The following albums saw large shifts in style. Much Afraid saw them releasing gorgeous - sometimes brittle - music, which the Band intended to have a "timeless" sound, while If I Left the Zoo is a quirkier but musically brilliant album, featuring considerably more keys and experimentation. The Eleventh Hour is their first true "rock" album. They returned to acoustic guitars for the "Furthermore" project, which featured two EPs - a live disc and an acoustic disc. The band's 5th album, Who We Are Instead continued some of the band's earlier sonic experiments and showcased some new gospel, bluegrass, and hymnsong influences. The hymnsong approach was continued on an album of new arrangements of classic hymns - Redemption Songs.
Good Monsters was released on Sept. 05, 2006. The album was hailed by CCM Magazine as "Album of the Year" - a controversial move considering that this announcement was made in August. "Good Monsters" further showcases the diverse style of the venerable quartet and is considered by the band to be their first true "rock" record. It is a rock driven record with electric guitars having prevalence on more of the songs than any previous albums. The album also has other stylistic influences and even includes a choir of African school children, while lyrically, it hits the darker side of their self-shaped genre.
In 2007, Jars of Clay announced that they were leaving Essential Records and were creating their own record label, Gray Matters. Jars of Clay released Christmas Songs through Gray Matters in 2007, and the Closer EP was released in the Summer of 2008.
April 21, 2009 marked the release of The Long Fall Back to Earth, containing two tracks from the Closer EP and 12 additional tracks. Two Hands is the first single from that release.
Boy on a String
Jars of Clay Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
He's pulling your arms and legs
'Til you can't stand on your own
Dragging your conscience on the stage
And your heart gets rearranged
And you cannot tell you mentor
From you Maker
Or the way you entertain at beckon call
They don't see behind the lights
Or the painted background
They just like to see you fall
[Chorus]
But you don't really mind
And you're just wasting time
You don't feel anything
You're a boy on a string
I feel a sadness like Gapetto
Watching the life that he created run away
Seeing the puppeteer's intrusion
And holding the remains
Of puppets that had rotted away
One day the curtain will not open
And all of the crowds will go away
Crowds will go away (sung in background)
Someday those strings will choke you
But until that day
[Chorus]
Just a boy
Just a boy
Just a boy
Just a boy
[Chorus: x2]
Just a boy on a string
The song "Boy on a String" by Jars of Clay is a thoughtful commentary on the nature of fame and the entertainment industry. The lyrics suggest that performers, like marionettes, are controlled by outside forces, in this case, the audience, who enjoy watching them suffer and falter on the stage. The metaphor of the puppet represents a loss of control, as the performer's conscience is dragged along, and their heart is rearranged. The audience's thirst for entertainment and their preference for spectacle over substance is contrasted with the performer's sense of emptiness and detachment, represented by the repeated refrain of "just a boy on a string."
The chorus of the song presents a sense of resignation, as the performer realizes that they are "just wasting time" and "don't feel anything." The sadness expressed by the singer, who sees the "life that he created run away" like Geppetto watching Pinocchio, suggests that there is a loss of both artistic integrity and personal identity in the pursuit of fame. Ultimately, the song presents a warning to those who chase after the allure of the spotlight, that someday, the strings that manipulate them will "choke" them, and the crowds will go away, leaving them alone and forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
The marionette has your number
Someone else is controlling you and you are just following instructions
He's pulling your arms and legs
You are forced to do things you don't want to do
'Til you can't stand on your own
You have lost your independence and ability to make your own decisions
Dragging your conscience on the stage
Your moral values are being compromised to please others
And your heart gets rearranged
Your emotions are being manipulated and changed by external influences
And you cannot tell your mentor from your Maker
You have lost sight of your own beliefs and are following someone else blindly
Look at the crowd bleeding with laughter
The people watching you are entertained by your misery and pain
Or the way you entertain at beckon call
You are expected to perform at any time, without regard for your own wants or needs
They don't see behind the lights
The audience is unaware of the real person behind the façade
Or the painted background
The set and surroundings are all designed to maintain a certain illusion
They just like to see you fall
The audience takes pleasure in your misfortunes and failures
But you don't really mind
You have become apathetic and resigned to your situation
And you're just wasting time
You feel like you are going through the motions without any real purpose or direction
You don't feel anything
You have become numb to your own emotions
You're a boy on a string
You are being controlled like a puppet, with no autonomy or agency
I feel a sadness like Gapetto
The artist feels empathetic sadness for the person being controlled, like Geppetto from Pinocchio
Watching the life that he created run away
Geppetto feels like the puppet he created has become uncontrollable and has gone in a direction he did not intend
Seeing the puppeteer's intrusion
The person in control is like an intruder, taking over someone else's life
And holding the remains
Geppetto is left with the aftermath of what happened to the puppet he created
Of puppets that had rotted away
Geppetto has seen other examples of people whose lives were ruined by the same kind of control
One day the curtain will not open
One day the control will end and the truth will be revealed
And all of the crowds will go away
The people who were entertained by the puppet will lose interest and move on
Someday those strings will choke you
Eventually, the control will become too much and will have negative consequences
Just a boy on a string
The artist repeats the phrase to emphasize the idea of being controlled and helpless
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: CHARLIE LOWELL, DAN HASELTINE, MATTHEW RYAN BRONLEEWE, STEPHEN DANIEL MASON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind