The guys auditioned for the seminal music team of Leiber and Stoller, who gave the group its name in 1960. In the manner of the time, Leiber and Stoller wanted to extend this to "Binky Jones and the Americans", but Traynor declined to be known as "Binky Jones" his whole career. He instead offered up "Jay", a family nickname, and it suited everyone.
They first hit the Billboard charts in 1962 with the tune "She Cried". Later covered by several other artists, the track's highest charting was #5, inspiring the group. The next two singles didn't fare nearly as well, however, and John Traynor left the band. David Black (né David Blatt) of The Empires took his place (after first agreeing to adopt the name Jay Black), and Empires guitarist Marty Sanders also joined. Black sang lead for the rest of the group's existence.
They returned to the charts in 1963 with "Only In America", a song originally meant for The Drifters. Other notable hits for the Americans were "Come a Little Bit Closer" in 1964, which hit #3, and "Cara Mia" in 1965, which hit #4. The Americans also recorded a commercial for H.I.S. Slacks, and a public service announcement for the Ad Council, featuring a backing track by Brian Wilson and Phil Spector.
In 1968, they recorded an album of their favorite oldies remade fresh, called Sands of Time, and its single was "This Magic Moment", which also came through the Drifters. That track proved to be the last Top Ten record for the group. However, the band's follow-up album, titled 'Wax Museum', yielded the #19 hit "Walkin' In The Rain". First recorded by The Ronettes, the emotive love song has remained a classic on oldies themed stations along with the group's earlier work.
Their next singles failed to chart, nonetheless, and the band grew apart. The demand for live appearances remained. While the other members moved on to solo musical careers in 1973, Jay Black continued to perform as "Jay and the Americans" or "Jay Black and the Americans" until the 1980s, with a variety of musicians, including Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who would later found Steely Dan. ."
The group reunited in the 1990s for special performances, most notably the 45 Years of Motown special on PBS.
in 2006, Jay Black filed for bankruptcy due to gambling debts, and his ownership of the name "Jay & The Americans" was sold by the bankruptcy trustee to Sandy Deanne (Yaguda), Black's former band mate and original member of Jay & The Americans for $100,000 to pay Black's debts. With the name purchase, former members Deanne, Howard Kane, and Marty Sanders reunited, and recruited a sound-alike singer from Chicago, coincidentally nicknamed "Jay." Thus, John "Jay" Reincke became the third "Jay" and the band returned to playing both national and international music venues. Their show covers the history of Jay and The Americans, acknowledging all three Jays and featuring all of the top hits in their original arrangements.
David Blatt still tours under his stage name, "Jay Black". Kenny Vance is currently the lead singer of Kenny Vance and the Planotones, a neo-doo wop band that he formed in the 1970s. After leaving the group, John Traynor recorded a handful of songs on the Coral label, including "I Rise, I Fall" in 1964. None were hits, but "I Rise, I Fall" became a minor hit for Johnny Tillotson. The label billed Traynor as "JAY formerly of Jay and the Americans." Traynor now tours with Jay Siegel's Tokens.
The Reason For Living
Jay & The Americans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never had the strength to truly let me go
Now here we are with a fork in the road
I can see you made up your mind you feel it in your bones
Tell me now if you have grown
Tell me if your hearts gone rouge
Tell me you hit an all time low
If we are on the same boat
Cause I'm not prepared to be alone
Alone, alone, alone
Alone, alone, alone
They tell me things always happen for a reason
You always thought I'd leave
But you're the one whose leaving
And these days
It's been hard to articulate
What I'm feeling
You always said
You would stick with me till the end
But now I'm in my bed
Replaying everything that you said
Before you left
And now I'm stuck in my head
Please don't leave me for dead
Tell me now if you have grown
Tell me if you're hearts gone rouge
Tell me you hit an all time low
Tell me do you even know
If we are on the same boat
Cause I'm not prepared to be alone
Alone, alone, alone
Alone, alone, alone
Tell me now if you have grown
Tell me if your hearts gone rouge
Tell me you hit an all time low
Tell me do you even know
If we are on the same boat
Cause I'm not prepared to be alone
Alone, alone, alone
Alone, alone, alone
The lyrics of "The Reason for Living" by Jay & The Americans is about a relationship that is at a crossroads. The singer is asking his partner to open up and communicate with him about their future and whether they are on the same page. He acknowledges that he had previously told her his heart was made of stone, but she never had the strength to leave him. However, now she has made up her mind and he can feel it in her bones that she is leaving him. He asks her to confirm if she has grown and changed, her heart has gone rouge or if she has hit an all-time low. He is not prepared to be alone, he doesn't want to feel abandoned and left for dead.
The song has a melancholic tone, and the lyrics are delivered in a heartfelt manner. It is emotional and raw, with the lead singer laying it all on the line and begging his partner to stay. However, the partner has seemingly made up her mind and is walking away from the relationship.
The song is a great example of the power of communication in relationships. Often, when we don't communicate openly and honestly with our partners, we can end up on two different paths. It is important to check in with your partner regularly and make sure you are both on the same page.
Line by Line Meaning
Even when I told you my heart was made of stone
I tried to push you away by saying I was emotionless, but you couldn't bring yourself to leave me.
You never had the strength to truly let me go
Despite my coldness, you couldn't bring yourself to cut ties with me completely.
Now here we are with a fork in the road
We've arrived at a point where we must make a decision about our relationship.
I can see you made up your mind you feel it in your bones
You've decided to leave me and it's evident from the way you carry yourself.
Tell me now if you have grown
Let me know if you've matured and are ready to move on from our past.
Tell me if your hearts gone rouge
Share with me if your heart has become rebellious and doesn't want to stay with me anymore.
Tell me you hit an all time low
Confess if you've reached your lowest point, emotionally.
Tell me do you even know
Do you have a clear idea about what's happening between us?
If we are on the same boat
Are we both still invested in our relationship or are we drifting apart?
Cause I'm not prepared to be alone
I don't want to be by myself; I'm not ready to lose you.
They tell me things always happen for a reason
People say that everything that occurs does so for an intended purpose.
You always thought I'd leave
You believed that I would be the one to end things between us.
But you're the one whose leaving
However, you're the one who's walking away from our relationship.
And these days, it's been hard to articulate what I'm feeling
Recently, it's been challenging for me to express my emotions.
You always said you would stick with me till the end
You used to promise that you would stay by my side until the very end.
But now I'm in my bed
But now I find myself alone and lost without you beside me.
Replaying everything that you said before you left
I keep replaying in my mind all the words you said to me before you left.
And now I'm stuck in my head
I feel trapped and unable to move forward, as my thoughts consume me.
Please don't leave me for dead
Don't abandon me and leave me feeling hopeless and lifeless.
Alone, alone, alone
The thought of being by myself scares me.
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jacob Vasquez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind