“There’s a Michael Jackson influence,” confesses the producer/composer/musician with a gentle chuckle, about the third Jakalope album. “I made a conscious effort to look into the type of stuff I enjoy, so there’s a very heavy Jackson-factor in there, as well as a bit of a Donna Summer-thing going on.”
It’s one of the tastier ironies of Ogilvie’s catalogue that the pulsating influence of Donna Summer’s disco-synth svengali Giorgio Moroder is already felt in some of the more outré work he’s done in the past – albeit shrouded in night terrors – but it’s also no surprise.
“Moroder’s stuff was very influential in everybody’s world,” he says, “but especially for me, with Moroder being the first to do a lot of electronic stuff. I always had a very weak spot for that, and loved to be able to emulate that in any way. In the past with Jakalope I was trying to really stick to an industrial rock vein, but I’m trying to let it flow a little more with this album, and applying those influences.”
If Jakalope’s first two albums established a bubblegum meets sheet-metal blueprint for the enterprise, Things That Go Jump In The Night is a graduation into something a little more substantial, and a little less brazen in its effort to make itself heard. As Ogilvie notes, he’s letting the music “flow”, which means that Things That Go Jump In The Night has to some extent designed itself, taking Ogilvie and his cohorts to a slinkier place than Jakalope has occupied before. There’s at least one very good reason for the neon-lit and smoke-infused feel of the new material, or, as Ogilvie has it, “the lush, multi-dimensional sound.”
“These songs are really written with a lot more attention to the character of Chrystal’s voice,” he explains. “It’s a lot more mature, I think. That’s one of the things for me – the writing, performance and style has a whole new level of maturity, where before it was simple pop songs with simple vocals.”
Chrystal Leigh is Ogilvie’s newest muse, now that Katie B. has amicably moved on from her two-album collaboration with Jakalope. Ogilvie came across Leigh when he was petitioning friends and colleagues to find him the new voice. The Vancouverite aced her audition.
“I was blown away by her personality, her voice, and the fact that she’s a piano player,” recounts Ogilvie, before dishing, “I was dying to have someone to collaborate with, who actually is a musician and not just a singer.”
The results of their partnership? It’s anointed Jakalope with a Nancy-and-Lee or Serge-and-Jane vibe; adult, knowing, and altogether smoother than the boisterous dance moves of It Dreams and Born 4. Ogilvie had Leigh inaugurate the new Jakalope with a reverent cover of Julee Cruise’s “Falling”, which turned out every inch as celestial and haunting as the original. But it’s the Ogilvie/Leigh compositions that ultimately convince, be it “Magnolia” where an uplifting tempo juxtaposes the haunting lyrics, the boom box and B-movie organ laced “Cupcake”, which suggests a goth Gwen Stefani, or the gorgeous “Last Song Tonight”, which gives Ogilvie the chance to exercise his inner-John Barry with a tense string part emerging from a platter of schizoid, Aphex Twin percussive signals and rubbery bass. Throughout these tracks, Leigh establishes herself, unequivocally, as the new voice. “I’ve always been drawn towards Dave’s work and it’s nice to finally collaborate with someone I respect and inspires me. If there’s one thing Jakalope was missing was a chemistry between music and vocals and I’m excited to be that new voice.” Says Leigh. Jakalope has consequently taken an exponential leap forward, giving Ogilvie what he always wanted – an equality between its male and female principles.
“Look at my discography and there’s a lot of women I worked with,” he says. “And I always loved seeing passionate female performers, and it’s really something I think we’ve been lacking.”
“Joni Mitchell was one of my early influences,” Ogilvie continues, no doubt much to the surprise of any aging rivet-heads who grew up with Too Dark Park in constant rotation, “with just the power of what she was saying – it spoke to me very deeply. Seeing someone like Shirley Manson, from her onset to what she became, I just always loved to be able to see how someone with such a small demeanor in person can have such control of an audience. I just really, really enjoy that…”
Which brings us to Chrystal.
“The big thing I’ve always stressed,” he concludes, “is that when people see someone on stage, they want to be that person. You don’t want the person on stage to be part of the crowd, and Chrystal definitely stands out and is not part of the crowd. I’m so excited to be involved with that. She’s someone who takes the reins in her hands and is like, ‘Let me take control…’”
Digging Deep
Jakalope Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To treat me life a fish
I can be smooth as I wanna be
But it's no guarantee
That I'll be better than me
Someday instead
I'll just keep wanting you anyways
And I'll be
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
Hold me up
I'll dig my hands in
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
Hold me up
I'll dig my hands in
Keep to the surface
You'll be
A place that I can't breathe
Not used to feeling
Less than me
Less than incomplete
You know that I can not drown
But it's not safe to be found
You throw me away
And I'll be
Be digging deep
Race me to defeat
Put it on repeat
I'm not done yet
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
Hold me up
I'll dig my hands in
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
Hold me up
I'll dig my hands in
[guitar solo]
Reel me in
I'll give in
Reel me in
I'll give in
(Hold me up I'll dig my hands in)
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
I'll give in
(hold me up, I'll dig my hands in)
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
Hold me up
I'll dig my hands in
Reel me in
I'll give in
Til I win
Hold me up
I'll dig my hands in
The song "Digging Deep" by Jakalope features lyrics that seem to be about being pulled in by someone, but not being sure if they are good for you. The song appears to be about a relationship that is both enticing and dangerous. The lyrics suggest that the singer knows that the person they are with is not necessarily good for them, but they cannot resist being with them. The line "I'll just keep wanting you anyways" suggests that the singer knows that the relationship is not healthy but allows themselves to continue to pursue it anyway.
The chorus of the song, which repeats "reel me in, I'll give in, 'til I win, hold me up, I'll dig my hands in" suggests that the subject of the song wants to be pulled in by the person they are with, despite the risks. The bridge of the song, which references both drowning and racing to defeat, adds to the sense of danger and excitement that seems to underlie the lyrics.
Ultimately, the song seems to be about the ways in which people can be attracted to things that might not be good for them. The lyrics suggest that the singer is aware of this, but cannot resist the allure of the person they are drawn to.
Line by Line Meaning
Reeling me in not afraid
You are trying to win me over, without any fear of failure
To treat me life a fish
Treating me as a helpless prey, you are trying to conquer
I can be smooth as I wanna be
I may behave perfectly, but that does not guarantee my success in winning you
But it's no guarantee
I might not be able to impress you with my charm always
That I'll be better than me
I might not be able to outdo my own performance in trying to impress you
Someday instead
Instead of trying to change myself to impress you, I will accept myself the way I am
I'll just keep wanting you anyways
No matter what, I'll still have the desire to be with you
And I'll be
That desire will continue to persist
Keep to the surface
If you stay on the surface, I won't be able to connect with you
You'll be
In that case, you will be
A place that I can't breathe
A place that restricts my freedom and personal growth
Not used to feeling
I am not accustomed to feeling this way
Less than me
I usually feel superior and in control
Less than incomplete
But this situation makes me feel vulnerable and incomplete
You know that I can not drown
I am a strong person who cannot be easily defeated by challenges
But it's not safe to be found
Still, I don't want to be uncovered in this weak and vulnerable state
You throw me away
If you reject me,
And I'll be
I will still have the desire to be with you
Be digging deep
I will keep trying harder to win you over
Race me to defeat
A competition to see who gives up first
Put it on repeat
The cycle of competition repeats continuously
I'm not done yet
I am still willing to compete and try harder to win you over
Hold me up
Don't give up on me yet
Reel me in
Try to win me over
I'll give in
I'll eventually be convinced to be with you
Til I win
(You will reel me in) until you win me over
I'll dig my hands in
When I finally give in, I'll be fully committed to the relationship
[guitar solo]
Instrumental part with no specific meaning
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Kristin Roth
God this band was hella underrated. I wish they got bigger :/
Jen Juhl
Wow..I just came across this band somehow...and they're freaking awesome..I love the style and everything :) and it's so rare to find a good band :P
Blackdream
I love the lyrics and the way the singer sings the song. I could listen to this over and over. :)
vampyr12sweetie
this song i love it by far the best. Jakalope rocks
Keldun
Jakalope makes some awesome music, and they're a Canadian group :) That's all I care about.
TK
finally someone who actually knows something about jakalope :D I am hoping Chrystal will be better suited for what I thought jakalope was about during "It Dreams" (not saying that I didn't like Katie)
ShadowCrowX
I'm always surprised by how contrasting that 2nd verse pre chorus is to the rest of the song
endlessrawr
well that is true...but it should be so obvious that this "band" bloomed from a genre. it is composed from so many different people, i want to estimate more than 15. it is so orchestrated, and all the people that have worked so hard to put it together all have made industrial music at one point or another.
EmoSoldierGirl
why does she have creepy videos then ? she is sooo amazing who cares aslong as people love or like her music it doesnt matter or should it
Diablo Roberto
i love it that there's a nine inch nails feel to this video, reminds me a lot of "closer" :)