Born in 1969 to singer-songwriter Bob Dylan and wife Sara Lowndes, Jakob Dylan grew up in Los Angeles and briefly enrolled in Parsons School of Design, before turning his attention back to music, forming The Wallflowers in 1989. it has been reported that Jakob does not like his famous father to be mentioned during interviews. This is not because of animosity between the two, as is widely assumed, but because Jakob has stated that he wants to make his own name for himself, and does not want to open doors or sell tickets by capitalizing on his family name. Dylan talked more in-depth about his father in a 2005 interview with The New York Times, saying they have a "great relationship".
Jakob married his childhood sweetheart, screenwriter Nicole Paige Denny (Paige Dylan), in a ceremony at Sara Dylan's house in 1992. Their first child, Levi, was born two years later. They had a second son James in 1998 and a third son in 2000. Jakob shares his family's desire for an anonymous personal life: "The world's as big as the block you live on, and I like to keep it small. I have had the same friends since I was eleven years old." Jakob says he is often amused when asked the question, "When did you change your name to Dylan?"
The Wallflowers got their start playing alongside other aspiring rockers at Canter's delicatessen in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles. In 1992 the band signed to Virgin Records and released their self-titled debut album. The debut sold poorly however, and after they were released from Virgin Records, the band had difficulty finding a new record deal. Eventually, with the help of manager Andrew Slater and a demo tape of "6th Avenue Heartache," they landed a new deal with Interscope Records.
Before releasing Bringing Down The Horse in 1996, the band re-grouped. Original members Peter Yanowitz and Tobi Miller departed; and guitarist Michael Ward, bassist Greg Richling, and drummer Mario Calire joined the band. The only remaining original members that carried over were Jakob Dylan and keyboardist Rami Jaffee. The album yielded several hit singles, including "6th Avenue Heartache," "One Headlight," and "The Difference." The album sold over four million copies and won two Grammy Awards, for Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rock Song.
The Wallflowers followed up the album with the release of Breach in 2000. Although not as commercially successful as their prior album, it was certified Gold and garnered two Top 40 hits, "Sleepwalker" and "Letters From The Wasteland". The band released three more albums on Interscope before taking a break in 2006.
During the band's hiatus, Dylan launched his solo career and released two solo albums to critical acclaim. Seeing Things, was produced by Rick Rubin and released on June 10, 2008. It captured Dylan's songwriting in a stripped-down acoustic atmosphere, and was well received by critics. His follow-up, Women and Country in 2010, saw Dylan reuniting with producer T-Bone Burnett for an americana record. The album featured a large ensemble of musicians, including vocalists Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, guitarists Marc Ribot and Greg Leisz, and drummer Jay Bellerose. It reached #12 on Billboard's Top 200.
The Wallflowers mainstay lineup reunited for the 2012 album Glad All Over, before all the remaining members left. Dylan decided to take a break from making music and started working on a documentary with producer/director (and longtime manager) Andrew Slater. The documentary film "Echo In The Canyon" was released in 2018, and received mostly positive reviews.
In 2021, The Wallflowers announced they would release their first new album in nearly a decade -- Exit Wounds, with the band continuing as a Jakob Dylan solo project. Exit Wounds debuted at #3 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart, making it the band's highest charting album (with Bringing Down The Horse having peaked at #4).
Gimme Some Truth
Jakob Dylan Lyrics
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All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
I'm sick and tired of hearing things from
Uptight short sided narrow minded hypocrites
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
No short haired yellow bellied
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hope
Money for dope, money for rope
No short haired yellow bellied
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hope
It's money for dope, money for rope
I'm sick to death of seeing things from
Tight lipped condescending mommy's little chauvinist
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
I've had enough of watching scenes of
Schizophrenic ego centric paranoid primadonnas
Just give me the truth, just give me some truth
No short haired yellow bellied
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hope
It's money for dope, money for rope
I've had enough of reading things
By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
In Jakob Dylan's song Gimme Some Truth, the singer is expressing his frustration with the lies and deceit he is witnessing in society. He starts by demanding the truth, which he says is all he wants. He then goes on to criticize the people who are preventing him from obtaining it, namely "uptight short sided narrow minded hypocrites" and "neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians." He rejects the idea of being swayed by their "pocket full of hope" or bribes of "money for dope, money for rope."
Dylan's lyrics also reveal his disgust with the sexist and chauvinistic attitudes of some individuals, describing them as "tight lipped condescending mommy's little chauvinist" and "schizophrenic ego centric paranoid primadonnas." By repeatedly calling for the truth, he seems to be emphasizing the importance of honesty and transparency in society. He insists that he is done with being misled and falsely informed, and that he just wants to hear the truth, even if it is painful or uncomfortable.
Overall, Gimme Some Truth is a powerful statement about the need for honesty, integrity, and transparency in society. Dylan's lyrics express frustration with the lies and deceit that he sees around him, and call for a return to truth and honesty at all costs.
Line by Line Meaning
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
The singer is demanding honesty and transparency.
I'm sick and tired of hearing things from
Uptight short sided narrow minded hypocrites
The singer is fed up with hearing lies and insincere statements from closed-minded people.
I've had enough of reading things
By neurotic psychotic pigheaded politicians
The singer is tired of reading absurd and illogical statements from politicians who lack empathy and understanding.
No short haired yellow bellied
Son of tricky dicky's
Gonna mother hubbard soft soap me
With just a pocket full of hope
Money for dope, money for rope
The artist is determined to resist and not be swayed by deceitful tactics used to coerce people with empty promises.
I'm sick to death of seeing things from
Tight lipped condescending mommy's little chauvinist
The artist is disgusted by the condescending attitude of male chauvinists who think themselves superior to women.
I've had enough of watching scenes of
Schizophrenic ego centric paranoid primadonnas
The singer is tired of being exposed to the irrational behavior of narcissistic and paranoid people who live in their own worlds.
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
The singer reiterates their demand for honesty.
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
The artist emphasizes again that they seek only the truth and nothing else.
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
The artist reiterates their demand for honesty for the third time to further emphasize their point.
All I want is the truth, just give me some truth
The artist repeats their demand for honesty for the fourth and final time.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOHN WINSTON LENNON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind