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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My Shadow
Jay Reatard Lyrics

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If this is the way it's going to be
Then I am so sure
That life is lost
It's only thrill and it's tomorrow

I can't see your face
cause I'm a looking at
I can't see your face

cause I'm a looking at you

The way you walk
The way you step on through
The way you do
All the things you do
The way you walk
The way you step on through
I can't tell truth

My shadow
My shadow
My shadow
My shadow is stuck

It's like the darkness
All you ever seem to be
And nightmares only
make you a memory

I can't see your face
cause I'm a looking at
I can't see your face
cause I'm a looking at you

The way you walk
The way you step on through
The way you do
All the things you do
The way you walk
The way you step on through
I can't tell truth

My shadow
My shadow
My shadow
My shadow is stuck

I don't feel too well
I don't feel too well
And I don't really care

Cause I don't feel too well
Cause I'm a looking at you!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jay Reatard's song "My Shadow" describe a sense of desperation and loss in the singer's life. They believe that if this is how life is going to continue, they are sure that life is lost. The only things that bring thrill and hope are the future, symbolized by "tomorrow." However, the singer is so fixated on the person they are looking at that they can't see other people's faces. The object of their fixation is further described as having a captivating walk and the way they do all the things they do. The singer is captivated by this person; they have become their obsession.

The repetition of the phrase "My shadow is stuck" symbolizes the singer's inability to move on from this fixation. Their shadow, which is an essential part of themselves, is stuck to this person they are admiring. This sense of being stuck in their obsession has left the singer feeling unwell. They can't detach themselves from their fixation, and it's probably driving them mad. The lyrics create an image of someone stuck in an intense infatuation and are unable to overcome it.

Overall, the lyrics of "My Shadow" depict the intense fixation and desperation of someone unable to move on from their attraction to another person.

Line by Line Meaning

If this is the way it's going to be
If this is really how life is

Then I am so sure
Then I'm convinced

That life is lost
That life has no meaning

It's only thrill and it's tomorrow
It's all just excitement without any long-term purpose

I can't see your face
I can't focus on your face

cause I'm a looking at
Because I'm constantly watching and analyzing

The way you walk
The way you move

The way you step on through
The way you go about your life

The way you do
The way you act

All the things you do
All of your actions and behaviors