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.
Jay Reatard on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JayReatard
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Puppet Man
Jay Reatard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a garbage can
Take a piss from a jar
Picking bugs from his arms
He don't question things
He ain't got no dreams
Find this puppet man
In a garbage can
I heard you never can die
You don't have to lie
Lying in my garbage can
I don't want to be his friend
1 2 3 4
Find this puppet man
In a garbage can
Take a piss from a jar
Picking bugs from his arms
He don't question things
He ain't got no dreams
Find this puppet man
In a garbage can
I heard you never can die
You don't have to lie
Lying in my garbage can
I don't want to be his friend
The lyrics to Jay Reatard's song "Puppet Man" seem to be describing a person who is living in squalor, rummaging through a garbage can and picking bugs from his arms. This person does not question their circumstances and has no dreams or aspirations. The singer of the song seems to be observing this individual but wants nothing to do with him, as evidenced by the line "I don't want to be his friend."
There is a sense of detachment and resignation in the lyrics, as if the singer is acknowledging the existence of someone who is forgotten or overlooked by society. The repetition of the opening lines also adds to the sense of hopelessness and repetition in this person's life. Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on poverty and the struggles of those who are marginalized and forgotten.
Line by Line Meaning
Find this puppet man
Search for this individual who lives like a puppet in a garbage can
In a garbage can
Literally meaning he lives in a garbage can, a metaphor for his grim lifestyle
Take a piss from a jar
He urinates in a jar due to lack of facilities, indicative of a poor living situation
Picking bugs from his arms
He is dirty and unkempt, with bugs on his arms that he has to remove
He don't question things
He is passive and does not question his surroundings, possibly due to a lack of education or agency
He ain't got no dreams
He lacks ambition and aspiration, and is stuck in his current situation
I heard you never can die
Possibly to convey the idea that life is unbearable for him, he thinks of death but believes he can't even die
You don't have to lie
A hypothetical statement addressed to the puppet man implying that he doesn't have to put up a facade, as he has nothing to lose
Lying in my garbage can
Possibly suggesting that the singer himself is the puppet man, and he is in despair and lying in his own filth
I don't want to be his friend
The singer distances himself from the puppet man, possibly due to fear or disgust
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: HOWARD GREENFIELD, NEIL SEDAKA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind