Gary Jules attended The Bishop's School in La Jolla, California. Some of his early projects/bands were The Ivory Knights, Our Town Pansies, Woodenfish and The Origin.
Jules started off his solo recording career with the debut Greetings from the Side. Originally released by A & M, this album slipped through the cracks due to neglect on the label's part, and Jules was dropped. In 2001, together with friend Michael Andrews, Gary Jules recorded Trading Snakeoil For Wolftickets. It was from this album that the remake of Tears for Fears' Mad World was subsequently used by Michael Andrews for Donnie Darko.
In December 2003, two years after Donnie Darko was released, Mad World finally reached the charts and became the Christmas Number One in the UK. In early 2004, the song surfaced in the US and Canada.
His most recent album, simply titled Gary Jules was released in 2006. The song Falling Awake from this album was recently used in the season 3 episode Six Days: Part Two of Grey's Anatomy.
Jules' Andrews' arrangement of "Mad World", was recently used in a trailer for the Gears of War for the XBOX 360, it was also used in a few episodes of CSI, Without a Trace, in some episodes of Dead Like Me, in an episode of Jericho, and an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Official Site: http://www.garyjules.com/
Owen Down
Gary Jules Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just to make you feel wanted
Take you by the long white throat to show
How much I care
Guitar on my bed
Where your body's supposed to be
If I could turn you inside-out,
Down, down, down, down -
Down, down, down, down -
Baby, I would call your name
And I'd cut my skin to let you under
& if you promise not to leave,
I might let you outside
She is all around me now
If I could turn her inside-out,
I'd swallow her down
Down, down, down, down -
Throw me a line, you know I'm bound to drown
Do you need me tonight,
You know you'll see me around
We could ...
Down, down, down, down -
The lyrics to Gary Jules's song "Owen Down" are quite disturbing and evoke a sense of obsession and control. The opening line "Baby, I would smash your pretty face just to make you feel wanted" is a jarring and violent statement that sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is clearly obsessed with the object of their affection to the point where they are willing to hurt them physically just to feel like they are needed.
The next few lines "Take you by the long white throat to show how much I care" are equally disturbing and further illustrate the singer's obsession with control. The image of taking someone by the throat is both violent and possessive, suggesting that the singer wants complete domination over the other person. The guitar on the bed where the other person's body is supposed to be is a creepy image that reinforces the idea of this person being an object rather than a human being.
The second verse continues with the same themes of obsession and control. The line "Baby, I would call your name and I'd cut my skin to let you under" suggests that the singer is willing to hurt themselves in order to be close to the other person. The lack of agency and boundaries is emphasized by the line "if you promise not to leave, I might let you outside." This implies that the singer is using their power to control the other person rather than allowing them to make their own choices.
Overall, the lyrics to "Owen Down" are dark and unsettling, painting a picture of a toxic and unhealthy relationship marked by obsession, control, and violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, I would smash your pretty face
I would do anything to make you think that you're important and wanted
Just to make you feel wanted
My love for you is so strong that I would even resort to violence to express it
Take you by the long white throat to show
I will do whatever it takes to show you how much you mean to me
How much I care
My love for you is intense and all-consuming, to the point where I may lose myself in it
Guitar on my bed
I am surrounded by music, which is the only thing that brings me comfort
Where your body's supposed to be
I am repeatedly reminded of your absence, which only adds to my pain
If I could turn you inside-out,
If I could change who you are fundamentally, I would do so in an instant
I'd swallow you down
I would take in every part of you if it meant I could keep you close to me forever
Baby, I would call your name
I crave your attention and will do anything to get it
And I'd cut my skin to let you under
I am willing to hurt myself in order to let you in and feel closer to me
If you promise not to leave,
I am terrified of losing you and will make any promise necessary to keep you by my side
I might let you outside
If you agree to stay, I will allow you to have some freedom and independence
She is all around me now
Even when you are not physically present, your memory and essence surround me constantly
If I could turn her inside-out,
If I could change who you are, I would do anything to make you more aligned with my ideal version of you
I'd swallow her down
I would consume every part of you if it meant that I could keep you close to me forever
Throw me a line, you know I'm bound to drown
I need your help to keep me afloat and keep me from drowning in my own emotions
Do you need me tonight,
I am desperate to feel needed and important in your life
You know you'll see me around
I will always be here for you, no matter what happens
We could ...
Despite my desperation for your love and attention, I am uncertain of what the future may hold for us
Down, down, down, down -
I feel stuck in this cycle of longing and desperation, with no way out
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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