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/)

Hang On
James Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She grabs her magazines
She packs her things and she goes
She leaves the pictures hanging on the wall, she burns all
Her notes and she knows, she's been here too few years
To feel this old

He smokes his cigarette, he stays outside 'til it's gone
If anybody ever had a heart, he wouldn't be alone

He knows, she's been here too few years to be gone

And we always say, it would be good to go away someday
But if there's nothing there to make things change
If it's the same for you I'll just hang

The trouble understand, is she got reasons he don't
Funny how he couldn't see it at all 'til she grabbed up her coat
And she goes, she's been here too few years to take it all in stride
But still it's much too long, to let hurt go (you let her go)

And we always say, it would be good to go away, someday
But if there's nothing there to make things change
If it's the same for you I'll just hang
The same for you
I'll always hang

Well I always say, it would be good to go away
But if things don't work out like we think
And there's nothing there to ease this ache

But if there's nothing there to make things change
If it's the same for you I'll just hang

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of James's song "Hang On" are a poignant and emotional portrayal of two individuals struggling with the weight of their circumstances. The narrative revolves around a couple who both realize that they are in a toxic and dysfunctional relationship, but are unsure how to move forward. The opening verses describe the woman packing her belongings and leaving, burning all her pictures and notes behind her. She feels too old and jaded to stay in this relationship any longer.

Meanwhile, the man stays outside smoking his cigarette, pondering his own regrets. He understands that the woman has valid reasons for leaving which he can't comprehend until she finally leaves. The chorus reveals their mutual desire to escape and start anew, but with the realization that they may never find what they are looking for, and may be stuck in their current situation forever. The final verse confirms that they are both trapped, unable to move on from their situation, and are forced to simply "hang on".

Line by Line Meaning

She grabs her magazines
She takes her things with her, including her magazines.

She packs her things and she goes
She packs up all of her belongings and leaves.

She leaves the pictures hanging on the wall, she burns all Her notes and she knows, she's been here too few years To feel this old
She leaves behind the memories represented in the pictures, but destroys any written records of the relationship. She feels she is too young to feel so old and stuck in this situation.

He smokes his cigarette, he stays outside 'til it's gone If anybody ever had a heart, he wouldn't be alone He knows, she's been here too few years to be gone
He smokes alone, contemplating how his heartbreak is causing him to be alone. He knows that she is too young to be gone forever.

And we always say, it would be good to go away someday But if there's nothing there to make things change If it's the same for you I'll just hang
They always talk about leaving, but if there is no reason to leave and nothing for them to do, they will just stay where they are and deal with their problems together.

The trouble understand, is she got reasons he don't Funny how he couldn't see it at all 'til she grabbed up her coat And she goes, she's been here too few years to take it all in stride But still it's much too long, to let hurt go (you let her go)
The problem is that she has reasons for leaving that he doesn't understand. He only realizes this when she is actually leaving. She is too young to handle this situation, but it has gone on for too long to just forget about it.

I'll always hang
He will always be there for her, no matter what happens.

Well I always say, it would be good to go away But if things don't work out like we think And there's nothing there to ease this ache But if there's nothing there to make things change If it's the same for you I'll just hang
He still thinks it would be good to leave, but if their situation doesn't get better, he will continue to stick by her side, even if it means just staying in the same place and not seeing any change.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ROB THOMAS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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