The founding members of the band were drummer Jim Fox, bassist Tom Kriss, guitarist Ronnie Silverman, keyboardist Phil Giallombardo, and guitarist Glen Schwartz. In 1968 Joe Walsh replaced Schwartz when Schwartz left the band to join Pacific Gas & Electric. The band then released its debut album Yer' Album. In July of 1970, the band released its second album James Gang Rides Again which included the hit single "Funk #49." By this time, Dale Peters had replaced Kriss on bass. The band opened for The Who during a tour of Britain. After two more albums, Thirds, with the single "Walk Away,", and the live album James Gang Live in Concert, Walsh left the band to perform solo and later join the Eagles.
Vocalist Roy Kenner and guitarist Domenic Troiano then joined the band. Troiano left to join Guess Who and was replaced by Tommy Bolin. Bolin left in 1974 to replace Ritchie Blackmore in Deep Purple. After two albums, "Bang" and "Miami", Bolin was replaced by vocalist Bubba Keith and guitarist Richard Shack, who made "Newborn" (which featured a cover of the Elvis Presley song "Heartbreak Hotel"). The band broke up following a final recording, "Jesse Come Home" (which referred to the band's namesake, the outlaw Jesse James), which was made with the collaboration of early member Phil Giallombardo. Fox was the only remaining member of the original quintet when they disbanded early in 1977.
The "classic" lineup of the band (Walsh, Peters, Fox) reunited to perform at an election rally for Bill Clinton in 1996, appearances on The Drew Carey Show in the 1998-99 season, and at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in February 2001, drawing fans from all over the globe.
As of May 2004, Glenn Schwartz was playing guitar and singing Thursday nights at "Major Hooples" in the Flats, Cleveland.
In summer 2006 the Walsh/Peters/Fox lineup of the group toured the United States. In August 2006, the trio appeared performing live on The Howard Stern radio show on Sirius satellite radio.
Mystery
James Gang Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But now I'm growin' so old
And for a time I had forgotten
But now -
I think about being young again
Strange old feeling is a-tugging on me
It's pulling me by the sleeve
So far behind and so long ago
Warm and wild springs near my old home
Can your mystery hold me
I'd like to share your secret again
Your body could soothe me
I knew what it was to be in love once
But now I'm growin' so cold
And for a time I had forgotten
But now -
I think about feeling love again
Strange old feeling is a-tugging on me
It's pulling me by the sleeve
Calling me back to something I let go
So far behind and so long ago
Warm and wild springs near my old home
Can your mystery hold me
I'd like to share your secret again
Your body could soothe me
The lyrics to James Gang's "Mystery" express the nostalgic yearning of the singer for his youth, and for the experiences of love and excitement that came with it. The opening lines indicate that the singer has grown older and is feeling disconnected from the vitality of his youth. However, something in him is stirred and he begins to think about being young and in love again.
The "strange old feeling" that the singer experiences is a physical sensation that is pulling him towards his past. He is being called back to a time where he felt alive and vibrant, and where love was a potent force in his life. The reference to "warm and wild springs" near his old home suggests that he is thinking about a specific time and place in his past, and that this memory is linked to the experiences of youth and love that he longs for.
The final lines of the song express the singer's desire to "share [the] secret" of his past experiences, and to be soothed by the physical presence of another person. The lyrics suggest that the singer yearns for a return to a time and place where he felt fully alive and connected to the world around him, and where love was a transformative force in his life.
Line by Line Meaning
I knew what it was to be young once
I was aware of the time of being youthful and careless
But now I'm growin' so old
Currently, I'm aging fast
And for a time I had forgotten
I had erased the past from my memory for a while
But now -
However at this moment,
I think about being young again
I remember the young age and the times of being worry-free
Strange old feeling is a-tugging on me
A peculiar feeling from the old age is pulling me
It's pulling me by the sleeve
It's making me feel nostalgic about the old days
Calling me back to something I let go
It's urging me to bring back something I have lost
So far behind and so long ago
It's a distant memory from a bygone era
Warm and wild springs near my old home
The enticing and vibrant springs close to my place of birth
Can your mystery hold me
Will the unknown answer of the past captivate me?
I'd like to share your secret again
I wish to experience the past once more
Your body could soothe me
Memories can be therapeutic to the mind
I knew what it was to be in love once
I experienced the warmth of love at least once in my life
But now I'm growin' so cold
I've lost the sense of warmth and appreciation for love
And for a time I had forgotten
I put the significance of love in the back of my mind for a while
But now -
However, at this point in time,
I think about feeling love again
I recall the emotion of feeling loved once again
Strange old feeling is a-tugging on me
A unique sensation related to past experiences is enticing me
It's pulling me by the sleeve
It's provoking my memory and sparking joy
Calling me back to something I let go
It's summoning me to remember something important that I've forgotten
So far behind and so long ago
It's from a distant era far back in the past
Warm and wild springs near my old home
The exciting and youthful period near my hometown
Can your mystery hold me
Will the unknown and new experiences of my past captivate me?
I'd like to share your secret again
I long to experience the secret essence of life from the past
Your body could soothe me
The warmth from a past memory can be therapeutic
Contributed by Parker V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.