a woman that warrants her father/uncles/brothers/cousins murdering all of them. Congratulations on the idea, the single shot, the subtlety. You were very young when you became artists. Perth didn't know what to do with you.
Girafingo
Single shot perfection.
Digital Deity Media
I have two tickets to the telethon in Brisbane, please play this song 💖 thanks Kristy
hypercept
I once heard a live mashup of this with a Linda Perry song. I just don't remember who. It was on the subway in nyc. The A train.