Michael Aston (vocals) was the poetic, goth-leaning side of the twin brothers while Jay Aston’s distinctive banshee-like, wailing vocals supplied Gene Loves Jezebel with one of their many trademark quirks.
Originally called Slav Aryan, Gene Loves Jezebel began in 1980 with the brothers, guitarist Ian Hudson, and a drum machine. The Astons grew up in Porthcawl, South Wales, making the move to London in 1981. With a new home, and shortly thereafter, the new name, the trio played several live shows and was signed by Situation Two. In May 1982, the label released Gene Loves Jezebel's demo and a single "Shaving My Neck." The band then added bassist Julianne Regan followed, Regan was replaced by Ian Hudson on Bass (and Albi DeLuca took over the guitar role) and went on to form All About Eve, Gene Loves Jezebel underwent a dozen or so line up changes between 1981-1985 alone! The band was really about the twins after all.
The band released two more singles in 1983 before their debut album Promise peaked at number 8 in the U.K.'s indie charts. In 1984, the group recorded a John Peel radio session for BBC and toured America with fellow Welsh artist John Cale. The second album, Immigrant, was released in mid-1985. However, during an agonizing American tour for Immigrant, founding member Ian Hudson suffered a nervous breakdown and was replaced by former Gen X guitarist James Stevenson.
During 1986, the group moved contract to Situation Two's parent company, Beggar's Banquet Records and distribution rights in USA to Geffen Records. The subsequent promotion increased pop-chart success for the group. The single "Sweetest Thing" briefly hit the Top 75 in U.K. and the album, Discover, reached number 32 in UK Albums Chart. At this time, the group also found heavy rotations on college and alternative radio stations across America. The band had slowly turned their attention to dance music. The slick and catchy guitar hooks of singles "Desire" and "Heartache" leapt to #6 and #72, respectively, on Los Angeles' famous New Wave station, KROQ. Later that year, Chris Bell became the band's fifth drummer.
Gene Loves Jezebel's fourth album, The House of Dolls, was released late in 1987 and yielded the singles, "20 Killer Hurts" and "The Motion of Love" that grazed the U.S. pop charts. The third single from The House of Dolls, "Suspicion", for the first time, surfaced on The Billboard Hot 100. Despite rising mainstream success, the new pop-oriented direction proved to be too polished and commercial for the poetic and more goth-like brother, Michael. He parted ways with Jay in 1989.
While Michael pursued his solo work, Jay continued using the Gene Loves Jezebel name and recorded two albums, Kiss of Life in 1989, followed by Heavenly Bodies. reached #68 on Billboard's Hot 100. Three years later, Jay Aston and company released Heavenly Bodies, which did well in Europe and on American college radio. Unfortunately, after dispointing record sales record sales and the collapse of Savage Records (David Bowie) American label folded one year later, and, after a few more live shows, so did Gene Loves Jezebel.
While Jay performed occasional acoustic shows under his own name, Michael played with members of Scenic, then formed a new band called the Immigrants (re-named Edith Grove) and later released a pimarily acoustic solo album, Why Me, Why This, Why Now. Michael and Jay began working together again throughout the 90's , and also recorded two songs for a GLJ best-of compilation "from the mouths of Babes' on Michael Aston's label Bonnaire records , released in September 1995.
A reunion tour followed in 1997, but the brothers' reconciliation was short-lived. In October 1997, Jay sued his twin brother over rights to the name "Gene Loves Jezebel" after leaving the band. After a protracted court battle, Jay eventually dropped all charges "with prejudice" meaning Michael can never be challenged for the name again and consequently Michael owns the exclusive rights to the mark. Michael also trademarked "Gene Loves Jezebel" and toured both the U.S. and the U.K. extensively supporting Gene Loves Jezebel releases: Love Lies Bleeding (1999) - Live in Voodoo City (1999) - Giving Up the Ghost (2001) – and Exploding Girls (2003)
Jealous
Gene Loves Jezebel Lyrics
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Say why do you worry, why you hurting inside?
Who's hurt you baby? I like you a lot
You are so beautiful and that is a fact
Yeah, yeah
Jealous
I watch the sun, it cuts through the cloudy skies
So don't you worry, no don't you worry
I'll make you happy, happy
Yeah, yeah
Something's wrong, something's wrong with you
Jealous, yeah
Something's really wrong, something's wrong with you
Jealous, Jealous, Jealous, Jealous
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Jealous, Jealous
I spot two lovers on the Old Brompton Road
I feel so jealous, I need someone to hold
Who's hurt you baby? I Like you a lot
I look at you and I know that something's up
Something's wrong, something's wrong with you
Jealous
Something's really wrong, something's wrong with you
Jealous, Jealous, Jealous, Jealous
How do you like the cat
Kitty, kitty, kitty
The lyrics of Gene Loves Jezebel's song Jealous tell a story of someone who is concerned about their love interest. The first two lines "I really notice that you don't sleep at night. Say why do you worry, why you hurting inside?" convey the sense that something is bothering their partner and they are struggling to cope. The next line, "Who's hurt you baby? I like you a lot" shows that the singer genuinely cares for their partner and wants to know what is wrong.
However, despite the singer's reassurance that they will make their partner happy, the repeated chorus of "Jealous" suggests a deeper underlying issue. The singer seems to be worried that their partner is cheating on them, which is made clear in the line "I spot two lovers on the Old Brompton Road. I feel so jealous, I need someone to hold." This creates a sense of tension and anxiety in the song, with the repeated use of "something's wrong" adding to the overall feeling of unease.
The final line, "How do you like the cat. Kitty, kitty, kitty" is somewhat enigmatic, with no clear interpretation. Some suggest that it could represent the singer's sexual frustration, while others believe it simply adds to the sense of weirdness and unpredictability in the song.
Line by Line Meaning
I really notice that you don't sleep at night
I can tell you're troubled and not getting any rest
Say why do you worry, why you hurting inside?
Tell me what's on your mind, why are you in pain?
Who's hurt you baby? I like you a lot
I care about you and want to know who hurt you
You are so beautiful and that is a fact
You are truly beautiful, no question about it
Yeah, yeah
Expression of agreement or affirmation
Jealous
Feeling of envy or insecurity about someone else's perceived advantage
I watch the sun, it cuts through the cloudy skies
Watching the sun shine through the clouds brings me joy
It heals these wounds and makes me glad to be alive
The sun's warmth and light brings healing to my soul and makes me happy to be alive
So don't you worry, no don't you worry
You don't need to be afraid or anxious
I'll make you happy, happy
I will do what I can to make you happy
Something's wrong, something's wrong with you
I sense that something is troubling you
Jealous, yeah
Feeling of envy or insecurity about someone else's perceived advantage
Something's really wrong, something's wrong with you
I strongly believe that something is seriously bothering you
Jealous, Jealous, Jealous, Jealous
Feeling of envy or insecurity about someone else's perceived advantage
Yeah, yeah
Expression of agreement or affirmation
Jealous, Jealous
Feeling of envy or insecurity about someone else's perceived advantage
I spot two lovers on the Old Brompton Road
I see two people in love on the street
I feel so jealous, I need someone to hold
I feel envious of their happiness and want someone to comfort me
How do you like the cat
A non sequitur or random question
Kitty, kitty, kitty
A response to the previous question, possibly unrelated to the rest of the song
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave
Written by: JOHN PETER ASTON, JAMES STEVENSON, CHRISTOPHER HAMILTON BELL, PETER RISINGHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind