Jandek plays a very strange and frequently atonal form of folk and blues music, often using an open and unconventional chord structure. Jandek's music is unique, but his lyrics closely mirror the country blues and folk traditions of Eastern Texas.
Barely a handful of people claim to have contacted Jandek, whose steadfastness in anonymity is legendary. Without any conventional attempts at promotion, he releases albums through his own record label Corwood Industries, which is addressed at a Houston post office box. Fans can write to Corwood for a typewritten catalogue and order Jandek’s albums, usually at inexpensive prices. Jandek’s work has been available on vinyl and on compact discs. Many of his albums feature pictures of the same young man (seen above) at various ages; in light of Jandek's live performances it is almost entirely certain that the person featured on the album covers is Jandek himself.
Jandek’s first album, Ready for the House (1978), was first accredited to a band called “The Units” but it was obviously a solo work. Jandek presumably plays acoustic guitar and has recorded much of his work apparently unaccompanied (assuming that the person singing is also the person playing guitar). However many other songs feature female vocals and/or different male vocalists. Others feature bass guitar, electric guitar and/or drums, presumably played by collaborators. No proper credits list has ever appeared on an album, but song titles have included "Nancy Sings" and "John Plays Drums".
Some of Jandek’s allure stems from his small but devoted fan base which has included Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore, Kurt Cobain, Indian Jewelry, and K Records founder Calvin Johnson.
The mystery of Jandek's identity was partially resolved in October 2004 when Jandek performed live in Scotland, at the Instal 04 music festival in Glasgow. This was Jandek's first known live appearance and performed with Richard Youngs (bass) and Alex Neilson (drums). The man on stage was obviously the same man who appears on the album covers. Corwood stipulated that the performance was not publicized in advance. Since then, "The Representative of Corwood Industries" (as Jandek sometimes insists on being called) has played a lot of concerts and recorded all of them for future releases. The last years have seen an even higher release frequency, even for Jandek.
For more information, you may go here:
www.tisue.net/jandek
www.jandekoncorwood.com
First You Think Your Fortune's Lovely
Jandek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The wind has come again
Blowing me so far
I think I see a star
First you think your fortune's lovely
And you fly out through the door
Grandmama I feel so lonely
My rapture's painted on the floor
I'm sitting moon eyed at the table
Sitting blank-eyed by the door
Oh Lord, do you really think I'm able
Well I chose this love completely
When you took away the charm
Set your mind on breaking burdens
Said you done no one no harm
I feel a bit like floating water
Headed for the rocks at bay
Crash upon some ocean liner
Comes upon my lonesome way
Thought I see your eyes a-flashing
Thunder in your hair
I burnt a match for your complexion
The lights went out and you weren't there
Seated by the ranch I'm owning
Staring at the cellophane
Somebody came in for a question
I poured a glass out in the rain
The reason I have been accepted
Is that I failed to come on strong
Found a chair beside a window
Found a place where I belong
Inside myself there is no question
Just the jangle of our brain
Three times four is twenty-seven
Only fragments still remain
I curse the day I found my freedom
You took the mirror from the wall
Placed it in a single suitcase
Pointed down a hollow hall
You said you see your true direction
I'll be there behind the sun
And I'll go with you in the springtime
When all your travels have been done
The lyrics in Jandek's song "First You Think Your Fortune's Lovely" explore themes of loneliness, restlessness, and the search for meaning. The first stanza sets the scene with the wind blowing and the singer feeling lost. They start to have hopeful thoughts (thinking they see a star), but this optimism is quickly dampened by feelings of loneliness and detachment ("Grandmama I feel so lonely / My rapture's painted on the floor").
The next few stanzas are filled with vivid imagery and conflicting emotions. The singer mentions Jacob's kitchen and feeling "moon-eyed" and "blank-eyed" at the same time. They question their own abilities and curse the day they found freedom. They also describe a failed attempt to connect with someone, burning a match for their complexion and finding that they weren't there.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of someone who is lost and searching for meaning, but is struggling to find it. They feel disconnected from others and themselves, and are grappling with conflicting emotions and thoughts.
Line by Line Meaning
Everything's so restless
The current state of things is unsettled and turbulent
The wind has come again
The metaphorical wind, representing change or uncertainty, has returned
Blowing me so far
The changes or uncertainty are pushing the singer to an unfamiliar place
I think I see a star
In the midst of uncertainty, the artist thinks they've found a guiding light
First you think your fortune's lovely
When you first encounter something new, it seems promising
And you fly out through the door
You eagerly embrace this new thing, without knowing what it actually entails
Grandmama I feel so lonely
The singer feels isolated and without guidance
My rapture's painted on the floor
The artist's excitement has been shattered, leaving them feeling empty
The roads lead all to Jacob's kitchen
All paths seem to lead to one common destination, which may not be desirable
I'm sitting moon eyed at the table
The artist is overwhelmed and unsure what to do next
Sitting blank-eyed by the door
They are numb and lost, without a clear sense of direction
Oh Lord, do you really think I'm able
The artist is doubting their own abilities and asking for divine intervention
Well I chose this love completely
Despite the challenges and uncertainty, the singer has committed to this path
When you took away the charm
The singer lost something that made their journey easier
Set your mind on breaking burdens
They are determined to overcome obstacles, no matter how difficult
Said you done no one no harm
The artist's intentions are pure, despite any negative consequences
I feel a bit like floating water
The artist is adrift, without clear direction or purpose
Headed for the rocks at bay
There is danger ahead, but the singer is unable to avoid it
Crash upon some ocean liner
The danger has come to pass, and the singer has suffered its consequences
Comes upon my lonesome way
The artist is alone and struggling to cope with these challenges
Thought I see your eyes a-flashing
The artist thought they saw someone they knew, but it was just an illusion
Thunder in your hair
The person they thought they saw had a striking and memorable appearance
I burnt a match for your complexion
The singer tried to make sense of this vision, without success
The lights went out and you weren't there
The illusion faded, leaving the artist alone and confused
Seated by the ranch I'm owning
The singer is in a position of authority, but it hasn't brought them happiness
Staring at the cellophane
The singer feels trapped and limited, unable to escape their situation
Somebody came in for a question
A new challenge or opportunity presented itself
I poured a glass out in the rain
The artist dismissed this opportunity, knowing it wouldn't bring them what they truly want
The reason I have been accepted
The artist has been welcomed or validated, but for the wrong reasons
Is that I failed to come on strong
They were perceived as non-threatening or unambitious, rather than genuinely deserving
Found a chair beside a window
The singer has found a place to rest, but it is temporary and unsatisfying
Found a place where I belong
The artist has found some measure of acceptance or comfort, but it isn't what they truly need
Inside myself there is no question
The artist is self-aware and knows what they need, but they are still struggling to achieve it
Just the jangle of our brain
Their thoughts and doubts are overwhelming and hard to ignore
Three times four is twenty-seven
The singer is slipping into irrationality, unable to make sense of their thoughts
Only fragments still remain
Their thoughts are now disjointed and confusing
I curse the day I found my freedom
The singer regrets the choices they've made, which have brought them to this point
You took the mirror from the wall
Someone or something has robbed the singer of their self-identity and confidence
Placed it in a single suitcase
This loss is now portable and inescapable
Pointed down a hollow hall
The only way forward seems to be down, into darkness and uncertainty
You said you see your true direction
The artist has been promised clarity and enlightenment, but it hasn't yet materialized
I'll be there behind the sun
This promise of enlightenment is still shrouded in mystery and vagueness
And I'll go with you in the springtime
The singer still yearns for companionship and guidance, even as they struggle to find meaning on their own
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind