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/)
Runaground
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You find yourself thinking why can't I have more?
You say there's nothing you can do
You tried your best but you were only being you
Oh no
She's gone
Back wherever she came from
You watched
Your reaction's far too slow
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
You don't know what you've got until you've lost it all
Might I suggest you find a softer place to fall
You take for granted all the riches of your world
You may have oysters but you'll never find a pearl
Oh no
She's gone
Back wherever she came from
You watched
Her go
Your reaction's far too slow
Oh no
She's gone
Back wherever she came from
You watched
Her go
Your reaction's far too slow
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
She's moving on
The love has gone
You left the door wide open
She's moving on
The just has gone
This anger's felt not spoken
It got too old
Was too controlled
Could have gone on forever
The love has gone
She's moving on
When she said now you never
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Oh no
"Runaground" by James is a song about a man who realizes too late the value of what he had in his partner. The lyrics convey the idea that, for many women, their partners are only temporary and not committed, leaving the door open for them to walk out at any time. The singer is feeling remorseful for his past actions and wishes he had tried harder to keep his relationship together. The chorus "Runaground" emphasizes that he lost his partner and is now lost himself, without any ground beneath his feet.
The lyrics continue with the suggestion that the singer should have appreciated the love he had before it was lost. The line "You take for granted all the riches of your world" seems to suggest that he did not value his partner, and instead, focused on things that were not essential. The song talks about the richness of having a pearl, which can be read as a metaphor for finding someone special. In the end, the singer realizes that he has run aground, and his love has disappeared without him realizing it.
Overall, "Runaground" is a song that reflects on the importance of valuing what we have in our lives, especially in relationships. It is a reminder that we should appreciate our loved ones and remain committed to them.
Line by Line Meaning
For every woman you will leave an open door
You tend to have an open mind towards each new woman you meet.
You find yourself thinking why can't I have more?
You are greedy and always want more than what you have.
You say there's nothing you can do
You believe you are helpless and cannot change your situation.
You tried your best but you were only being you
You believe you did your best even though it may not have been enough.
Oh no
You feel regretful.
She's gone
The woman you love has left you.
Back wherever she came from
She has gone back to where she belongs.
You watched
You silently observed her leave.
Her go
She is now gone from your life.
Your reaction's far too slow
You took too long to realize what you had and lost. You are now paying the price for it.
Run aground
You feel like you have crashed or hit rock bottom.
You don't know what you've got until you've lost it all
You only value what you have after you've lost it all.
Might I suggest you find a softer place to fall
You need to look for a safer and more forgiving environment to protect yourself.
You take for granted all the riches of your world
You are blinded by your greed and fail to appreciate everything you already have.
You may have oysters but you'll never find a pearl
You may have everything in abundance, but you never truly have something that is rare and valuable.
She's moving on
She is moving forward with her life.
The love has gone
The love that was once there between you and her is no longer present.
You left the door wide open
You left an opportunity for her to leave.
The just has gone
The sense of fairness and balance in your relationship was lost.
This anger's felt not spoken
You feel angry but cannot express it verbally.
It got too old
Your relationship lost its spark and got boring over time.
Was too controlled
Your relationship was too restrictive and lacked freedom.
Could have gone on forever
Your relationship had the potential to last forever, but you could not sustain it.
When she said now you never
She told you it's over and you can never have her back.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAVID JOHN BAYNTON-POWER, JAMES GLENNIE, MARK HUNTER, SAUL DAVIES, TIMOTHY BOOTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@conormcgregor7117
For every woman you will leave an open door
You find yourself thinking why can't I have more?
You say there's nothing you can do
You tried your best but you were only being you
Oh no
She's gone
Back wherever she came from
You watched
Her go
Your reaction's far too slow
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
You don't know what you've got until you've lost it all
Might I suggest you find a softer place to fall
You take for granted all the riches of your world
You may have oysters but you'll never find a pearl
Oh no
She's gone
Back wherever she came from
You watched
Her go
Your reaction's far too slow
Oh no
She's gone
Back wherever she came from
You watched
Her go
Your reaction's far too slow
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
She's moving on
The love has gone
You left the door wide open
She's moving on
The just has gone
This anger's felt not spoken
It got too old
Was too controlled
Could have gone on forever
The love has gone
She's moving on
When she said now you never
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Run aground
Oh no
@monikamylonopoyloy6223
THIS IS THE MOST CRIMINALLY UNDERRATED SONG
@MikeStand11
Deservedly written in caps. Well said my friend.
@lintburn
Unreal pal. One of their best
@thomasbeddows1021
We know
@jackphillips939
I agree
@jamesritchie3562
@@lintburn I’d say the best.
@lukecurran2946
love the music video and the song. my grandad was actually the booky in the video, my dad was one of the jockeys and my nan was one of the woman in the pubs.
@seanwright8340
Good to see still good going on 40 years old and still producing the same class as always soon on world tour top class as usual can’t wait to see them again Glasgow December
@marcschuler3597
Great sound, Tim’s voice is hauntingly sad and emotive and the lyrics are brilliant.
‘You may have oysters but you’ll never find a pearl’ Love it.
@Ptinski
It's heartening to hear early james songs - a pure explanation of why they've lasted so long. Honest, loyal to their fans, always setting the bar a little higher with each release. So glad I found this band a few years ago, saw them in NYC and now a forever fan.