The group was named for the San Francisco Muni Metro line that Hahn took down Church Street to work, as well as to band practice in the the early days. Through the years, Lance was joined by a vast array of musicians in an ever-evolving J Church lineup.
Lance Hahn was also a punk rock history writer, writing many pieces for Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, the San Francisco music zine. Additionally, he also found time to run Honey Bear Records and work on a book compiling various writings on anarcho-punk bands. Lance Hahn passed away on October 21, 2007, aged 40, after falling into a coma nine days earlier due to complications from kidney dialysis.
Band Members included:
Guitar / Vocals
Lance Hahn (1991-2007)
Second Guitarist
David DiDonato (2002-2005)
Bass Players
Ben White (2002-2007)
Jeff Bursley (1999-2002)
Scott Bradley (1998-1999)
Gardner Maxam (1991-1998)
Drummers
Chris Pfeffer (2002-2007)
Adam Pfahler (1998-2002)
Andee Connors (1997-2000)
Reed Burgoyne (1995-1997)
Wade Arnold Driver Jr (1994-1995)
Brendan Murdoch (1992-1994)
Adam Pfahler (1992-1993)
Aaron Olson (1991-1992)
http://www.j-church.com
Chemicals
J Church Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can smell the chemicals from here,
I just had to get away,
And my resistance,
Is I don't need it to exist,
I should just give it away
Dry your eyes, your true deceit is known,
Dry your eyes, your true deceit is known,
These things you call yourself are really parts of the whole
And I should have known not to let you into my house,
Into my house, my house, my house, my house,
And I should have known not to let you into my house,
Into my house, my house, my house, my house
She's got her bag open,
A gift from a special friend,
He works the nightshift every day,
And every moment, every second,
Every minute I hesitate,
I should just give it away
Dry your eyes, your true deceit is known,
These things you call yourself are really things that you own,
Dry your eyes, your true deceit is known,
These things you call yourself are really parts of the whole
And I should have known not to let you into my house,
Into my house, my house, my house, my house,
And I should have known not to let you into my house,
Into my house, my house, my house, my house
The lyrics to J Church's song "Chemicals" are a commentary on addiction and self-deception. The singer is struggling with a temptation, represented by the woman who is coming over to his house, and he describes the smell of the "chemicals" that she brings with her. He knows that he should resist this temptation and "just give it away," but he also acknowledges that his desire to escape reality is a part of him that he doesn't need to exist.
The chorus of the song, "Dry your eyes, your true deceit is known, These things you call yourself are really parts of the whole," suggests that the singer is beginning to see that his addiction and the lies he tells himself about it are not separate from who he is as a person. He is starting to recognize that he cannot simply "give it away" and be done with it, but must confront the deeper parts of himself that are driving his desire for escape.
The repetition of the line "And I should have known not to let you into my house" emphasizes the singer's sense of regret for allowing this temptation to enter his life. By the end of the song, however, it's unclear whether he has successfully resisted the woman's influence or given in to it once again.
Overall, the lyrics of "Chemicals" are an honest, introspective look at the struggle of addiction and the ways in which it can become intertwined with our sense of self.
Line by Line Meaning
She's coming over,
Someone is coming to the singer's house.
I can smell the chemicals from here,
The singer can smell something strong and potentially dangerous from where they are.
I just had to get away,
The singer needed to leave the situation for safety or comfort reasons.
And my resistance,
The artist's hesitance or reluctance to give in to temptation.
Is I don't need it to exist,
The artist doesn't believe they need whatever is being offered to them to survive or thrive.
I should just give it away
The singer believes it would be best to give away or get rid of whatever is being offered.
Dry your eyes, your true deceit is known,
Stop pretending you're something you're not, we know the truth.
These things you call yourself are really things that you own,
You can't call yourself something you don't truly embody or possess within yourself.
And I should have known not to let you into my house,
The artist regrets allowing this person into their personal space.
Into my house, my house, my house, my house,
Repeating the phrase emphasizes the artist's anger or frustration.
She's got her bag open,
The person in question has their bag open, implying they have something to offer or give.
A gift from a special friend,
Whatever is being offered was a present from someone important to the giver.
He works the nightshift every day,
The special friend mentioned works odd or long hours.
And every moment, every second,
The singer is acutely aware of the passing of time in this situation.
Every minute I hesitate,
The singer is contemplating saying no or getting rid of the thing being offered at every second.
Contributed by Caleb R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.