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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I Know a Place
Jay Reatard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where we can go
To be alone
I know a place
Where we can crawl to die
Away
And please don't you cry
Whip the tears away from your eyes
If we both weren't so sad
Maybe this thing isn't so bad
Yes we both
We ask what we ask for
Yes we both
We ask what we ask for
Today
I know a place
Where I can go
To be alone
I know a place
Where I can crawl to die
Away
Away from you
And please don't you cry
Whip the tears away from your eyes
If we both weren't so sad
Maybe this thing isn't so bad
Yes we both
We ask what we ask for
Yes we both
We ask what we ask for
In Jay Reatard's "I Know A Place," there is a clear sense of desperation and sadness. The song describes a place where someone can go to be alone- and potentially to end their life. The lines "Where we can crawl to die" and "Where I can crawl to die, away from you" make it evident that the place is a last resort, a way to escape from the afflictions of life- and from the person they are with.
There is an exchange throughout the lyrics between two people, who are both sad, questioning their situation and asking for something that may not be possible. The lyrics "If we both weren't so sad, maybe this thing isn't so bad" suggest that while the situation may be unbearable, if they weren't both so unhappy, it might be easier to fix things. It's a common theme in many relationships where both people can be unhappy, but neither know how to fix it.
The repetition of "Yes, we both/We ask what we ask for" throughout the song emphasizes the idea that the two individuals in the song are responsible for their current situation. It implies that they both got what they wanted, even if they aren't happy with it, and now they're stuck in the situation. It's a reminder that sometimes we get exactly what we asked for, but it's not what we really needed.
Overall, this song is a chilling and emotional portrayal of the struggle with depression, loneliness, and desperation. It's a reminder that sometimes the people who seem the happiest are struggling the most, and that we never know what is going on behind closed doors.
Line by Line Meaning
I know a place
I have knowledge of a secret location
Where we can go
We can go there together
To be alone
To escape the world and be by ourselves
Where we can crawl to die
This place is so secluded that we can go there to die
Away
Far away from everything we know
Away from here
Escaping the current situation and location we are in
And please don't you cry
As we separate ourselves, we shouldn't be filled with sadness
Whip the tears away from your eyes
Dry your eyes and don't let the tears flow
If we both weren't so sad
If we didn't have these negative emotions weighing us down
Maybe this thing isn't so bad
Perhaps our current situation isn't as terrible as it seems
Yes we both
Both of us without exception
We ask what we ask for
We should expect what we want and not settle for less
Today
Whether it is today or not
Where I can go
Just like before, I already know of a place
Where I can crawl to die
This time, it is only me who will go there to die
Away from you
To be away from a specific individual
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: JIMMY LEE LINDSAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Greg Hunt
cool tune. well done, jay
assks92
This makes me cry it's so good
evanian1963
RIP Jay. We love ya...
Nate Brenneman
I'm going to that place tonight... See you in punk hell Jay, I'll bring a guitar!
Wilma dikfit
Nate Brenneman is this a cry for help?
Batcaveloner13
You still alive brah?
Nate Brenneman
Actually yes! I’ll tell you what morphine, roxie and dilaudid are crazy hell of drugs to be strung out on. Been off the spike for about 5 years now. That comment was close to rock bottom.
Batcaveloner13
Glad you’re doing better now man... :D
Frank The Bunny
R.I.P. Jamie Lee Lindsay
George Rubio
missing you, bro