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.
Not Enough
J Mascis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm not sure what I knew
But I looked again
And the truth gave me a clue
Said my love
Why was it not enough to keep
And it's tough
And I know in my mind, I know I should be grateful
But it's hard for me, I'm done so easily
Can we be loved, can we be free
Can we be all these things you said to me
Can we be loved, can we explain
Can we be all these things and hold the pain
Can we be loved, can we be free
Can we go on, can we not see
'Cause I know myself and I can't take it easy
And it can't be good if I'm the one who's mean
And we were off again
And I just could not believe
It took so long again
I should've known, I should've seen
Said my love
That was the only way to be
Not enough
Then the future came to me
And I know my mind, I'm outta time, it's over
And I'll leave him here, is there no way to show her?
Can we be loved, can we be free
Can we be all these things you said to me
Can we be loved, can we explain
Can we be all these things and hold the pain
Can we be loved, can we be free
Can we go on, can we not see
Said my love
That was the only way to be
Not enough
And I can't believe it's me
And I know my love, and I know my love is over
And I wish I did, I wish I didn't know
The lyrics to J Mascis' song Not Enough are about a love that has failed to stand the test of time. The singer of the song is reflecting on how his love was not enough to keep the relationship from falling apart. He questions whether they can be loved and free, and whether they can hold on to the pain while still being all the things they promised to be. The repetition of the phrase "can we be" emphasizes the uncertainty and doubt in his mind regarding their future together.
As the song progresses, the singer begins to accept that things between them are over. He feels like he's out of time and leaves her behind, feeling regretful that things didn't work out. The chorus repeats the themes of being loved and free, and the pain that comes along with it. The song ends on a sad note, with the realization that sometimes love just isn't enough.
The lyrics to Not Enough are open to interpretation, but they can be seen as an exploration of the ups and downs of love, and the pain of having to let someone go. It's a reminder that relationships require hard work, and that sometimes even our best efforts aren't enough to make things work.
Line by Line Meaning
She was gone again
Once again, she has left and I am alone
And I'm not sure what I knew
I am confused and uncertain about what I understand
But I looked again
I searched for an answer
And the truth gave me a clue
I found a hint of the reality of the situation
Said my love
I addressed my romantic partner
Why was it not enough to keep
I do not understand why our love was not sufficient to maintain the relationship
And it's tough
This is a challenging situation
And I can't accept defeat
I cannot handle losing this relationship
And I know in my mind, I know I should be grateful
Intellectually, I understand that I should appreciate what I have
But it's hard for me, I'm done so easily
Emotionally, it is difficult for me to be content and I give up easily
Can we be loved, can we be free
Is it possible for love and freedom to coexist?
Can we be all these things you said to me
Can we be everything you promised me?
Can we be loved, can we explain
Is there an explanation for why love is not enough?
Can we be all these things and hold the pain
Can we still maintain these ideals while experiencing hurt?
Can we go on, can we not see
Can we continue forward without understanding?
'Cause I know myself and I can't take it easy
I am aware of my limitations and I struggle to handle difficult situations with ease
And it can't be good if I'm the one who's mean
This situation must not be positive if I am acting unkindly
And we were off again
Our relationship resumed again
And I just could not believe
I was in disbelief
It took so long again
It lasted longer than I anticipated
I should've known, I should've seen
I should have predicted that it would happen again
That was the only way to be
Unfortunately, that is the way it had to be
Not enough
Our love was insufficient
Then the future came to me
I realized what would happen in the future
And I know my mind, I'm outta time, it's over
I understand that the relationship has ended and I have run out of time to fix it
And I'll leave him here, is there no way to show her?
I am leaving and wondering if there is any way to make her understand my perspective
And I wish I did, I wish I didn't know
I have mixed feelings about my understanding of the situation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JOSEPH DONALD MASCIS JR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
TexasBIoodMoney
Only J mascis knows how to combine Sad with happy in one song...You're a legend J mascis. Anyone whos listened to your music knows the genius of it all..
StonedWallGoat
J.. I want to say thank you. Your music has not only saved me, but has gotten me through more tough times than i can begin to count. I hope that one day, I can meet you in person and personally thank you.
smartrocker14
I don't think I will never not be amazed by Chad VanGaalen's art.
Matheus Campelo
This song marked my life, thank you for existing, J Mascis.
John Coveney
I discovered Dinosaur Jr. as an 18 year old kid on his way to Desert Storm. At 42 I so much appreciate the band joining me for this ride. Thanks for making a crazy life a little better.
I'm Courtesy
+John Coveney Keep it up man; hope life is treating you well.
Justin H.
j mascis is slowly growing to become my favorite artist of all time
Sugar Johnson
Justin H. Agreed...always like them, but for some reason never listened as intensely as I have lately and I simply regret it. This guy is ridiculous.
Dave-O
Saw J crank this out in Sydney last Thursday. He spoke about 10 words during the whole performance.
Sugar Johnson
This guy is so friggin talented...so under rated.