“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…’”
Unsaid
Jakalope Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No I'll never learn
You're in the deep end
I don't know how to swim
But I'm jumping in
Where I was lead to
But I was distracted
Whatever lies in you
Here goes the same thing around again
No I'll never learn
You're in the deep end
I don't know how to swim
But I'm jumping in
This is the same old blood flow
My hearts beats like this before
But you feel so brand new to me
I've been washed ashore
You've got my voice in your hands
I've got your voice in my head
One word is all that's left
Unsaid
Life used to be dark
Can't believe when I dropped I fell hard
Knocked my toung right out of my mouth
You took the words away
Before I could make out
What I was going to say
Picked me up back up
With the sweep of your breath
You've rendered me
You've rendered me...
Speachless
Here goes the same thing around again
I'll never learn
You're in the deep end
I don't know how to swim
I'm jumping in
Lost in a silent movie
Moths move
No words are spoken
We've both go somthing to say
Sound's been broken
You've got my voice in your hands
I've got your voice in my head
One word is all that's left
Unsaid
One word is all that's left
Unsaid
The lyrics to Jakalope's song Unsaid seem to be about a relationship that keeps repeating the same patterns, despite the singer's awareness that they will likely lead to the same negative outcome. The metaphor of jumping into the deep end without knowing how to swim suggests a willingness to take risks despite not being fully prepared, perhaps indicating a desperation to make the relationship work. The line "Whatever lies in you" could be interpreted as a play on words, meaning both what lies (or truths) the other person is hiding, and whatever qualities or characteristics are contained within them.
The second verse introduces a theme of loss of speech or communication, with the singer implying that they were going to express something, but were interrupted or prevented from doing so. This interruption, likely by the other person, could be interpreted as a form of control or manipulation. The third verse reinforces the idea that communication has broken down, with the line "No words are spoken," indicating a difficult or non-existent dialogue between the two.
Overall, the song seems to be about a relationship that is characterized by fear, struggle, and a lack of meaningful communication. The repetition of the phrase "here we go again" and "I'll never learn" suggests a sense of resignation or helplessness, even as the singer continues to jump into the deep end.
Line by Line Meaning
Here goes the same thing around again
The singer has found themselves in a familiar situation yet again
No I'll never learn
Despite experiencing this situation before, the singer believes they will never grow from it
You're in the deep end
The person the singer is interacting with is in some kind of high pressure, intense situation
I don't know how to swim
The artist feels unprepared or incapable of handling the situation
But I'm jumping in
Despite their lack of confidence, the artist is taking a risk or hoping for the best
Where I was lead to
The singer was following a path or plan that someone else made for them
But I was distracted
However, the singer encountered something that diverted their attention or focus from the plan
By the line you drew me to
The thing that distracted the artist was something the person they're interacting with did or said
Whatever lies in you
The artist is curious or unsure about what motivates or drives the person they're interacting with
This is the same old blood flow
The artist is experiencing a familiar emotional state
My heart beats like this before
The singer recognizes the physiological signs of this emotional state
But you feel so brand new to me
Despite experiencing similar emotions before, the person the artist is interacting with feels unique and different
I've been washed ashore
The singer has experienced a significant change or transformation
You've got my voice in your hands
The person the singer is interacting with has a lot of influence or control over the singer's words or actions
I've got your voice in my head
The singer is preoccupied or affected by the person they're interacting with
One word is all that's left
There is still something that needs to be communicated between the artist and the person they're interacting with
Unsaid
This thing that needs to be communicated has not been expressed verbally
Life used to be dark
The singer has experienced a difficult or traumatic time in their past
Can't believe when I dropped I fell hard
The singer has had a recent hardship or setback that was unexpected
Knocked my toung right out of my mouth
The artist was rendered speechless by this setback
You took the words away
The person the artist is interacting with caused this speechlessness
Before I could make out
The artist didn't even have a chance to process or articulate their thoughts about the setback
What I was going to say
The singer was going to respond to the setback in some way
Picked me back up
The person the artist is interacting with helped them recover from the setback
With the sweep of your breath
The person the singer is interacting with had a powerful or transformative impact on the singer
You've rendered me
The singer is completely changed or affected by the interaction
Speechless
The singer is still unable to articulate their thoughts or feelings
Lost in a silent movie
The artist is struggling to communicate effectively
Moths move
Small or insignificant things are happening around the artist
No words are spoken
Despite these things happening, there is still a lack of communication
We've both got something to say
There is still an unspoken issue or emotion between the singer and the person they're interacting with
Sound's been broken
The lack of communication is causing a disconnect or tension between the artist and the person they're interacting with
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chris Thirtyne
This is such a good song, I'm glad someone posted a version with decent quality so I can share it. Katie B's and Jeremy Fisher's voices meld so perfectly.
Ornis I.
This is quite different from their new stuff.
The Lizard Queen
Thank yooooou 💋
jonathancurtis goertzen
always been a fan