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.
MFEO Pt. 2: You Can Breathe
Jack's Mannequin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's my matress in the basement
I'm sweatin' out excuses
That would make your stomach turn
The road we drove last night
Stretched from the desert to Las Vegas
We filled our cups, and lit one up
The snow began to burn
Oh, Oh maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
I talked so much, I'm sure
I didn't realize I'd gone crazy
Didn't catch my bloody nose
Or that my heart tried to explode
I still live with my High School friends
Some people never change at all
We're still the same compulsive drunks
We were when we were small
(Someone get this man to a hospital!)
Ohh, maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
A long (a long) way from from a firework daze
But I still like to burn, burn, burn
I'm always (I'm always) in the haze of a car crash
The orange airbag dust covers everything
Oh, everything
And maybe, we were made
We were made for each other
Ahh, is it possible for the
World to look this way forever?
Ahhh, Ahhh...
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
You waited for me in the rain
In the parking lot
Cold hands, lips blue
Clothes stuck to you
You could have phoned me for a ride
It's a mess out there
You said the rain's the rain
Some air'd be good for you
(you can breathe, you can breathe now)
It'd be good for you
(you can breathe, but the air is running out
You get in my car
Where it's warm
You cannot forget
Skin new, hands true
My hands all over you
So what's another night
The seats rolled back
We can't see through
The rains the rain
Some air'd be good for you
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
And you walked for miles down
The shores of California to the
Coast of Mexico where you could hide
And no one'd have to know
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out (on you now)
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can breathe, but the air is running out on you
Running out on you
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(You can breathe but the air is running out)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
(You can breathe but the air is running out)
(Maybe, the world can look like this forever)
The song "MFEO Pt. 2: You Can Breathe" by Jack's Mannequin tells the story of two people who are meant for each other, but who also struggle with personal issues. The lyrics describe a journey taken by the two characters, where they experience everything from drugs and alcohol to car crashes and rain-soaked waits. Despite these challenges, they remain devoted to each other, and the song ends on a hopeful note, with the suggestion that they will continue to be together, even as the world changes around them.
The first verse sets the scene, with the singer swimming across an ocean that is actually a mattress in his basement. He is struggling with excuses, and feeling sick to his stomach about something. The second verse introduces more characters, including the singer's friends from high school, with whom he still has a close bond. The chorus, which repeats several times throughout the song, suggests that the two lead characters are meant for each other, and that the world has come to look this way forever.
The second half of the song delves deeper into the personal struggles of the two characters. One suffers from a bloody nose and a pounding heart, while the other waits in the rain, with cold hands and blue lips. Despite the hardships they face, they find solace together, and the song ends with a suggestion that they will continue to breathe, even as the air around them runs out.
Overall, "MFEO Pt. 2: You Can Breathe" is an evocative, emotional song that speaks to the complexities of human relationships and the challenges of finding love and meaning in a world that can sometimes seem indifferent or hostile.
Line by Line Meaning
I swim across an ocean
I'm going through a deep and challenging phase of life
It's my mattress in the basement
I'm drowning in my problems and they seem to be everywhere, even in my safe place
I'm sweatin' out excuses
I'm struggling to come up with valid reasons to justify my actions
That would make your stomach turn
If I told you why I'm doing what I'm doing, it would make you sick
The road we drove last night
The journey we went through recently
Stretched from the desert to Las Vegas
It was a long and tumultuous journey
We filled our cups, and lit one up
We sought solace in alcohol and drugs
The snow began to burn
Things started to get out of hand and the situation was becoming chaotic
Oh, Oh maybe, we were made
Perhaps we were destined to be together
We were made for each other
We were meant to share our lives and experiences
Ahh, is it possible for the
Is it plausible that things could always look this way?
World to look this way forever?
Can we experience the same happiness and contentment forever?
I talked so much, I'm sure
I lost my mind and couldn't keep my thoughts in check
I didn't realize I'd gone crazy
I'm too far gone in my madness to recognize it
Didn't catch my bloody nose
I was too caught up in the moment to notice the physical pain I was in
Or that my heart tried to explode
I was under a lot of emotional pressure and my heart was bearing the brunt of it
I still live with my High School friends
I'm still stuck in the past and haven't moved on from my teenage years
Some people never change at all
Some people are too set in their ways to change
We're still the same compulsive drunks
We still resort to alcohol to drown our sorrows
We were when we were small
We haven't grown up and matured since our childhood days
(Someone get this man to a hospital!)
I need help, or else I'm going to crash and burn
A long (a long) way from from a firework daze
We've come a long way from our days of youthful exuberance
But I still like to burn, burn, burn
I still find solace in self-destructive behavior
I'm always (I'm always) in the haze of a car crash
I'm always lost in my thoughts and can't seem to get out of my own head
The orange airbag dust covers everything
The aftermath of my self-destructive tendencies is everywhere
And you walked for miles down
You went through a lot to escape from your problems
The shores of California to the
From one end of the country to the other, you had to go to find your peace
Coast of Mexico where you could hide
You went to a place where no one knows you so you could start afresh
No one'd have to know
You didn't want anyone to find out about your past and the things you're trying to escape from
You can breathe, you can breathe now
You can finally take a sigh of relief
You can breathe, but the air is running out
But you need to be careful as the peace you've found might be short-lived
Contributed by Eva T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.