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/)
Mother
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Politicians' lies
Where is the truth?
Lost in a disguise
Under a cloak
Veiled in smoke
Blind to their eyes
Forest in flame
What of the youth?
Nothing to be gained
Lungs are choked
Tarred by smoke
A losing game
I hear you calling
Mother, oh mother
Your branches are burning
Mother, oh mother
The flames are unfurling
Mother, oh mother
We weep for your hurting
But tears won't save you now
No, they can't put the fire out
Tree falls down
No-one around
Is it a crime?
Does it still make a sound?
Search for hope
Through the smoke
Root to the ground
Eden in ruins
Apocalypse brewing
Do we have time
To save the garden that we grew in?
Resist, revoke
Expel the smoke
Where to begin?
I hear you calling
Mother, oh mother
Your branches are burning
Mother, oh mother
The flames are unfurling
Mother, oh mother
We weep for your hurting
But tears won't save you now
Oh mother, oh mother
Your branches are burning
Mother, oh mother
The flames are unfurling
Mother, oh mother
We weep for your hurting
But tears won't save you now
No, they can't put the fire out
Aah-oo
Aah-oo
Mother, mother
Aah-oo
Ye-he-hey ye-he-hey
Ay-oh h-ay-oh
Oh-oh
We hear you calling
Mother, oh mother
Your branches are burning
Mother, oh mother
The flames are unfurling
Mother, oh mother
We weep for your hurting
But tears won't save you now
So as wood turns to charcoal how
Can you save a house burning down?
The song "Mother-in-Law" by James is a humorous yet relatable tune about the challenges of a complicated family relationship. The singer describes his mother-in-law as "the worst person" he knows, "sent down from below," and likens her to "sin." He expresses frustration and anxiety about her constant interference in his life, criticizing her for always "try[ing] to put [him] out" and asking him about his salary. However, the chorus reveals the core of his feelings: "If she leaves us alone, we would have a happy home." Despite his exasperation, he wants a peaceful, harmonious family life and sees his mother-in-law as the main obstacle to that goal.
The song's humor stems from its over-the-top portrayal of a difficult mother-in-law, as well as its catchy melody and repetition of the chorus. However, the universal experience of family conflict makes the song relatable to many listeners. It highlights the tensions that can arise between in-laws, as well as the desire for familial peace and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
The worst person I know, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The singer considers his mother-in-law to be the worst person he knows.
She worries me so, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The singer is worried about his mother-in-law's behavior.
If she leaves us alone, we would have a happy home
The singer believes that his home would be happier if his mother-in-law would leave them alone.
Sent down from below
Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The artist believes that his mother-in-law is so terrible that she must have been sent from hell.
Sin should be her name, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The artist believes that his mother-in-law is so evil that she should be called 'Sin.'
To me, they're about the same, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The singer believes that his mother-in-law and 'Sin' are equally terrible.
Every time I open my mouth, she steps in, tries to put me out
The singer's mother-in-law constantly interrupts him and tries to silence him.
How could she stoop so low?
Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The artist cannot understand how his mother-in-law could behave so badly.
I come home with my pay, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The artist brings home money and his mother-in-law is there to greet him.
She asks me what I make, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The artist's mother-in-law is concerned with how much he makes.
She thinks her advice is a contribution
But if she will leave that will be a solution
And don't come back no more
Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law, mother-in-law
The singer does not value his mother-in-law's advice and wishes that she would leave and never come back.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: James Hastings
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind