“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…’”
Instigator
Jakalope Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To do to me is d-d-do the same
Whatcha doin'
Whatcha doin'
Whatcha doin'
Whatcha doi-doi-doin'
Whatcha doin'
Whatcha doin' to me?
Whatcha do to me is d-d-do the same
I've been linkin' a mind untainted
And I don't know if it'll make the chain
How many times do I have to break it down
Till you can see what I'm saying
Push it further
Push me, you push me all the way
Don't look at me
I've paid my dues
Your time, your dime
Listen to you
For what it's worth I'm there for you
Anyway
But it's not up to me
To help you to succeed
But listen to you
And what you want me to
And you always seem to know
That you'll always choose to go
And I always choose to know
That I'll always see you go
Push it further
Push it all the way
Don't look at me
I've paid my dues
Your time, your dime
Listen to you
For what it's worth I'm there for you
Anyway
But it's not up to me
To help you to succeed
But listen to you
And what you want me to
But it's not up to me
To help you to succeed
But listen to you
And what you want me to
Push it further
Push it all the way
But it's not up to me
To help you to succeed
But listen to you
And what you want me to
[Allie Sheldan from Rio Bent]
Let the leash slip from your hands
I'm tired or these reins
Don't tie me up
Confuse me with
Don't think I'm the same
And if the hand that holds me
Is the hand that holds me down
I'm gunna cut the strings
And cut my loss
And knock the cage door down
To do to me is to do the same
Don't believe in what you see
Believe in what you mean
Do to me is to do the same
I don't think you see this meal
Of anger is a feast
What you'll soon discover is
You're full of your own beast
Close your mouth and eyes
And then I'll listen for the score
Don't want to look behind and see
Blood on the floor
[Allie Sheldan from Rio Bent]
I won't break don't take
Your mistake is what you make
Don't leave your ghost
I'm not your host
Your take is not my fate
Let the leash slip from your hands
I'm tired or these reins
Don't tie me up
Confuse me with
Don't think I'm the same
And if the hand that holds me
Is the hand that holds me down
I'm going to cut the strings
And cut my lies
And knock the cage door down
I won't break, I won't take
I won't, won't, won't
Break the chance to recreate
You know is under my control
I won't take, I won't fake
I know I've lost control
This automatic, self atracted
System doesn't care
The lyrics of Jakalope's song "Instigator" are about the struggle of trying to communicate with someone who is not willing to listen or take responsibility for their actions. The singer is frustrated with trying to get through to this person and is exhausted from doing everything they can to help them to succeed. The chorus repeats the line "Whatcha do to me is to do the same", which implies that the person the singer is talking to is not treating them fairly and is possibly causing them harm. The singer wants the person to understand that they need to listen and take responsibility for their actions in order to move forward.
The verse sung by Allie Sheldan from Rio Bent represents a character who is tired of being controlled and wants to break free from their constraints. The line "Let the leash slip from your hands, I'm tired of these reins" is about the character feeling trapped and not wanting to be held back any longer. They want to cut their ties and escape their captor to regain control of their life. The final verse represents a person who is so fed up with the situation that they refuse to break or take part in it any longer.
Line by Line Meaning
To do to me is to do the same
Treat me as you want to be treated
Whatcha doin', Whatcha doi-doi-doin', Whatcha doin', Whatcha doin' to me?
What are you doing? What are you doing to me?
I've been linkin' a mind untainted and I don't know if it'll make the chain
I have a clear and open mind, but I don't know if it will fit in with others
How many times do I have to break it down till you can see what I'm saying?
How many times do I have to explain myself for you to understand?
Push it further, push me, you push me all the way
Challenge me, go all in
Don't look at me, I've paid my dues, your time, your dime, listen to you, for what it's worth I'm there for you anyway
I've done my part, it's your turn to take responsibility for yourself. I'll listen, but it's ultimately up to you.
But it's not up to me to help you to succeed, but listen to you, and what you want me to
It's not my responsibility to make you successful, but I'll listen and offer guidance if you want it.
And you always seem to know, that you'll always choose to go, and I always choose to know, that I'll always see you go
You always seem to have a plan and you'll choose to leave, and I always knew that I'd see you go.
[Allie Sheldan from Rio Bent] Let the leash slip from your hands, I'm tired or these reins, don't tie me up, confuse me with, don't think I'm the same, and if the hand that holds me is the hand that holds me down, I'm gunna cut the strings and cut my loss and knock the cage door down
Let go of controlling me, I'm tired of being held back, don't try to change me and don't assume we're the same. If you're holding me back, I will free myself and make my own way.
Don't believe in what you see, believe in what you mean, do to me is to do the same
Don't trust appearances, trust the intentions. Treat me as you want to be treated.
I don't think you see this meal of anger is a feast, what you'll soon discover is, you're full of your own beast
You don't see that your anger is feeding a negative side of you. Eventually, you'll realize that you're harming yourself more than anyone else.
Close your mouth and eyes, and then I'll listen for the score, don't want to look behind and see blood on the floor
Shut up and pay attention to what's happening. I don't want to see harm caused by carelessness.
[Allie Sheldan from Rio Bent] I won't break don't take, your mistake is what you make, don't leave your ghost, I'm not your host, your take is not my fate
I won't allow myself to be broken by your shortcomings, take responsibility for your own mistakes, don't rely on me for comfort, I won't be controlled by you.
I won't break, I won't take, I won't, won't, won't, break the chance to recreate
I won't let myself be broken or controlled, I won't waste the opportunity to reinvent myself.
You know it's under my control, I won't take, I won't fake, I know I've lost control, this automatic, self-attracted system doesn't care
I know that I have the power to take control, I won't be fake or succumb to this indifferent system that doesn't care.
Push it further, push it all the way
Challenge yourself to go all in
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind