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.
Crashin
Jack's Mannequin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now that they're drivin' us all underground
Not the radio music, or their satellites singing this
In this town
In this town
I wanna hear some music
And with the rock stars all flicker and fade
I'm a ghost over ground on
On parade
And even if your voice comes back again
Maybe there'll be no one listening
And even if I find the strength to stand
It doesn't mean I won't go missing
And the world come
Crashing
I wanna hear some music
I have been waiting down here for so long
Trying to write this big music
With your breath in my face but now
But now you're gone
And even if your voice comes back again
Maybe there'll be no one listening
And even if I find the strength to stand
It doesn't mean I won't go missing
And the world come
Crashing
And the whole world comes down, downwards
And all the water on this broken town
The freeways just like veins without a heart
And the world just comes
Crashing
And the whole world comes
Crashing
And the whole world comes
And even if my voice comes back again
Maybe there'll be no one listening
And even if I find the strength to stand it
Doesn't mean I won't go on
And even if your voice comes back again
Maybe there'll be no one listening
And even if I find the strength to stand
It doesn't mean I won't go missing
And the world come
Crashing
And the words will come
Crashing
And the music comes
Crashing
Down on me
Down on me
And the words will come
Crashing
And the words will come
Crashing
Down on me
Soaked down on me
Down on you
The lyrics to Jack's Mannequin's song "Crashin'" are about the desire to hear genuine music in a world where radio and mainstream music have become shallow and meaningless. The singer yearns for music that is honest and authentic. The verses describe a world that is bleak and empty, with people driven underground and rock stars fading away. The chorus repeats the phrase "And the world come crashing," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the failure of society to produce meaningful music. The singer expresses a fear of being forgotten or overlooked, even if they do manage to create something meaningful.
The bridge of the song is particularly poignant, as it describes the destruction of the world around the singer. The imagery of freeways being like "veins without a heart" adds to the sense of hopelessness and desolation. The final verses return to the theme of the singer's desire for meaningful music, with a note of optimism that even though they might go missing or be forgotten, the music will keep coming.
Line by Line Meaning
I wanna hear some music
I crave the comfort that music brings
Now that they're drivin' us all underground
People's behavior is causing a change, and things are becoming more repressed
Not the radio music, or their satellites singing this
I don't want the popular mainstream music playing everywhere, and the influence of those who only promote their own ideas
In this town
Where I am now, in this place, I want something authentic
And with the rock stars all flicker and fade
The glamor of fame and celebrity has a short life-span, it isn't always what it seems to be
Powder radio music
The surface-level entertainment that is being forced upon people masquerades as real music, but its superficiality is revealed by the fact it lacks depth and substance
I'm a ghost over ground on
I feel disconnected from my own life, and the world around me seems to be moving forward without me
On parade
It feels like I'm putting up appearances to please others, while inside I'm in turmoil
And even if your voice comes back again
Even if I hear from you again, or have an encounter with someone/something that I hope will fix my problems
Maybe there'll be no one listening
It's possible that no one will be interested in or pay attention to my feelings or opinions, and all my attempts to connect or express myself go in vain
And even if I find the strength to stand
Even if I take a step forward and put in the effort to face my challenges
It doesn't mean I won't go missing
It doesn't guarantee that I will be present or visible, I may still feel lost or invisible even if I make progress
And the world come
The world can collapse in unexpected ways
I have been waiting down here for so long
I've been stuck in this difficult and uncomfortable situation for a long time
Trying to write this big music
I've been trying to create something special, something that would give my life more meaning
With your breath in my face but now
I used to feel your presence everywhere, but now you're gone
And the whole world comes down, downwards
Everything is descending into chaos
And all the water on this broken town
Even nature seems to be affected by the broken state of the town
The freeways just like veins without a heart
The roads and highways that connect people have no life or spirit, they feel empty
And the words will come
Inspiration will strike, and I'll be able to make sense of things
And the music comes
The music will be there to comfort me
Down on me
And I'll be able to feel its impact and let it lift me up
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW ROSS MCMAHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Sarah Beam
I seriously LOVE this song! I bought the cd earlier this week and when I heard this as the first song, I was hooked. Amazing song!
Rick Thomas
This song, I'm Ready, Rescued, and Caves are my favorites. It's (Crashin') a perfect song to open the second album. The lyrics are great because they show how much he cares about his music and that he takes it seriously. Such a good song.
Anneke Murphy
ohhh i love andrew!! jm and soco just have a way of making you feel better! :) my JM favorites are crashin, mixed tape, last straw, and hammers and strings...but they're all sooo much better than most music!!
Kairenia
My favorites: Spinning, Crashin, The Resolution, Orphans, and Caves. I'm sure I'll be obsessed with the other songs in no time. Miss California and Hammers and Strings are already working their magic on me...
jabberwagon
I hated this song when I first listened to it. Loved the rest of the album, but didn't like this one. Now, this is my favorite. Hands down. I love it. His music just has a way of growing on you... it's awesome.
hiiiialyssa
Andrew is amazing. ♥
Callie Connelly
Dark Blue, Bruised, la la lie, and Swim are the best songs!
Rachel Caputo
Mixed Tape, Dark Blue, I'm Ready, Lights and Buzz, Crashin, Swim, and Spinning= my faves!! woot woot =)
iayonna brown
Great song :)
David Maness
1. The Mixed Tape 2. Crashin 3. Rescued 4. The Lights And Buzz 5. Doris Day Are my favorite Jack's songs ever.