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.
Miss Delaney
Jack's Mannequin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of all my downer thoughts
In no time there'll be
One less sad robot
Looking for a chance to be
Something more than just metal
Now I'm going part time
With a film projectionist
From my surfer dream
She likes the beach boys
More than radio metal
And she's so good
But, she's no good for me
Oh, Miss Delaney
What's the matter?
You waited by the window
(You waited by the window)
I waited by the door
Oh, Miss Delaney
Where's your boyfriend?
He isn't up in heaven, so
Why treat him like he's dead
It's not that everyday
Everyday is coming up
With the green grass
But the times pass, when
I think of you
Whenever I'm at dinner
Finally I've found someone
To duel this lonely sea
I don't spend my nights
Searching for earthquakes
Though it's biblical
How fucked my sleep can be
But she won't sleep with me
Oh, Miss Delaney
What's the matter?
You waited by the window
I waited by the door
Oh, Miss Delaney
Where's your boyfriend?
He isn't up in heaven, so
Why treat him like he's dead
Like he's dead, like he's dead
From here you can't find everything
Erin, I would never lie to you
Oh, Miss Delaney (Miss Delaney)
Whatcha sad for?
You waited by the window
And I was kicking down your door
Oh, Miss Delaney
Where's your boyfriend?
(Where's your boyfriend)
He isn't up in heaven, so
Why treat him like he's dead
Oh, Miss Delaney
The song "Miss Delaney" by Jack's Mannequin is about the singer letting go of his negative thoughts and finding someone new, but still being haunted by the past. He sings about his part-time job with a film projectionist named Miss Delaney, who is described as the "vinyl queen from my surfer dream." She likes the Beach Boys and is a refreshing change from the singer's previous taste in music ("radio metal"). Despite his attraction to her, he acknowledges that she's not good for him in a romantic sense. The chorus repeats the question, "Oh, Miss Delaney, where's your boyfriend?" suggesting that perhaps Miss Delaney is not completely available.
The second verse shows that the singer has found someone to "duel this lonely sea" with, but they are not intimate. He also acknowledges that his previous sleep difficulties have lessened, but are still present. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus and the line "Erin, I would never lie to you," which could suggest that the song is about a previous relationship with a woman named Erin.
Overall, "Miss Delaney" is a catchy and upbeat song that deals with themes of letting go and finding new love while still being haunted by the past. It also explores the idea of attraction to someone who may not be good for you.
Line by Line Meaning
Finally, I'm letting go
I am finally letting go of my negative thoughts
Of all my downer thoughts
Of all the negative thoughts I have
In no time there'll be
Soon enough there will be
One less sad robot
One less person feeling down and lonely
Looking for a chance to be
Searching for an opportunity to be
Something more than just metal
Something more than just a machine, more human-like
Now I'm going part time
Now I'm working less hours
With a film projectionist
Working with someone who operates a film projector
And she's the vinyl queen
She enjoys and collects vinyl records
From my surfer dream
From the ideal image of a surfer
She likes the beach boys
She is a fan of the Beach Boys
More than radio metal
Preferring their music over heavy metal music on the radio
And she's so good
She is very skilled in what she does or as a person
But, she's no good for me
Despite her qualities, she is not a good match for me
Oh, Miss Delaney
Addressing a person named Miss Delaney
What's the matter?
What seems to be troubling you?
You waited by the window
You were waiting by the window
(You waited by the window)
Repeating the fact that she waited by the window
I waited by the door
I was waiting by the door
Oh, Miss Delaney
Addressing Miss Delaney once again
Where's your boyfriend?
Asking about her boyfriend's whereabouts
He isn't up in heaven, so
Implying that he is not dead either
Why treat him like he's dead
Why act as if he is dead then?
It's not that everyday
It's not that every day
Everyday is coming up
Every day is not always great
With the green grass
Despite the good things in life
But the times pass, when
But there are times when
I think of you
I think of you, Miss Delaney
Whenever I'm at dinner
Every time I'm having dinner
Finally I've found someone
I have finally found someone
To duel this lonely sea
To battle this feeling of loneliness
I don't spend my nights
I don't spend my nights
Searching for earthquakes
Worrying about disasters or bad things happening
Though it's biblical
Although it often feels like a biblical punishment
How fucked my sleep can be
How much my sleep is impacted by my worries
But she won't sleep with me
But unfortunately, she won't have sex with me
From here you can't find everything
From this point of view, you can't see or find everything
Erin, I would never lie to you
Addressing someone named Erin and assuring her of honesty
Whatcha sad for?
What is making you feel sad?
And I was kicking down your door
I had to force my way into your place
(Where's your boyfriend)
Repeating the question of Miss Delaney's boyfriend's whereabouts
Oh, Miss Delaney
Once again addressing Miss Delaney
He isn't up in heaven, so
Reiterating that he is not dead or in heaven
Why treat him like he's dead
Why act as if he is dead then?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANDREW ROSS MCMAHON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind