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/)
Say Something
James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hidden well, what are you concealing
Poker face, carved in stone
Amongst friends, but all alone
Why do you hide
Say something, say something, anything
I've shown you everything
Say something, say something, anything
Your silence is deafening
Pay me in kind
Take a drug to set you free
Strange fruit from a forbidden tree
You've got to come down soon
More than a drug is what I need
Need a change of scenery
Need a new life
Say something, say something anything
I've shown you everything
Give me a sign
Say something, say something, anything
Your silence is deafening
Pay me in kind
Say something
I'm open wide, open wondering
Have you swallowed everything
Pay me in kind
In this song, James is addressing someone who is very guarded and closed off. He describes them as being like a “hunter’s trap,” which is a metaphor for how difficult it is for people to get close to them. They are hiding something, and he wants to know what it is. Despite having a “poker face” that is “carved in stone,” this person is still alone, which suggests that their defenses are preventing them from forming meaningful connections with others. James pleads with them to say something, anything, because he has already shown them everything.
The second verse introduces an element of danger, as James encourages the person to take a drug that will “set them free.” This is a reference to a forbidden fruit, which could symbolize any number of things. It could be drugs or alcohol, or it could be a forbidden relationship or behavior. Whatever it is, James warns that “you’ve got to come down soon” and that it will take more than just a drug to change their life. They need a new environment and a fresh start.
The final chorus again implores the person to say something, as James tries to keep the lines of communication open. He wonders if they have “swallowed everything,” suggesting that they are carrying a lot of emotional baggage that they haven’t addressed. He asks to be paid “in kind,” which could mean that he wants the person to open up to him in return, or that he wants them to help him in some way.
Overall, the song is a plea for honesty and openness in a relationship. James is frustrated by the other person’s inability to let their guard down, and he wants them to be willing to take risks and make changes in order to improve their lives.
Line by Line Meaning
You're as tight as a hunter's trap
You're very guarded and closed off, like a trap set by a hunter to catch prey.
Hidden well, what are you concealing
You've hidden whatever you're keeping inside really well, and I want to know what it is that you're hiding.
Poker face, carved in stone
You have a really good poker face and it seems like nothing can shake you or make you break from your guarded exterior.
Amongst friends, but all alone
Even though you're surrounded by people who care about you, you seem lonely and isolated from everyone else.
Why do you hide
I'm curious as to why you feel the need to keep things hidden and not show your true self.
Say something, say something, anything
I'm begging you to say something, anything, even if it's just a small hint or indication of what's going on inside of you.
I've shown you everything
I've been open and honest with you about myself, and I want you to reciprocate that level of openness and honesty.
Give me a sign
I'm looking for some kind of signal or guidance from you, something to indicate which direction we should move in.
Your silence is deafening
Your lack of response is incredibly loud and noticeable, and it's making me feel unsure and uneasy.
Pay me in kind
I'm hoping that you'll return the favor and open up to me, just as I've opened up to you.
Take a drug to set you free
Sometimes people turn to drugs to escape their problems and feel free, but I don't think that's a healthy or productive solution to anything.
Strange fruit from a forbidden tree
Drugs can be like forbidden fruit, tempting but ultimately dangerous and a poor choice.
You've got to come down soon
Whatever temporary high drugs might give you, it's not sustainable and eventually you'll have to face reality again.
More than a drug is what I need
I'm not looking for a quick fix, I need something deeper and more meaningful to help us move forward.
Need a change of scenery
Maybe a change of environment or perspective would help us both see things differently and make progress.
Need a new life
Perhaps it's time for a clean slate and fresh start, something to help us leave old problems and struggles behind.
I'm open wide, open wondering
I'm ready and willing to listen and learn, curious about what you have to say and how we can move forward together.
Have you swallowed everything
Have you internalized everything without talking to anyone about it? That's not healthy or sustainable.
Pay me in kind
I'm hoping that you'll be open and honest with me, just as I've been with you, so that we can work through whatever's going on together.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Timothy Booth, Lawrence Gott, James Glennie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@manuelgpgarcia9059
You're as tight as a hunter's trap
Hidden well, what are you concealing
Poker face, carved in stone
Amongst friends, but all alone
Why do you hide?
Say something, say something, anything
I've shown you everything
Give me a sign
Say something, say something, anything
Your silence is deafening
Give me a sign
Take a drug to set you free
Strange fruit from a forbidden tree
You've got to come down soon
More than a drug is what I need
Need a change of scenery
Need a new life
Say something, say something, anything
I've shown you everything
Give me a sign
Say something, say something, anything
Your silence is deafening
Give me a sign
Say something, say something, anything
I've shown you everything
Give me a sign
I'm open wide, open wondering
Have you swallowed everything
Pay me in kind
@hola-wv4ob
You're as tight as a hunter's trap
hidden well, what are you concealing
poker face, carved in stone
amongst friends, but all alone
why do you hide
Say something, say something, anything
i've shown you everything
give me a sign
say something, say something, anything
your silence is deafening
pay me in kind
Take a drug to set you free
strange fruit from a forbidden tree
you've got to come down soon
more than a drug is what i need
need a change of scenery
need a new life
Say something, say something anything
i've shown you everything
give me a sign
say something, say something, anything
your silence is deafening
pay me in kind
Say something
I'm open wide, open wondering
have you swallowed everything
pay me in kind.
@3vogaming221
Most underrated band of a generation sadly ,
Their songs hit home and are from the heart .
@mikedarby3977
Agreed
@Carpingabout
20 years old. We didn't realise just how lucky we were.
@patriciamays8244
It's new if you think about all the wonderful music that came out in the 1960''s before most of us were born or in preschool
@violet4462
This song is about loving someone with a drug addiction and not being able to tap into there mind and set them free, I love someone with a drug addiction, but I also suffer from a drug addiction to. This song has been making me cry for 21 years, maby one day there,ll be happy tears. James are one of the most underrated bands ever, and certainly in my top 3 favourites of all time along with the stone roses and Richard ashcroft /verve 💙💚💛
@gregmyers5611
Wish you both nothing but freedom and happiness... or happiness which will lead to freedom... either way, be happy kidda.
@violet4462
@@gregmyers5611 thankyou brother x
@jamesrooney1905
Stay strong girl, x, 👍💚🇮🇪
@gazscott4102
Suffering is a widely, common problem. Your not alot😊
@gazscott4102
Alone, sorry 😊