Having founded seminal Memphis punk outfit Reatards at the tender age of si… Read Full Bio ↴Having founded seminal Memphis punk outfit Reatards at the tender age of sixteen, Jay Reatard (May 1, 1980 - January 13, 2010) was a seasoned veteran of the garage-punk scene. In the '90s Reatards turned the Memphis underground rock scene upside down with a legendary over-the-top live shows.

Never content to stick to one genre, one project or one band, Jay also co-led the synth-punk Lost Sounds with Alicja Trout, played drums for The Final Solutions, pursued the solo project Terror Visions, co-fronted The Angry Angles and ran his own label, Shattered Records.

In 2006, In The Red announced the release of Blood Visions, Jay's first album as a solo artist, which combined the aggressive approach of Reatards with a melodic pop sensibility, and production recalling classic UK punk records -- The Adverts (who he covered), Siouxsie & the Banshees, ATV, etc.

On January 13, 2010, Jay was found dead at the age of 29 at his home in Memphis. A statement was posted on the website of Goner Records that Reatard had died in his sleep. His autopsy reported he died of cocaine toxicity and alcohol as a contributing factor.

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Before I Was Caught
Jay Reatard Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Sometimes I have to run
To think it all becomes way too much
All the things I want and need in life
Seem like the things I never
I never ever touch

I don't deserve the best
The best I will settle will

Revolve with all the rest is rest
And I will sleep my days away
While the others will trust
I try my best

And then it comes to me
My thoughts were all
Were all inside my head

I control my destiny
Until I'm lying
I'm lying
I'm lying
Alone in bed

I raise my head to feel and try
I try to squeeze out a scene from thoughts
But then I fall
I fall asleep
And dream about before

Before I was caught
Before I was caught
Before I was caught
Before I was caught

Before I was caught
Before I was caught

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to this song, "Before I Was Caught" by Jay Reatard, explore the conflict between ambitions and reality, and the struggle that individuals go through in order to achieve their dreams. The opening lines indicate that the singer often feels overwhelmed by the various responsibilities he has in his life and finds himself frequently needing to take a break to clear his head. He acknowledges that the things he wants and needs in his life are often out of his reach, despite his best efforts, and that he has to settle for less. He also mentions that he tends to sleep his days away, while others trust him to do his best, indicating that he may have a tendency to procrastinate or avoid responsibilities.

The chorus of the song reflects on the singer's past, before he was "caught" by the demands of life. He dreams of a time when things were simpler and he had more control over his own destiny. However, he seems to realize that his thoughts and aspirations are still inside his head, and that he alone has the power to make things happen. The final lines of the song indicate that he is torn between the desire to achieve his goals and the fear of failure that holds him back.

Line by Line Meaning

Sometimes I have to run
Sometimes I need to take a break

To think it all becomes way too much
To avoid being overwhelmed

All the things I want and need in life
My desires and needs

Seem like the things I never
Seem impossible to achieve

I never ever touch
I can never get close to them

I don't deserve the best
I don't believe I am worthy of the best

The best I will settle will
The best I will have will be mediocre

Revolve with all the rest is rest
My life will revolve around resting like everyone else

And I will sleep my days away
I will waste my time by sleeping

While the others will trust
While others will be productive

I try my best
I attempt to do what I can