James emerged from their native Manchester in the mid-'80s playing a brand … Read Full Bio ↴James emerged from their native Manchester in the mid-'80s playing a brand of urgent, ringing guitar pop distinguished by Tim Booth's keening, insistent vocals. Booth's dramatic stylings and James' dedication to textured guitars earned the group the designation of "the next Smiths," a connection strengthened by Morrissey's endorsement of the band. By the dawn of the '90s, James shook off these comparisons by embracing acid house, the first of many adventurous left turns the band took over the decades. "Sit Down," an old open-hearted tune re-recorded for the age of "baggy," proved to be their breakthrough, reaching number two in the U.K. in 1991 and becoming an alternative rock hit in the U.S. With its singles "Sound" and "Born of Frustration," Seven consolidated that success in 1992, but it was 1993's Laid that established the group's mature sound. Working with Brian Eno, the group took aural risks that paid off artistically and commercially: the title track became their biggest American hit. From there, James had a flurry of activity in the late 1990s before entering a hiatus in 2001. The band regrouped in 2007, releasing Hey Ma the following year and then settling into a groove where they alternated tours with ambitious album projects such as 2010's two-part The Night Before and The Morning After, as well as 2021's pandemic journal All the Colours of You.

James formed in Manchester in 1982, when Paul Gilbertson (guitar), Jim Glennie (bass), and Gavan Whelan (drums) met Tim Booth (vocals) at Manchester University and asked him to join their fledgling band. During the next year, James became regulars on the local club circuit, and by 1983 they had signed to Factory, releasing their debut EP, Jimone, later that year. Two years later, their second EP, James 2, was released, and Morrissey, the lead singer of the Smiths, publicly endorsed the group, asking them to open for his band. By the summer of 1985, Larry Gott had replaced Gilbertson, and the group signed to Sire Records. Working with producer Lenny Kaye, the group recorded its debut, Stutter, that year, releasing it in early 1986 to generally positive reviews.

Over the next two years, James toured constantly, building up a solid fan base. They released their second album, the folky Strip-Mine, in 1988. The record failed to capitalize on their live following, and the band departed Sire the following year, signing with the independent Rough Trade. On their new label, James released the moderately successful "Sit Down" and the live album One Man Clapping, which climbed to number one on the indie charts. In 1990, Whelan was replaced by David Baynton-Power, and James expanded to a septet with the addition of keyboardist Mark Hunter, violinist Saul Davies, and trumpeter Andy Diagram. The new lineup signed to Fontana Records and released Gold Mother in the fall. Following a handful of minor hit singles, Gold Mother finally became a breakthrough success in the spring of 1991, when a re-recorded version of "Sit Down" -- now boasting a contemporary baggy beat -- climbed to number two on the U.K. charts and became a staple on U.S. modern rock radio. Although the success of "Sit Down" was a blessing, it also was a curse, as the single became all James were known for. The band began to rebel in concert, playing almost nothing but new material, and its next album, 1992's Seven, was perceived as a misguided stab at big arena rock.

For the follow-up to Seven, James stripped away Diagram and worked with producer Brian Eno. The resulting record, Laid, was a quieter, more ambitious album, and it received some of the band's best reviews. While the album was ignored in the U.K., it was an alternative rock hit in the U.S. on the strength of the title track, which became a crossover hit. During the Laid sessions, James recorded another album's worth of experimental music with Eno that was released in the fall of 1994 as Wah Wah. The album received mixed reviews and the group took an extended break throughout 1995, partly due to guitarist Gott's departure. In 1996, Tim Booth recorded a collaboration with composer Angelo Badalamenti (Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet) entitled Booth and the Bad Angel, which received generally positive reviews.

With guitarist Adrian Oxaal in tow, James returned in early 1997 with Whiplash, a more straightforward record that was greeted with mixed reviews. Released in 1999, Millionaires, recorded with new guitarist Michael Kulas, was initially released only in the U.K. Their spectacular follow-up, 2001's Pleased to Meet You, was also available only in the U.K. A few months later, frontman Tim Booth announced his departure from the band he founded nearly 20 years before, and James called it quits following a winter tour of the U.K. in December 2001. The break was short-lived, however, as the band re-formed in 2007 and embarked on a tour in support of the double-disc compilation Fresh as a Daisy: The Singles. The following year saw the release of Hey Ma, James' tenth studio album.

The band returned in 2010 with a pair of "mini-albums" called The Night Before and The Morning After, respectively, before late 2011 brought a short, but novel, U.K. tour (the Orchestra of the Swan and the Manchester Consort Choir were their backup bands). In 2012, the lavish and long-awaited box set The Gathering Sound was issued, and included previously unreleased audio material alongside long-unavailable video concert footage. Details of the Max Dingel-produced La Petite Mort emerged in February 2014, and this first post-Mercury studio album was released four months later in June. Dingel then returned to produce their 2016 record, Girl at the End of the World. Written in Scotland and recorded in London, the album was described by the band as "big but personal, abrasive but warming" and "ultimately uplifting." Two years later, James teamed with producers Charlie Andrew and Beni Giles for Living in Extraordinary Times.

During the 2020 pandemic, Tim Booth teamed up with his Topanga Canyon neighbor Jacknife Lee to construct the basic tracks the rest of James completed while in quarantine. The resulting All the Colours of You was released in June 2021.

Biography by Stephen Thomas Erlewine

There are other artists using the same name:

2) James is the vocalist of popular Bangladeshi band Nagar Baul. He was a member of the band Feelings and later formed the band Nagar Baul. James was raised in Chittagong and later moved to Dhaka for his singing career. Stylishly longhaired James--overwhelmingly known as the Nagar Baul (the City Bard), was the pioneer of psychedelic rock in Bangladesh. Originally a lead singer and guitarist, he has always been respected for his solo projects. He became affectionately called Guru by his fans. His tunes were bright and his singing a divergence from the archetypal tunes preferred by the commercial-type directors. His songs expressed love, rage, discontent, frustration, and happiness.

3) A Dutch rapper connected to the Fakkelteitgroep.

4) James Lee - known as James - was a former member of Royal Pirates, a South Korean band. On 2015, he got into an accident that caused him unable to play bass any longer. Hence, he decided to left the band.
James moved back to Los Angeles and decided to release music written post accident in a project called ’the Light EP’ consisted of 5 tracks. (http://jamesleeofficial.com/)

Assassin
James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Everyday is a long disguise
Everyday is a compromise
I can tell a blatant lie
While looking you deep in your eye

Everyday I look for a sign
What triggers your death
Triggers mine

We will ride together in the end

[Chorus]
Assassin, assassin
Show me paradise
Life is not the same
Assassin, assassin
Show me paradise
I'll never be the same

Twenty years, a loyal friend
But now the knife is in my hand
I can't begin to understand
How I've been deceived

Show me visions out of time
Greater than my stinking life
If I serve you to the end
I will find some peace

[Chorus]

Baksheesh, Baksheesh
I'd sell my sainted mother
For another glimpse of paradise
Baksheesh, baksheesh
Twenty years, deep cover
For another glimpse of your paradise

[Chorus]

I'll never be the same

Overall Meaning

In James's song "Assassin," the lyrics reveal the complicated emotions and inner turmoil of a longtime loyal friend who has turned into an assassin. The song begins by painting a picture of an everyday life filled with lies and compromises. The singer of the song has grown adept at hiding his true intentions, even as he looks into the eyes of the person he is about to kill. The lyrics also suggest a level of fear and desperation as the singer searches for a sign that will trigger his own death, implying that he may no longer desire to live with the guilt of what he has become.

The chorus of the song functions as a plea to the person the singer is about to kill. He begs them to "show me paradise," suggesting that he may be motivated by a desire to escape the difficult life he has been living. The lyrics about baksheesh (bribes) further suggest the depth of his desperation. The singer is willing to do anything, even sell his own mother, for another glimpse of paradise.

The final lines of the song, "I'll never be the same," suggest that even if the singer achieves his goal of paradise, the weight of his actions will haunt him forever.

Line by Line Meaning

Everyday is a long disguise
Every day feels like pretending, hiding true feelings with a facade.

Everyday is a compromise
Every day involves making concessions, sacrificing something.

I can tell a blatant lie While looking you deep in your eye
I can lie to you convincingly, with the ability to look directly at you while doing so.

Everyday I look for a sign What triggers your death Triggers mine We will ride together in the end
I search for clues for what could lead to your demise, realizing that what kills you could kill me, too. We will both meet the same end.

[Chorus] Assassin, assassin Show me paradise Life is not the same Assassin, assassin Show me paradise I'll never be the same
The chorus is calling out to a higher power, a place of perfection or bliss that can change life forever.

Twenty years, a loyal friend But now the knife is in my hand I can't begin to understand How I've been deceived
I was a faithful companion for twenty years, but now I'm holding the weapon that will hurt you. I'm confused and feel betrayed.

Show me visions out of time Greater than my stinking life If I serve you to the end I will find some peace
I crave something more than what life has given me. If I complete this act, maybe I can find a semblance of contentment.

[Chorus] Baksheesh, Baksheesh I'd sell my sainted mother For another glimpse of paradise Baksheesh, baksheesh Twenty years, deep cover For another glimpse of your paradise
This chorus repeats, emphasizing the desire for the seemingly unattainable paradise. The second line suggests the willingness to make extreme sacrifices for a taste of it.

I'll never be the same
The song ends with a declaration that the experience has changed the artist forever, leaving an indelible mark.

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: TIMOTHY BOOTH, LAWRENCE GOTT, JAMES GLENNIE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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