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
Long Way
Jandek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's a long way, a long way...
To the back of the... long way
Not as long as all that, but it's a long way [laughs]
The lyrics of Jandek's song "Long Way" captures the feeling of being marginalized and pushed to the back of the bus, both literally and metaphorically. The repetition of the phrase "long way" emphasizes the distance and isolation that the singer feels. The laughter at the end of the song can be interpreted as a coping mechanism to hide the pain and frustration of being pushed aside. The lack of a clear narrative in the lyrics allows the listener to connect with the emotions expressed rather than the specific circumstances that led to them.
Line by Line Meaning
Long way to the back of the bus
Traveling to the back of the bus requires a lengthy journey
It's a long way, a long way...
The distance to the back of the bus is significant and requires effort
To the back of the... long way
The trip to the back of the bus is quite lengthy
Not as long as all that, but it's a long way [laughs]
Although not excessively far, reaching the back of the bus is still a considerable distance
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind