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/)
Don't Wait That Long
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Operator the lines are down
And I'm a traitor
A traitor to a beautiful cause
God made me to her own design
Bad planing
Too many floors
How long will it take to get used to me?
Don't wait that long
Won't wait that long
Don't wait that long
Don't wait that long
Oh yes I love
But today I could hate you
I could hurt you
Cause we're joined at the heart
Beats faster, hits harder
Than a boxer
Whenever we are apart
Body language is an SOS
I don't understand how our fights start
Not enough
Too believe in love
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where we've gone wrong
How long will it take to get used to me?
How long will it take to get used to me?
Don't wait that long
Won't wait that long
No we won't wait that long
Don't wait that long
Operator
The lines are down
And I'm a traitor
To a beautiful cause
God made me
To her
Own design
Bad planning
Too many floors
I've got too many floors
Too many floors
Don't wait that long
Won't wait that long
No we won't wait that long
The song "Don't Wait That Long" is a remarkable composition by James, and it is about struggling to maintain a relationship, and the difficulties that can arise with this. The first verse starts off with the singer lamenting the fact that the communication lines are down, and he feels like a "traitor to a beautiful cause." The cause in question is the relationship he is in. He then goes on to question why God made him this way, with bad planning, and too many floors. This metaphor likely refers to his own emotional baggage that he cannot unpack, a weight that is getting in the way of the relationship he wants to have. He then goes on to ask how long it will take for his partner to get used to him, which suggests that he has been difficult to be with in the past.
The chorus echoes this sentiment, with the repeated refrain "Don't wait that long." The singer seems to be urging his partner to take action before it's too late, before the relationship becomes completely broken. He then goes on to reveal the depth of his emotions, saying that he loves his partner but is also capable of hating them. The chorus repeats once more, and then the bridge comes in with the repeated refrain of "too many floors." The metaphor of the many floors could represent the many layers of pain, trauma, or issues that the singer has, and that make it difficult for him to connect emotionally with his partner.
Line by Line Meaning
Operator the lines are down
I'm having communication issues and I'm not able to connect with my loved one.
And I'm a traitor
I feel like I've betrayed my partner or the love that we once shared.
A traitor to a beautiful cause
My relationship was something special and I messed it up.
God made me to her own design
I was perfectly made to fit in her life and to be with her always.
Bad planing
Our plans and decisions were not thought through properly, leading to our relationship's demise.
Too many floors
There are too many issues between us, and it's hard to keep moving up to the next level.
How long will it take to get used to me?
I'm asking my partner to give me time to understand and adapt to their needs.
Don't wait that long
I don't want my partner to wait too long for me to change, they should move on if they feel like it's not working anymore.
Won't wait that long
I won't keep waiting for my partner to change, we need to make a decision sooner rather than later.
Oh yes I love
I still love my partner despite the issues we're facing.
But today I could hate you
I feel like I could hate my partner for causing me pain today, but deep down I still love them.
I could hurt you
I'm contemplating whether to hurt my partner in the same way they hurt me.
Cause we're joined at the heart
Our love is deep and strong, and it's hard to break it even when we want to.
Beats faster, hits harder
Our love is intense and passionate, but it also causes us pain.
Than a boxer
Our love is more powerful than any physical force.
Whenever we are apart
We feel incomplete when we're not together.
Body language is an SOS
We're not communicating properly, and our body language is sending signals that we're in trouble.
I don't understand how our fights start
We're constantly fighting, and I'm not sure what triggers it each time.
Not enough
Our love isn't strong enough to overcome our issues.
Too believe in love
We have lost faith in love and its ability to heal our relationship.
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where we've gone wrong
We're not sure where we went wrong or how to fix it.
No we won't wait that long
We don't have the luxury of time, and we need to make a decision quickly to save ourselves from further hurt.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JAMES GLENNIE, LAWRENCE GOTT, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@aquiozclips3884
Operator the lines are down
And I'm a traitor
A traitor to a beautiful cause
God made me to her own design
Bad planing
Too many floors
How long will it take to get used to me?
How long will it take to get used to me?
Don't wait that long
Won't wait that long
Don't wait that long
Don't wait that long
Oh yes I love
But today I could hate you
I could hurt you
Cause we're joined at the heart
Beats faster, hits harder
Than a boxer
Whenever we are apart
Body language is an SOS
I don't understand how our fights start
Not enough
Too believe in love
I don't know, I don't know, I don't know where we've gone wrong
How long will it take to get used to me?
How long will it take to get used to me?
Don't wait that long
Won't wait that long
No we won't wait that long
Don't wait that long
Operator
The lines are down
And I'm a traitor
To a beautiful cause
God made me
To her
Own design
Bad planning
Too many floors
I've got too many floors
Too many floors
Don't wait that long
Won't wait that long
No we won't wait that long
@jonwilkins5402
What an amazing song.. from an amazing band.!! Never ever get tired of listening to this band.!!
@eastwoodeastwood2008
One of my favourite songs of all time
@TheWorldsWorstMan
Same, there’s so much to it
@fredericrolland9301
J’ai découvert cet album en 1992 et ce morceau est toujours parmi mes morceaux favoris depuis toutes ces années.
@JRA73
Everything about this song is beautiful.🖒
@joefish9211
This was my introduction to James back in 2002. A friend was putting my cds onto mini disc for me before I went travelling and put some of his music on too. Thank god, she did it all to her own design eh ❤️
@sethbrown9920
Quite possibly the perfect driving song.
@TheAgramer88
Operator lines are down, are down, and im a traitor, a traitor, to a beautiful cause, God made me to her own design, bad planning, too many flaws......💙
@luisdelconde4598
just awesome!!!!James never stopped impressing me
@edurock06
May it never end.