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.
Very Nervous and Love
J Mascis Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Tell me 'cause I'm nervous and love
I've been thinking less
I've been thinking out loud, to prayers
Tell me where we are
Tell me 'cause we never get far
And I've tried my only hand
You just couldn't understand
I've been holding back
I've been holding pieces entrapped
I don't know what's wrong
I don't know my reasons
So long
Hope has left me here
Hope has left me wonderin'
And I feel
And I'm s'pposed to be so free
And the darkness pulls me over
Why did it have to be me?
I can't speak my mind
I can't even speak
I'm fine
Tell me why'd you go
Tell me 'cause I'm nervous
Take it slow
I don't see you wait
I don't see you coming
It's a dream
And it's falling off of it
Thought I'd never have to face it
Something hard is here instead
The song "Very Nervous and Love" by J Mascis is a melancholic track that conveys the emotions of a person who is lost, confused, and hurt in a relationship. In the opening lines of the song, the singer is requesting an explanation for the reasons behind the breakup. However, he is hesitant and nervous, indicating that the truth might be too painful for him to bear. He expresses his thoughts out loud, hoping to find some solace or clarity through prayers. The singer then continues to plead for answers, asking where they stand because they never seem to get anywhere.
As the song progresses, the singer admits that he has tried to make things work and has tried to keep it simple. However, his partner failed to comprehend his efforts, and he feels as though he is left withholding parts of himself back. The singer is unsure of what's wrong, and hope has left him wondering, leaving him in a state of confusion and despair. The darkness consumes him, leaving him feeling trapped and devoid of his freedom. In the final lines, the singer expresses his inability to articulate his feelings, rendering him mute.
The song is a poignant reflection of a relationship that has come to an end, with the singer struggling to come to terms with the situation. The use of simple, repetitive lyrics, coupled with a slow tempo, and Mascis's signature guitar sound creates an atmosphere of sadness and heartbreak.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me why you broke
Explain the reason behind your decision to break up with me
Tell me 'cause I'm nervous and love
I am anxious and in love with you, so I need to know why you broke up with me
I've been thinking less
My mind is occupied with thoughts of you, leaving me with no room for other thoughts
I've been thinking out loud, to prayers
I am vocalizing my thoughts about you, hoping that someone or something will provide an answer or a solution for my problems
Tell me where we are
Help me understand the current state of our relationship
Tell me 'cause we never get far
Our relationship never progresses because we keep running into roadblocks
And I've tried my only hand
I have done everything in my power to make things work between us
And I've tried to keep it simple
I have attempted to make our relationship uncomplicated and straightforward
You just couldn't understand
You were not able to comprehend my intentions and feelings, which led to our breakup
I've been holding back
I have been suppressing my emotions and feelings towards you
I've been holding pieces entrapped
I have been hiding and locking away parts of myself that I feel are not accepted by you
I don't know what's wrong
I am unaware of what went wrong between us
I don't know my reasons
I cannot pinpoint why I feel the way I do or why I made certain decisions
So long
It has been a long time since we were together
Hope has left me here
I have lost all hope in our relationship and am now stuck in this situation
Hope has left me wonderin'
I am now left wondering what could have been if things were different
And I feel
I am feeling overwhelmed by my emotions
And I'm s'pposed to be so free
I should be feeling liberated and unburdened, but instead, I feel trapped
And the darkness pulls me over
I am overwhelmed by feelings of sadness and despair
Why did it have to be me?
I am questioning why I had to experience this pain and heartbreak
I can't speak my mind
I am unable to express myself freely or openly
I can't even speak
I am at a loss for words and am finding it difficult to form coherent thoughts
I'm fine
I am doing okay, but this is just a facade
Tell me why'd you go
Please explain to me why you had to leave me
Tell me 'cause I'm nervous
I am anxious and in need of answers to find peace
Take it slow
Let's take our time in resolving our issues and finding a solution
I don't see you wait
I have been waiting for you, but you have not shown up
I don't see you coming
I do not anticipate seeing you soon or ever again
It's a dream
This situation and my feelings towards you seem unreal and dreamlike
And it's falling off of it
Our relationship is crumbling and slipping away from me
Thought I'd never have to face it
I never anticipated going through such hardship and heartbreak
Something hard is here instead
Instead of happiness and love, I am now facing pain and heartbreak
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JOSEPH DONALD MASCIS JR.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind