Born Joseph Mascis on 10th December 1965 in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States, in the early 1980s he founded the short-lived hardcore group Deep Wound with his high school friends Lou Barlow and Scott Helland. He started out on drums, but moved to guitar when he went on to found Dinosaur Jr. (with bassist Barlow and drummer Patrick "Murph" Murphy in 1984), which achieved national and international success. After Mascis dismissed Barlow from Dinosaur Jr. in 1989, he recorded several more Dinosaur Jr. albums until 1997, including the 1996 acoustic solo album Martin & Me. He then went on to produce albums with his new band, J Mascis and the Fog, starting in 2000.
In April 2005, Mascis joined up again with Barlow and Murph, as the original trio of Dinosaur Jr., to begin a tour celebrating the re-release of the group's first three albums.
In August 2005, Mascis released a new solo album as J Mascis and Friends, J and Friends Sing and Chant for Amma, an album of devotional songs dedicated to Hindu religious leader Mata Amritanandamayi, or Ammachi, about whom he had previously written "Ammaring" on the first J Mascis and the Fog album More Light. The proceeds from the album are being donated to Tsunami relief efforts by Ammachi's organisation.
In late summer 2005, Mascis helped Danish band Mew by adding vocals to the song "Why Are You Looking Grave?" and backing vocals on "An Envoy to the Open Fields". Both songs can be found on Mew's newest album And the Glass Handed Kites.
In 2006, Mascis released an album with his newly-formed heavy metal band Witch, returning to drumming for their debut album, Witch.
In 2010, J Mascis teamed up with two members of Cobra Verde and one of his Witch bandmates for a new project: Sweet Apple. Like Mascis’ Witch side project, Sweet Apple finds J behind the drum kit, although he does plays guitar and sings this time around.
Every Morning
J Mascis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Running in the afternoon
Stayed out past the warning
Someone peeled it off too soon
Every morning makes it hard on me
Every morning makes it hard on me
Then I wake to who I'll never be
Then it hits me it's the life I lead
Set up in the morning
Said I gave away too soon
Wish I had a warning
Didn't know what else to do
Every morning makes it hard on me
Piece together what could never be
In a way like we were never seen
Give it off like we had always been
Oh baby won't you see me
Oh baby won't you see me
See me
Every morning makes it hard on me
Every morning makes it hard on me
Then I wake to who I'll never be
And it hits me it's the life I lead
Oh baby won't you please
Oh baby won't you see me
See me
Ain't nobody know it
Ain't nobody know it
Ain't nobody know it
Ain't nobody know it
Every morning makes it hard on me
Every morning makes it hard on me
Then I wake to who I'll never be
Then it hits me here's the life I lead
Every morning makes it hard on me
Every morning makes it hard on me
Tried to give you something I can't be
Tried but you still made it hard on me
The lyrics to J Mascis's song Every Morning portray a sense of longing and regret, highlighting the burdens of the life one leads. The first verse expresses a cycle of constantly running around, staying out too late, and undergoing emotional strain. The second verse adds to this sense of remorse, emphasizing how the singer feels as if they gave something away too soon and did not know what else to do.
The chorus reflects a kind of self-deprecation, indicating that each new morning marks a fresh start with the same, unchanging problems. There is a yearning to be seen by others, a desire for connection, and a sense of isolation and alienation from the self. The final verse suggests that while the singer tried to give love, they could not give the love they truly wanted to, and as a result, it was still difficult for them.
In summary, the song describes a protagonist who is grappling with the challenges of the life they lead. They feel as if they are stuck in a cycle of emotional turmoil, unable to escape their past mistakes and regrets. The message of the song is a reflection on the human struggle to find meaning, connection, and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Set up in the morning
Starting the day with a routine
Running in the afternoon
Being busy throughout the day
Stayed out past the warning
Crossing a line, going too far
Someone peeled it off too soon
Someone or something ruined a plan
Every morning makes it hard on me
Starting a new day is a challenge
Then I wake to who I'll never be
Feeling inadequate or unfulfilled
Then it hits me it's the life I lead
Realizing that life is not what was expected
Said I gave away too soon
Regretting a decision
Wish I had a warning
Wishing for guidance or advice
Every morning makes it hard on me
Starting a new day is a struggle
Piece together what could never be
Trying to make sense of the impossible
In a way like we were never seen
Feeling invisible or unknown
Give it off like we had always been
Acting as if everything is under control
Oh baby won't you see me
Desiring attention or validation
Ain't nobody know it
Feeling alone in a struggle
Then it hits me here's the life I lead
Realizing the pattern of life
Tried to give you something I can't be
Trying to please someone with an impossible task
Tried but you still made it hard on me
Feeling unappreciated or unsupported
Writer(s): Joseph Donald Mascis Jr Copyright: Spam As The Bread Music
Contributed by Grayson R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
88 And Counting
There's something about this song, I can't stop listening to it!
Jamie Warnes
Very relatable song, great tune, great tone, great
Tammy
Love this. J is the best.
Dragan Mihajlovic
Yeah.. perfectly!!
Mascis is a genius - always been! :)
Janne Pettersson
This is the album I look forward to the most, this year.
tigersfan61979
Agreed. This is really good news.
Chris James
I really, really, really like this song.
John Walhan
I blast this song every morning
meesterperfect
Everything J does is golden
Tovanni Renteria
love this song.