Jack’s Mannequin started off as a side-project of Andrew McMahon, who is th… Read Full Bio ↴Jack’s Mannequin started off as a side-project of Andrew McMahon, who is the vocalist, pianist and main songwriter of the band Something Corporate but has now become his main project. The band is based in Orange County, California. The name Jack’s Mannequin originated from one of McMahon’s songs called Dear Jack, which was written about a friend of his whose brother was diagnosed with childhood leukemia. Andrew himself was diagnosed with leukemia on June 1, 2005 and cancelled a show for the first time ever when he received the call from his doctor.

The initial impulse behind McMahon’s new project Jack’s Mannequin was "Locked Doors", a song he recorded in December 2003, which he felt was too different from previous Something Corporate material to be one of their songs. He realized that, if he would ever decide to release it, it would be on a solo album rather than a Something Corporate record. The idea seemed to be off the table, until in late summer 2004 both McMahon and his band mates were exhausted from months of touring. They decided to take a temporary break. During his time off, McMahon started writing songs, knowing they would not see the light of day as Something Corporate songs. These songs were a more therapeutic approach McMahon took, and therefore a more personal and intimate testament of his songwriting.

Over the next couple of months, McMahon began recording the newly written songs with producer Jim Wirt, who would play guitar and bass over sampled drum tracks, while McMahon contributed vocals and piano. They later brought in additional musicians such as Bobby Anderson (formerly of River City High) and Tommy Lee to add to the mix. In March 2005, Jack’s Mannequin (now consisting of McMahon, Jon Sullivan on bass, Anderson and Jacques Brautbar on guitar and Jay McMillan on drums) played their first live show at Molly Malone’s Irish pub in Los Angeles, California.

Their debut album, Everything in Transit, was released on August 23, 2005 debuting at #37 of the Billboard 200 with over 22,000 copies scanned within its first week.

Everything in Transit received a positive response from fans and critics alike. A summer tour was scheduled to support the record release, but was canceled after McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and had a bone marrow transplant. The band began recording their second album in the summer of 2007. In August 2007, McMahon posted the lyrics to the song “Cellular Phone” on his blog,which the band played live at several shows in 2007 and 2008. Also, in February 2008, videos of live performances of two songs off the new record (“Caves” and “Suicide Blonde”) were uploaded onto YouTube for public viewing. McMahon appears on the cover of Alternative Press’s January 2008 issue, which contains an interview with him.

Their second album, The Glass Passenger, was released on September 30th, 2008, and is their first album with Sire Records. Despite numerous delays (the album was originally slated for release in April 2008) it has been well-received, and debuted #8 on the Billboard 200.

Previously, in August of 2008, The Ghost Overground EP was released exclusively on iTunes to promote the album, containing the songs "The Resolution", "Bloodshot", and two live performances of tracks from Everything in Transit. After the release of the EP, "The Resolution" topped the Billboard "Hot Singles Sales" charts.

Songfacts reports that "My Racing Thoughts," the first single from their third album People and Things, was released on August 2, 2011. People and Things was released October 4, 2011.

On the evening of the 24th August 2012, the official Jack's Mannequin website & official Twitter account were changed to www.andrewmcmahon.com & "amslingshots" respectively. A blog post on the official Andrew McMahon website confirmed that Jack's Mannequin were no longer & that Andrew would be working on solo material.

American Love
Jack's Mannequin Lyrics

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You see, I got this American Love
A brand new planet in the solar system
I kiss her neck, but I just can't look her in the eye
You leave for college at the turn of autumn
I spent the winter diving to the bottom
I'll kiss your neck, but I just can't look you in the eye
Yeah

[Chorus]
Big hearts, big hearts
Big hearts are for breaking
(Big hearts are for breaking)
Big hearts, big hearts
Big hearts are for breaking, yeah

You see, I got this critical conscience
A brand new black hole in the solar system
I dig my grave, but I just can't stand to step inside

And when they find out, they'll sound every siren
Break the door down to find a baby crying
You thought I knew, it's just not right to tell a lie

[Chorus]

And now there's no turning back
In the face of the sweat we share
There's nowhere to run, we're so unprepared
It's a new heart attack
Brand new bricks on my back to bear
Don't say a word or they might find us there

You see, I got this American love
A hidden planet in the solar system
But keep your eyes shut, I just can't stand to say goodbye

[Chorus: x2]

Big hearts are for breaking
Big hearts are for breaking

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jack's Mannequin's song "American Love" is a complex and intriguing mix of metaphors that explore themes such as love, guilt and fear of abandonment. The opening lines, "You see, I got this American Love, a brand new planet in the solar system", create an image of a love that is new and exciting, a "brand new planet" in the singer's universe. However, the following lines reveal that the singer is afraid to fully commit to this love, as he "can't look her in the eye". This fear of intimacy is further highlighted by the repeated phrase "I'll kiss your neck, but I just can't look you in the eye". The chorus, "Big hearts are for breaking", suggests that the singer knows that his fear of getting hurt may lead to him breaking his partner's heart.

The second verse introduces the metaphor of a "critical conscience" that is a "brand new black hole in the solar system". The singer is digging his own grave, but he cannot bear to step inside. The lines "You thought I knew, it's just not right to tell a lie" suggest that the singer is struggling with a guilty secret that he cannot bring himself to reveal to his partner, even though this lie is tearing him apart.

Overall, "American Love" is a song about fear, guilt, and the struggle to open up to love. The metaphors of planets and black holes vividly capture the singer's sense of disorientation and emotional turmoil, while the repeated refrain of "Big hearts are for breaking" suggests that the singer is aware that he may be sabotaging his own chance at happiness.

Line by Line Meaning

You see, I got this American Love
I have found something special and unique in my life

A brand new planet in the solar system
This newfound love is like a completely new experience

I kiss her neck, but I just can't look her in the eye
I am deeply in love with her, yet I find it difficult to express my feelings

You leave for college at the turn of autumn
She has left for college during autumn season

I spent the winter diving to the bottom
I have been in a depressive state during the winter season

I'll kiss your neck, but I just can't look you in the eye
I have feelings for her, but I am not comfortable expressing those feelings through eye contact

Big hearts, big hearts
People with big hearts

Big hearts are for breaking
People with a lot of love tend to get hurt easily

You see, I got this critical conscience
I am very self-aware and have a strong moral sense

A brand new black hole in the solar system
This new sense of morality is like a dark, all-consuming force

I dig my grave, but I just can't stand to step inside
I am aware of my mistakes and the consequences of my actions, but I am not ready to face them yet

And when they find out, they'll sound every siren
If my mistakes become known, it will cause a big commotion

Break the door down to find a baby crying
If my mistakes become known, there will be a lot of pain and hurt

You thought I knew, it's just not right to tell a lie
You believed I had a better sense of morality, but I cannot tell a lie to protect myself

And now there's no turning back
I am at a point of no return with the consequences of my actions

In the face of the sweat we share
We are in this together and face the difficulties together

There's nowhere to run, we're so unprepared
We cannot escape our problems and are not ready to face them

It's a new heart attack
This situation is causing a lot of emotional pain

Brand new bricks on my back to bear
I have a lot of responsibilities and burdens to carry

Don't say a word or they might find us there
We must keep our situation a secret to avoid being discovered

But keep your eyes shut, I just can't stand to say goodbye
I cannot bear to say goodbye to this love, so I keep holding on to it

Big hearts are for breaking
People with a lot of love tend to get hurt easily

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MICHAEL KAMERMAN, BEAU KUTHER, SEAN SCANLON, JOSEPH INTILE, BENJAMIN TIM BERGER, RYAN MCMAHON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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