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/)
James
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
可恥到冒犯了地球人 但這顆心 仍要開
係信 就信你一成 係怕 就怕等待
腳步要left right left 衝衝衝
堅決面容 不改
Haha come on dear James
Oh life is just a game
修心養性 高高興興 同haters一齊品茗
身邊有好多對眼 分不清那邪或正
揮手企定 不必轉名改姓
Come on James
係懶 就懶理批評 係怯 就兩脅插刀
開燈照明蟲蟻自然來 別要失手 被嚇倒
係怪 就怪到非常 係喊 就喊口號
快樂有些代價 yeah yeah yeah
這個念頭 多好
Haha come on dear James
Oh life is just a game
修心養性 高高興興 同haters一齊品茗
Oh yeah come on dear James
身邊有好多對眼 分不清那邪或正
揮手企定 不必轉名改姓
Come on James
自創的旅程 不安天命 不想有人得逞
Haha come on dear James
人人來踩踩踩踩踩踩 都維持清醒
不需要停 只需要明 同haters一齊睇風景
Oh yeah come on dear James
You know that life is just a game
揮手企定 不必轉名改姓 亦轉姓
Come on James Come on James
The lyrics of James's song James are all about self-empowerment and confidence. The song starts off by saying that even if one is mocked or ridiculed by others for being different, one should still keep their head held high and remain true to oneself. The line "Haha come on dear James, Oh life is just a game" suggests that life should not be taken too seriously, and one should not get bogged down by the opinions of haters. The lyrics suggest that one should just enjoy the journey and take it all in stride. It encourages the listener to be true to oneself and not change one's identity or hide from the criticism.
The second paragraph talks about being lazy about criticism and not being afraid of being criticized. The line "Don't lose your grip or be scared by the frightened" means that one should not be afraid of failure or be scared by those who might try to scare the person from achieving their goals. The song empowers the listener and encourages them to embark on their own unique journey without worrying about what others think. The chorus emphasizes the idea that one should live life on their own terms and be happy, despite how difficult the road may be.
Line by Line Meaning
係笑 就笑看風雲 係插 就插褲袋
Laugh when it's time to laugh, and put your hands in your pockets when it's time to do so.
可恥到冒犯了地球人 但這顆心 仍要開
What I'm doing might be shameful enough to offend the people on Earth, but I'm going to keep my heart open anyway.
係信 就信你一成 係怕 就怕等待
If you believe in something, believe in it wholeheartedly. If you're afraid of something, it's the waiting that's terrifying.
腳步要left right left 衝衝衝 堅決面容 不改
Take one foot forward after the other, and keep going with determination, without changing your strong facial expressions.
Haha come on dear James
Come on, James, let's go!
Oh life is just a game
Life is just a game.
修心養性 高高興興 同haters一齊品茗
Cultivate your mind and temperament, be happy, and enjoy a cup of tea with your haters.
身邊有好多對眼 分不清那邪或正 揮手企定 不必轉名改姓
There are many pairs of eyes around, and it's hard to tell who is evil or good. Wave your hand and be confident without changing your name or identity.
Come on James
Let's go, James!
係懶 就懶理批評 係怯 就兩脅插刀
If you're lazy, don't bother with criticism. If you're afraid, just take the risk with both hands and don't hold back.
開燈照明蟲蟻自然來 別要失手 被嚇倒
Turn on the light and the bugs and ants will come naturally. Just don't lose your grip or get scared.
係怪 就怪到非常 係喊 就喊口號 快樂有些代價 yeah yeah yeah 這個念頭 多好
If you're going to blame someone, blame them thoroughly. If you're going to yell, make sure it's a slogan. Happiness comes with a price, yeah yeah yeah. Isn't this thought great?
自創的旅程 不安天命 不想有人得逞
This self-created journey is not predetermined by fate. I don't want anyone to succeed at my expense.
人人來踩踩踩踩踩踩 都維持清醒 不需要停 只需要明 同haters一齊睇風景
Everyone comes to step on you, but you should stay awake. You don't need to stop, just keep moving forward. Enjoy the scenery with your haters.
You know that life is just a game
You know that life is just a game.
亦轉姓
Change your surname if necessary.
Come on James Come on James
Come on, James, let's go!
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COUSIN FUNG, YE KUN WU, YONG QIAN CHEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pablo Althaus
LYRICS
💙 Getting Away With It (All Messed Up) 💙
Are you aching for the blade?
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
80sU2fan
Love it! How did these guys not become huge? Like really huge like REM or U2! This is just one of many awesome songs by them.
Tenacious D
“Fear is a mans best friend”. Never a truer word said. Oh Tim. Could listen to you speak (and sing) all day long. What charisma.
R J
This is one of my favourite songs. I lived a crazy life at one time and this song really spoke to me. I’m much more grounded now, but, this song brings back good memories from a time when I was getting away with it all messed up. Money, women, booze .... all before the crash. I survived it and gained tremendous wisdom.
What I thought mattered during this time I now know does not. I’m not necessarily against it but I lost all grip on moderation and priority. I was chasing things that offered no long term fulfillment. It was about fleeting instant gratifications. So, if you wish to maintain or regain that good feeling you have to keep the lifestyle going - then you’re stuck in a cycle. Because nothing in my life provided fulfillment, It was merely beads of pleasure with strings of emptiness in between. Even how I made money didn’t feel like I was contributing to society. Everything was so shallow. I wasn't without my positives. I made sure my ex, my child, and her child from before we met, were well taken care of and went to private schools - even after we broke up. But my own life was a mess.
Long term fulfillment seems to involve two things: progressing in skill as a function of doing something you like and being in service to others. What I think matters: you like what you do, you are getting better at it, it helps yourself to progress to something better, and it, or some of the proceeds, help others. Being part of a community is big especially if your job isn't that fulfilling. That way, you can mentally recalibrate your perspective of your work so as a necessary means to reach positive outcomes; your family & community work. Hopefully, someone reads this and learn what learned the hard way.
Flávio Dias
Thank you for sharing your experience !
Debbie Lynch
Wise words
Serenity we seek as the body grows older .
Finlay Balfour
Rise up x
Padraig Ryan
Thanks for your honesty
R J
Gregorys182 Dyer I don’t understand the point you are making. Are you okay?
Erayzor76
I only discovered this song last week at a James tribute night. They played this last, it was super emotional linking arms with my brothers all singing along. I love the way songs can suddenly mean so much to me out of nowhere and this has become one of them.
Amazing song 🎼💜🙌🏽
Ryba Zfrytkami
This song is on an elevated level of excellence. Truly exceptional.