Founded through a mutual love of 60’s and 70’s dub and punk by three friends namely Geoff Lagadec - (vocals / guitar) ; Dave Smith - (guitar / vocals) and Ben Murphy - (bass).
Jaya The Cat create songs ranging from booze fueled anthems to chilled out dance tracks to outright political commentary.
With a current line up including Jordi ‘Pockets’ Nieuwenburg on guitar, Jeroen Kok on bass, and Onverwagt on keyboards.
Following the 2001 release of their debut album Basement Style ( Gold Circle Records ), Jaya The Cat were joined by ex-Shadows Fall drummer David ‘The Germ’ Germain and began a steady touring schedule of stages across the United States and Europe, playing major clubs and festivals such as Lowlands in Holland, Pukkelpop in Belgium, and the Warped Tour in the US. Their music has also been featured in numerous skate, surf and snowboard videos.
Summer 2003 saw their sophomore release, First Beer of a New Day ‘’ (4tune Records).
Although both albums met with positive critical success and they had gathered a loyal worldwide following, personal differences saw the departure of Smith and Murphy that fall, which effectively left the band in limbo. After a freezing music-less winter working shitty jobs in Boston, Lagadec and Germain met up and decided to look for new members. Temporarily joined for a spring European tour by dutch musicians Jan Jaap Onverwagt (Green Lizard) and Alejandro Londoño, they took a 3 month sublet on an apartment in Amsterdam with the plan of regrouping and figuring out what the hell to do with themselves. Three months turned into three years.
In the interim, the band has continued to grow, playing hundreds of live shows to an ever expanding audience, as well as adding keyboards, samples, percussion and a tiki bar to their onstage act. An average Jaya the Cat concert usually becomes more of a party than a performance, with the audience singing, dancing and drinking right along with the band.
September 7th 2007, saw the European release of their third studio album entitled More Late Night Transmissions with... on I Scream Records. Drawing on their experiences, More Late Night Transmissions with... delivers 13 tracks filled with seedy bars, cheap hotels, dysfunctional love affairs and political disillusionment. Punk rock, reggae, ska and pop, glued in their own unique style.
More Late Night Transmissions with... was released on the 10th of May in the US by I Scream Records USA.
Discography:
* CD ‘Basement Style’ (Gold Circle Records 2000)
* CD ‘First ‘Beer Of A New Day’ (4Tune Records 2002)
* CD/LP ‘Ernesto’s Burning’ (Music Machine Records 2004)
* CD More Late Night Transmissions with... (I Scream Records 2007)
* CD Single ‘Closing Time’ (I Scream Records 2007)
* CD Single 'Good Morning' (I Scream Records 2008)
* CD More Late Night Transmissions with... (I Scream Records 2009)
Web links:
Jaya The Cat Official Site
Facebook Fan Page
Myspace page
Purevolume
STATE OF EMERGENCY
Jaya The Cat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Swallows up that city light
Like fire in the rain gets put out again
Like a weapon kept concealed
Explosive elements reveal
A criminal inside of you no ground to stand nothing to lose
The distribution of wealth
That's why its so hard to survive in this so called promise land
You gotta do what you got to do to get by
Facilitate that permanent high
Smoke filled lungs inside of you
Its hard to dream of glory when you got something to prove
Sometimes were all victims of depression and unrest
Some people got no heart that's just the way its always been
Some never find what their looking for
Few get what they want and fewer get more
Sometimes you got to cross that line
When you ain't got enough to get by
Like an angel lost in hell
I walk a path I know so well
I feel lost in a familiar way another memory I can't explain
'Cause its the bottle that seems to flow
Through another day of the drunk unknown
I'm looking for a fight at 11.15 on a Saturday night
Wake up on Sunday morning
To the sound of breaking glass & sirens calling
Bricks & bottles in the street
Alert the police, it's a state of emergency
And the traffic lights all go blinking red
And a voice on the radio says 'get out while you can'
And in the gridlock panic sets in
And there ain't no engine built fast enough
To out ride the Armageddon
And if you don't give it up I'm gonna take it
And how long did you think you could keep me tricked?
I'll be cold walking through the back bay flinging bricks
The song "State of Emergency" by Jaya The Cat delves into the struggles of the working-class in America, who struggle to make ends meet despite living in a "promise land." The first verse, "Like a shadow in the night, swallows up that city light," metaphorically illustrates how the American Dream seems like an unattainable, elusive shadow that is almost impossible to achieve. Despite having a concealed weapon of skill and experience, the state of poverty forces individuals into criminal activity to survive, thereby creating a never-ending cycle of crime and unrest.
The second verse, on the other hand, talks about the struggles of addiction that individuals face when trying to deal with depression and anxiety. The use of substances like smoke or alcohol serves as an escape mechanism for those whose dreams of achieving greatness are stifled by poverty. The bridge connects the two verses, telling the story of how the state of emergency comes to be in America's poverty-stricken areas, where protesters take to the streets to express their grievances, as seen with the line, "bricks & bottles in the street."
Overall, Jaya The Cat provides a poignant critique of the struggles of the working-class in America, citing its dark side, criminal activities, and addiction that arise out of poverty.
Line by Line Meaning
Like a shadow in the night
Something hiding in the darkness, unknown and unpredictable
Swallows up that city light
It takes over the city and consumes it entirely, leaving no room for escape
Like fire in the rain gets put out again
Something that burns bright and then fades away quickly, like a false hope
Like a weapon kept concealed
Something dangerous that is hidden, waiting to be unleashed
Explosive elements reveal
The true nature of a person comes to light, bringing chaos and devastation
A criminal inside of you no ground to stand nothing to lose
Someone who is desperate and has nothing to lose, ready to cross any line to survive
The distribution of wealth
The unfair way in which wealth is distributed in society
Such a fucking scam
It's a complete fraud and deceitful system
That's why its so hard to survive in this so called promise land
The unjust economic system makes it difficult to live in a country that promises opportunities
You gotta do what you got to do to get by
Sometimes people have to resort to desperate measures to survive
Facilitate that permanent high
Finding ways to cope with the daily struggles and challenges that life brings
Smoke filled lungs inside of you
The negative effects of addiction to drugs, alcohol, or tobacco
Its hard to dream of glory when you got something to prove
People who are struggling to survive may not have the luxury to dream big
Sometimes were all victims of depression and unrest
Mental and emotional struggles that affect everyone at some point in their lives
Some people got no heart that's just the way its always been
There are some who lack compassion and empathy for others
Some never find what their looking for
Despite efforts, some people may never find what they are searching for
Few get what they want and fewer get more
Only a select few are able to achieve their goals and even fewer obtain wealth and power
Sometimes you got to cross that line
In desperate situations, people may have to resort to breaking the rules or laws to survive
When you ain't got enough to get by
When you are in a situation of extreme poverty
Like an angel lost in hell
A person with good intentions in a world full of evil and chaos
I walk a path I know so well
A familiar path of addiction, desperation, and self-destruction
I feel lost in a familiar way another memory I can't explain
A feeling of being lost in a life that is familiar but confusing and unexplainable
Cause its the bottle that seems to flow
Alcoholism being a constant presence in one's life
Through another day of the drunk unknown
Living each day in a haze and not knowing what the future holds
I'm looking for a fight at 11.15 on a Saturday night
A desire for conflict and chaos as a form of release or escape
Wake up on Sunday morning
A new day begins, but it is filled with violence and chaos
To the sound of breaking glass & sirens calling
The violent and destructive aftermath of anarchy
Bricks & bottles in the street
Signs of destruction and rage
Alert the police, it's a state of emergency
A situation of extreme danger and chaos that requires immediate response
And the traffic lights all go blinking red
A sign of complete disorder and chaos in the streets
And a voice on the radio says 'get out while you can'
A sense of urgency and danger, warning people to leave the area immediately
And in the gridlock panic sets in
People are trapped and have no way out, causing a sense of panic
And there ain't no engine built fast enough
There is no escape or solution to the chaos and destruction around them
To out ride the Armageddon
The world around them is ending and there is no way to escape the destruction
And if you don't give it up I'm gonna take it
In desperate times, people may resort to taking what they need by force
And how long did you think you could keep me tricked?
A sense of anger and betrayal towards a system that keeps people oppressed
I'll be cold walking through the back bay flinging bricks
A sense of rebellion and resistance, fighting against the system that has failed them
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GEOFFREY GERALD LAGADEC, DAVID MITCHELL SMITH, BENJAMIN JOSEPH MURPHY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind