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
The Answer
Jandek Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wondered who was there
There was an orange sky behind the mountain
Just a silhouette of a horizon
And then I was in the car
Looking out the back window
And I saw the nose and eyes
Closed on that ancient face
And the cut-glass chandelier
A flashlight looked at me
I couldn't even see the hand
The side of the wall had two windows
Green light shone through them
Maybe an ear and a touch of hair
Somebody's at the door
But it's so hard to see
Imagination's taking over me
I got geometric patterns
There's lightning bolts and shafts of vapor
And a long coat in the haze
They're waiting for me to come and see them
But I keep imagining it's not there
It's back in the black and the red and the yellow
And the storms and the arrows and hieroglyphics
I can find out who you are
I can think about the stairs (stares?)
The lyrics to Jandek's song The Answer describe a surreal and dreamlike experience where the singer is seeing various shapes and patterns as well as encountering different images that are difficult to interpret. The song begins with the singer hearing a bell ring and seeing an orange sky behind a mountain, which sets the tone for the dreamlike quality of the song. As the song progresses, the singer describes seeing a green light shining through two windows and an ancient face, possibly alluding to the idea of seeing visions of the past or encountering something supernatural.
The lyrics continue to describe the singer's confusion and uncertainty, as they can't quite make out what they are seeing and are left to rely on their imagination to interpret the images in front of them. The song ends with the singer musing about being able to figure out who someone else is and focusing on stairs or possibly stares, leaving the interpretation of the lyrics open-ended and up to the listener's imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
I heard the bell ring
I perceived the sound of a bell
I wondered who was there
I was curious to know who or what was responsible for making the sound
There was an orange sky behind the mountain
There existed a sky that was tinged with the color orange, located behind a mountain or range of mountains
Just a silhouette of a horizon
Only an outline or dim shape was visible where the sky and the mountain(s) met
And then I was in the car
At some point, I became situated inside an automobile
Looking out the back window
I was facing the opposite direction of travel, peering through the vehicle's rear-facing opening
And I saw the nose and eyes
I observed the facial features of a being or creature
Closed on that ancient face
The facial features were shut or concealed on the antiquated-looking countenance
And the corner of the post
I also noticed the point where one object or structure met another object or structure at a perpendicular angle
And the cut-glass chandelier
I visually detected a suspended light fixture that was comprised of shards of glass that had been intentionally severed
A flashlight looked at me
I received illumination from an object meant for brightening dark areas, typically held in one's hand
I couldn't even see the hand
Despite the well-lit surroundings, I was unable to catch sight of the hand that was holding the flashlight
The side of the wall had two windows
One of the walls had two apertures or glass-covered openings through which one could observe the exterior
Green light shone through them
A type of light that was green in hue emanated from the two openings
Maybe an ear and a touch of hair
It was possible that a part of a being or creature's anatomy, such as the auditory organ and some hair-like filaments, were visible
Somebody's at the door
An individual is located at the structure's entrance
But it's so hard to see
However, discerning the identity or appearance of that individual is a challenging task
Imagination's taking over me
I am increasingly relying on my faculty for creating images or concepts that are not present to supplant what I am actually observing or experiencing
I got geometric patterns
I am seeing shapes and designs that follow the principles of geometry
There's lightning bolts and shafts of vapor
Among these shapes and designs are forms that resemble electrical discharges and thin columns of moist gas
And a long coat in the haze
There is also an article of clothing that is extensive in length, within the unclear or smoky environment
They're waiting for me to come and see them
Certain things, beings, or entities are anticipating my arrival or presence
But I keep imagining it's not there
Despite others' expectations, I am having trouble believing that what they envision or sense actually exists
It's back in the black and the red and the yellow
My mind is reverting to a state of darkness or gloom, redness or passion, and yellowness or optimism
And the storms and the arrows and hieroglyphics
There are additional reminders of tumultuous weather conditions, sharp projectiles, and inscrutable symbols
I can find out who you are
I have the ability to ascertain or establish your identity
I can think about the stairs (stares?)
I can contemplate the steps, sets of structures for ascending and descending heights, or fixed looks or gazes given to others
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@slobberkissintl3548
i like the idea that he just made music and didnt care what ppl thought but also, he self-released his records and mailed them to ppl for free. i dont know what it cost to make an LP in 1978 but the vinyl i have been involved with for various bands, i think $1000-$3500 per album, that's for less than 1000.
so i would be really interested to know more about how Corwood was funded.
also, he is essentially a singer-songwriter. it is important to note that ppl find abstraction in music more palatable if there is a voice and a story, or if you include the album art and shadowy background, a puzzle to solve.
im just saying this bc it is 2021 and now we know what a year without live music feels like. Jandek from 1978 to 2004 had no performances.
ive released music and maybe my lens is smudged having brown skin making abstract lyric-less music, the sparse overlap of those worlds, but it is maybe important to think more about accepting the idea that the music we consume comes out of nowhere.
it's more fun to imagine music is a miracle
but in 2021, maybe just for a little while, we could be more practical. like ok musical genius, how much is your rent? dont worry we got you.
do i sound like a Taurus, i am one hahahaha
i dunno guys. the very small amount of press ive ever gotten, they want to make a story of you and if youre not Freddie Mercury in a frontless unitard then youre "mysterious".
it's quaint.
compelling i guess
and it worked for Jandek so thats awesome (some of my friends have gotten to be in Jandek's backing band!)
but Jandek is a very fortunate roll of dice. itd be great if more ppl had a better sense of just how ill-fitting a life of music-making can be with the economic structures we have.
supply and demand doesnt work for music. bc demand has to be drummed up, which detracts from creating the supply.
Corwood is a great example of how to bypass supply and demand but Jandek is unique bc he was able to hang on for many years in a slowly populating vacuum.
just to wrap up guys, im just saying try all the sounds and remember, if it is attributed to a name, thats usually a human or several humans and they gotta eat and probably sleep indoors just like you
edit: ok one more thing
of course most of the musicians i know have normal jobs, at least part time ones
but to make music a career you almost always have to play lots of shows.
hmmm maybe this is some weird extension of... the "individualist but God's favorite" thing
not my most coherent rant but hopefully something useful came through
@TheVioletBunny
Awesome man you listened to my request for Jandek I feel honored
@deburke321
Thank you for the recommendation it was really interesting to look into him!
@TheVioletBunny
@Deburke321 no problem I’m really excited you took interest in my suggestion cheers
@realvelikiman1987
@Stanky Panky what's the email to send recommendations?
@TheVioletBunny
@Kamranov Savić I didn’t email I posted a comment on another video suggesting he should do content on jandek you do realize he reads comments and gets notifications from comments on his videos right? No need for email it’s not 2001.
@realvelikiman1987
@Stanky Panky thanks man
@grrgrievances
Jandek played Brisbane about 10 years ago, it was in a big venue but only about 30 people came to see him. It was a great show, then afterwards he invited a bunch of us up to his hotel room and was also a great host. He served cheese and crackers on a plate, handed out beers from the fridge, and generally was cool to hang out with. A warm and generous guy.
@halfwaytobedlam3234
i think you mean the representative from corwood industries
@joshsoutar5381
I found out about this show the day after it happened ... nothing would have stopped my flying from Perth ... how was it??????
@franklinkz2451
A bunch of yas? The entire crowd?