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/)
Hey Ma
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So much dust in the air
It affected your vision
Couldn't see yourself clear
From the fall came such choices
Even worse than the fall
There's this chain of consequences
Action, cause and reaction
Never follows to plan
Black swans on your picnic table
Knocking over the jam
Please don't preach me forgiveness
You're hardwired for revenge
War is just about business
Within, without
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
Coming home in pieces
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
Coming home in pieces
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
Coming home in pieces
Coming home in pieces
The dead live on within us
Keep your fingers crossed
We were choking on the smoke and the dust
And the lives that were lost
Scratch the surface of liberals
There's a beast underneath
Others hiding their Jekyll's
Within
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
Coming home in pieces
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
Coming home in pieces
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
Coming home in pieces
I can feel the daylight
I can feel the day lighting on me, lighting on me
I can feel the daylight
I can feel the day lighting on me
Lighting on me
I can feel the daylight
I can feel the day lighting on me
Lighting on me
The lyrics of James's song Hey Ma are reminiscent of the aftermath of September 11, 2001, and the resulting chain of events that followed, both internationally and domestically, including war and the profound changes that came with it. The towers have fallen, and the dust in the air affected the vision of those who saw it. The fall has brought with it difficult choices that are even worse than the initial collapse, and a chain of consequences that affect everyone, from those who were directly involved to those who were not. The lyrics refer to the well-known idea that action, cause, and reaction never follow a plan, and things don't always work out as we intend them to.
James continues with metaphors that describe how life can be unpredictable and uncontrollable. The image of black swans on the picnic table knocking over the jam exemplifies the chaos that we encounter in life on a daily basis, sometimes trivial, sometimes catastrophic. The lyrics are a call to disengage from the idea of vengeance and to look at war as it is, an industry that serves the needs of those in power. There is a plea for forgiveness, but recognition that revenge is hard-wired into human nature.
The song addresses the impact of war on the lives of soldiers, parents, and society as a whole. The boys returning home in body bags is a powerful image of the ultimate sacrifice made by soldiers and the tragic consequences of war. The lyrics also deal with the inexorable conflict between good and evil, and the fact that underneath the surface of everyone is a darker side. The dead live on within us, and the lives that were lost will forever be remembered. The song concludes with an uplifting image of hope, a sense that despite the pain and the loss, life goes on, and there are moments of light that shine through the darkness.
Line by Line Meaning
Now, the towers have fallen
After the tragedy of 9/11, things have changed.
So much dust in the air
The aftermath of the tragedy caused a literal and metaphorical cloudiness.
It affected your vision
The tragedy would muddle one's thoughts and judgment.
Couldn't see yourself clear
It became harder for one to truly introspect.
From the fall came such choices
The events that occurred led to subsequent options.
Even worse than the fall
The ensuing consequences were worse than the initial disaster.
There's this chain of consequences
One's choices will always have repercussions.
Within, without
The internal and external effects of one's choices.
Action, cause and reaction
There will always be consequences to actions.
Never follows to plan
Even with the best of intentions, things may not turn out the way one expects.
Black swans on your picnic table
Unexpected events will occur; it's just a matter of when.
Knocking over the jam
The consequences of these unexpected events may be messy and chaotic.
Please don't preach me forgiveness
Don't try to convince me to forgive easily.
You're hardwired for revenge
It's in human nature to want to seek justice after being wronged.
War is just about business
There are often underlying economic and political motivations for going to war.
Hey ma, the boys in body bags
A cry for the soldiers who have died in war.
Coming home in pieces
Their bodies are coming back broken and damaged.
The dead live on within us
Memories of those who have died stay with loved ones forever.
Keep your fingers crossed
Hope that things don't get worse.
We were choking on the smoke and the dust
The physical and emotional toll of tragedy and war.
And the lives that were lost
The tragic loss of human life that cannot be regained.
Scratch the surface of liberals
Even seemingly peaceful people have a dark side.
There's a beast underneath
Everyone has their own internal struggles and demons.
War, war, war, war
The repetition emphasizes the ongoing and cyclical nature of war.
I can feel the daylight
Hope for brighter days ahead.
I can feel the day lightning on me, lightning on me
The potential for positive change and growth.
Falling on me
The positive change is happening now.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: James Patrick Glennie, Lawrence Gott, Timothy Booth
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bodhi2573
I sing myself to sleep a song from the darkest hour
secrets I can’t keep inside of a day
swing from high to deep
extremes of sweet and sour
hope that God exists
I hope I pray
drawn by the undertow
my life is out of control
I believe this wave will bear my wait so let it flow
Long live james...
Jimmy Finn
Brutal honesty in a pop song.
Mewt
aside from being amazing multi-instrumentalists, that's the beauty of James. such a great band.. was so glad to see Tim return on this record.
Madilyn Bovey
This song is Poignant ....it's sad...raw...powerfull.
Rodrigo Lopez
BEAUTIFUL SONG :33
Bodhi2573
I sing myself to sleep a song from the darkest hour
secrets I can’t keep inside of a day
swing from high to deep
extremes of sweet and sour
hope that God exists
I hope I pray
drawn by the undertow
my life is out of control
I believe this wave will bear my wait so let it flow
Long live james...
TP. Chilton
I like it!
Itchy Tooth.
..."Scratch the surface of liberals,... there's a beast underneath."...
Never a truer lyric anywhere!
dèl Păntión
Itchy Tooth. I really wish that liberals and conservatives stop thinking that mentality of, here either with me or against me! Now I realize I'm that douchebag who thinks "can't we all just get along" but a simple fact of evolution is that one way is no way forward! An order to expand and learn in a continuous growth, you're going to need two adapt in multiple different ways. It may be scary but it is the truth. If you're going to be stubborn and pig-headed and think only in one way.......well........ the world will just pass you by....... all of the lyrics in this song are just way too true
oscar cvel
@dèl Păntión unless I understood wrong with my poor English, they only way we can go forward is going together, Obviously other people have been deceived and want human kind be destroyed by ourselves. Life Is much more than a sad negative and go-to sleep song for beasts underground
Ko Technik
Beautiful