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
Chemical Salvation
Jaya the Cat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
out in the city cruising on my bike
I've been sitting in the park all day
drinking cheap wine, getting high
watching time just drift away
slipping through traffic with my walkman on
no obligations nowhere I belong
lost my religion but I keep my faith
and as the night comes in
feels like home again
got both feet on the ground
but my mind's on vacation and I'm tuning out
I think the drugs are kicking in
my hands are numb and the whole bar's spinning
the sun is setting and I'm feeling lost
down at the club trying to shake it off
it's too early to dance so I'm drinking scotch
hanging with the germ at the bar in my flip flops
16.50 and a gram of weed *on my condo* it's for my own insanity
so I hit the bricks, relax my mind
turn the music up, glide along under the streetlights
I cross the city I make the rounds
and when last call comes, you know I'm finally coming down
and as I'm heading home, feels like I made it woooh
and everything's alright so it's over now
another transmission from the late night
I think the drugs are kicking in
my hands are numb and the whole bar's spinning
7:30 on a summer's night
out in the city cruising on my bike
I've been sitting in the park all day
drinking cheap wine, getting high
watching time just drift away
I think the drugs are kicking in
my hands are numb and the whole bar's spinning
The lyrics of "Chemical Salvation" by Jaya the Cat describe a night out in the city, where the singer is cruising around on their bike, listening to music and enjoying the freedom of having no obligations or responsibilities. The song highlights the feeling of being lost, yet finding comfort in being lost, with the lyrics "feels like home again, got both feet on the ground, but my mind's on vacation, and I'm tuning out."
Throughout the song, the use of drugs is referenced, with the lyrics "I think the drugs are kicking in, my hands are numb and the whole bar's spinning." While it may seem like the singer is glorifying drug use, it's important to note that the lyrics also hint at the negative effects, as evidenced by the lyrics "16.50 and a gram of weed on my condo, it's for my own insanity."
The song captures the sense of living in the moment, and the desire to escape from the mundane aspects of everyday life. It's both a celebration of freedom and an acknowledgement that sometimes we seek refuge in things that may not be good for us.
Line by Line Meaning
7:30 on a summer's night
It's 7:30 PM on a summer evening.
out in the city cruising on my bike
The singer is riding their bike around the city.
I've been sitting in the park all day
The singer spent the day in the park.
drinking cheap wine, getting high
The artist drank inexpensive wine and got high.
watching time just drift away
The artist spent time passively, not focusing on anything.
slipping through traffic with my walkman on
The singer is riding their bike through traffic while listening to music on a Walkman.
no obligations nowhere I belong
The singer has no responsibilities and nowhere specific to be.
a million miles above the day-to-day
The artist feels disconnected from the routines of daily life.
lost my religion but I keep my faith
The artist no longer holds religious beliefs, but still holds onto faith in something else.
and as the night comes in
Nighttime is approaching.
feels like home again
The singer feels comfortable and at ease.
got both feet on the ground
The artist is physically present and grounded.
but my mind's on vacation and I'm tuning out'
The singer's mind is mentally checked out and not focusing on anything specific.
I think the drugs are kicking in
The singer is feeling the effects of drugs.
my hands are numb and the whole bar's spinning
The singer is experiencing physical symptoms of drug use and disorientation.
the sun is setting and I'm feeling lost
The sun is going down and the artist feels disoriented or uncertain.
down at the club trying to shake it off
The artist is at a club attempting to get rid of the feeling of being lost or uncertain.
it's too early to dance so I'm drinking scotch
It's too early in the evening to dance, so the singer is drinking scotch instead.
hanging with the germ at the bar in my flip flops
The singer is spending time with a friend at the bar while wearing flip flops.
16.50 and a gram of weed *on my condo* it's for my own insanity
The artist purchased $16.50 worth of weed, which they keep at their condo for their own personal use.
so I hit the bricks, relax my mind
The artist leaves the bar and relaxes their mind.
turn the music up, glide along under the streetlights
The artist listens to music and rides their bike under the streetlights.
I cross the city I make the rounds
The singer traverses the city and visits various places.
and when last call comes, you know I'm finally coming down
When the bar's last call for drinks comes around, the artist is finally calming down and sobering up.
and as I'm heading home, feels like I made it woooh
As the singer is heading home, they feel a sense of accomplishment or triumph.
and everything's alright so it's over now
Everything feels okay, so the night is over.
another transmission from the late night
The singer sees this night as another experience or message gained from late-night activities.
Contributed by Aria W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.