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/)
Getting Away With It
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's OK, we're insured
Are you aching for the grave?
That's OK, we're insured
We're getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
Daniel's saving Grace
She's out in deep water
Hope he's a good swimmer
Daniel plays his ace
Deep inside his temple
He knows how to serve her
We're getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
We're getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
Daniel drinks his weight
Drinks like Richard Burton
Dance like John Travolta
Now
Daniel's saving Grace
He was all but drowning
Now they live like dolphins
We're getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
We're getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
We're getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
Oh, getting away with it all messed up
Getting away with it all messed up
That's the living
Getting away with it
We're getting away with it
That's the living
That's the living
The lyrics of James's song "Getting Away With It" explore a feeling of apathy and disconnection from reality. The repeated line "we're getting away with it all messed up" suggests that the characters in the song are living their lives in a state of dysfunction, but somehow managing to avoid consequences. The opening lines, "are you aching for the blade? / that's ok, we're insured / are you aching for the grave? / that's ok, we're insured" suggest a cavalier attitude towards danger and even death, as if the characters feel invincible or protected by the security of insurance.
The song then introduces a character named Daniel, whose "saving Grace" is "out in deep water". It's unclear who or what exactly "saving Grace" refers to, but the line "hope he's a good swimmer" suggests that Daniel may need to save her at some point. The lyrics then move on to describe Daniel's prowess at "serving" this person, perhaps indicating that he is in some sort of service industry job. The line "deep inside his temple" is particularly interesting, as it could refer to either a physical space like a church or a metaphorical one like his mind.
The chorus repeats again, emphasizing the idea that the characters are "getting away with it" despite their dysfunction. The final lines, "getting away with it / we're getting away with it / that's the living" suggest that this is just how life is, that people live in a messed up world and somehow manage to scrape by.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you aching for the blade?
Do you want to hurt yourself? It's fine, we have insurance. We'll take care of you.
Are you aching for the grave?
Do you want to die? It's okay, we have insurance. We'll take care of your funeral expenses.
We're getting away with it all messed up
We're living our lives in a chaotic way, but things still seem to work out for us. We're succeeding despite our mistakes and mess-ups.
That's the living
This is the reality of life. We make mistakes, but we keep going.
Daniel's saving Grace
Daniel has found salvation in someone named Grace. She is his source of hope and positive change.
She's out in deep water
Grace is in a difficult situation, and it's unclear if she will be able to overcome it on her own.
Hope he's a good swimmer
Daniel hopes he will be able to help Grace in her difficult situation, despite not knowing if he has the capability to do so.
Daniel plays his ace
Daniel uses his best skills and abilities to help Grace overcome her challenges.
Deep inside his temple
Daniel has a strong inner spirit or determination that he draws upon to help Grace.
He knows how to serve her
Daniel understands what Grace needs, and is able to provide it for her.
Daniel drinks his weight
Daniel drinks a lot of alcohol, to the point of excess.
Drinks like Richard Burton
Richard Burton was known for his heavy drinking, so this is a comparison to indicate the extent of Daniel's alcohol intake.
Dance like John Travolta
John Travolta was known for his dancing skills, so this is a comparison to indicate that despite his heavy drinking, Daniel is still able to dance well.
He was all but drowning
Daniel was struggling and in a difficult situation himself before he found Grace, but she has helped him turn his life around.
Now they live like dolphins
Dolphins are a symbol of freedom and gracefulness in the water, so this line means that Daniel and Grace are now living their lives freely and gracefully.
Oh, getting away with it all messed up
This line is a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing once again that despite their mistakes and mess-ups, they are still succeeding.
We're getting away with it
They are succeeding despite their mistakes and the chaos in their lives.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID JOHN BAYNTON-POWER, JAMES GLENNIE, MARK HUNTER, SAUL DAVIES, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cid Mata
Are you aching for the blade?
That's okay
We're insured
Are you aching for the grave?
That's okay
We're insured
We're getting away with it
All messed up
Getting away with it
All messed up
That's the living
Daniel's saving Grace
She's out in deep water
Hope he's a good swimmer
Daniel plays his ace
Deep inside his temple
He knows how to serve her
We're getting away with it
All messed up
Getting away with it
All messed up
That's the living
Daniel drinks his weight
Drinks like Richard Burton
Dance like John Travolta, now
Daniel's saving Grace
He was all but drowning
Now they live like dolphins
Getting away with it
All messed up
Getting away with it
All messed up
That's the living
Getting away with it
Getting away with it
Getting away with it
That's the living
That's the living
Δημήτριος
Το αγαπημένο τραγούδι,της φίλης μου Αμαλίας!
Οπότε,κι' όπου κι' αν το ακούσω,θα της το αφιερώνω,και θα θυμάμαι όλα όσα έχει προσφέρει η απύθμενη καρδιά της σε μένα,και σε οσα έχει ακόμα να προσφέρει όχι μόνο σε μένα,αλλά και σε όλους όσους την αγαπούν!
😊❤
Αμαλία,να θυμάσαι,ότι η ελπίδα,και κατ' επέκταση το μέλλον,είναι φυτεμένα μέσα σου!
Μακάρι η τύχη να πρεσβεύσει,και να διαβάσεις το σχόλιό μου,το οποίο εύχομαι να σου δώσει ένα χαμόγελο γλυκό και στρογγυλό,σαν τον ουρανό!
Με πολλή αγάπη
Δημήτρης
Παρασκευή 07 Ιουλίου 2023
David Mann
I used to love playing this song at full volume while driving fast down country roads. Happy days and happy memories but I still play it now and again at the age of 72.
soulminer 1970
One of my fave tracks by them. And they have many other awesome ones.
looped and lucky
Good for you Dave
Rod
Nice!!
Lilly Mclachlan
Awesome 😊
A SAID WEE MAN
Me too.....full of drink and drugs.
Martyn Thain
This song is carrying me through the hard times. A shout out to the people out there suffering, we will get there ❤
dave john
Stay strong good times will return just have faith .
Oli Ox
Stay strong.
Mark Smith
Brilliant 👌