Jandek is American musician Sterling Richard Smith (born 26 October 1945 in… Read Full Bio ↴Jandek is American musician Sterling Richard Smith (born 26 October 1945 in Houston, Texas). Since 1978, he has self-released more than 70 albums of unusual, often emotionally dissolute folk and blues songs.

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

What Can I Say What Can I Sing
Jandek Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

What can I say what can I sing
You always knew about everything
What can I show what can I do
Is it all for me, is it all for you
Well I don't know, we'll have to see
Everyone needs, 'cept you and me
And then sometime I'm not so sure
There'll never be another cure

The early morning sun shines through
And all my thoughts are shades of blue
Oh I don't know, I'll have to go
Oh I don't know the reason for
I already left
It's no surprise
I saw it in your raining eyes
Adrift a dream
A time we spent

Much more than that
Forever was all that we meant

Overall Meaning

The song “What Can I Say What Can I Sing” by Jandek is a melancholic expression of confusion and uncertainty in a relationship. The singer expresses their inability to communicate effectively with their partner, who seems to possess an almost omniscient understanding of everything. The singer questions the purpose of their actions and their relationship, pondering whether it is all for themselves or for the other person. They also express doubts about the future, wondering if there will ever be a solution to their problems. The lyrics are poetic and abstract, leaving much room for interpretation.

The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the piece, with the singer confessing that they do not know what to say or sing. The use of the words “always knew” to describe their partner's understanding of everything suggests a certain level of unease and self-doubt. The lines “And then sometime I'm not so sure/ There'll never be another cure” are a poignant expression of the singer's fear that their relationship problems may be permanent. Throughout the song, the singer uses color imagery to express their emotions, with “thoughts of blue” symbolizing sadness and uncertainty.

Line by Line Meaning

What can I say what can I sing
I am at a loss for words and cannot think of any way to express myself

You always knew about everything
You seem to have all the answers and know everything already

What can I show what can I do
I don't know how to impress you or make you happy

Is it all for me, is it all for you
I can't tell if our relationship is benefiting both of us or just one of us

Well I don't know, we'll have to see
I am unsure and we will have to wait and see what happens

Everyone needs, 'cept you and me
It seems like everyone needs or wants something, except for the two of us

And then sometime I'm not so sure
At times, I doubt myself and my abilities

There'll never be another cure
Nothing can fix or heal the problems we are facing

The early morning sun shines through
The morning light is shining and bringing hope to a dark situation

And all my thoughts are shades of blue
Despite the light, I am still feeling sad and depressed

Oh I don't know, I'll have to go
I am unsure and need to leave to figure things out