Originating from Boston, Massachusetts and currently based in Amsterdam, th… Read Full Bio ↴Originating from Boston, Massachusetts and currently based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Jaya the Cat play an uncompromising and original mix of reggae, punk rock and ska music.

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

Thank You Reggae
Jaya the Cat Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Eight thirty you head to work
Get your coffee and your paper and pretend it's worth it
Shakedown when Friday comes
try to turn your paycheck into more than surviving
but you know that there's something more than this
check the music as it hits

Thank you

Thank you reggae

Wailing Souls, Burning Spear, Operation ivy
Bad Brains, Waiting in Vain
Michigan and Smiley
ADF and Jimmy Spliff,
Kortatu and Sientist
Joseph Hill, Sublime, Manu Chao
and the Skatalites
And when it's 96 degrees
you are all the shade I need
to help me make it through

Thank you
Thank you reggae

Israel Vibration
Stray Bullets, The Meditations
Thievery Corporation,
Singing Off and Delroy Wilson
White Riot to equal rights
drop the bass all night till daylight
Dillinger, Judgement Dread,
Alton Ellis, Seed and Sizzla
But you know that there's something more than this
Check the music as it hits

Thank you
Thank You Reggae

Overall Meaning

The song "Thank You Reggae" by Jaya The Cat is a tribute to the reggae genre and the positive impact it has on people's lives. The lyrics describe the daily routine of working hard and trying to make ends meet, but finding solace in the music of the great reggae artists. The song mentions some of the most iconic names in reggae such as Burning Spear, Skatalites, Thievery Corporation, and Sublime, highlighting their influence on the genre and the world of music as a whole. The song speaks to the transformative power of music and how it can provide comfort and inspiration, even in the toughest of times.

The chorus of the song, "Thank you, thank you reggae," is a simple expression of gratitude towards the genre and the artists who created it. The repetitive nature of the chorus emphasizes the power of music to evoke emotions and bring people together, regardless of their circumstances.

Line by Line Meaning

Eight thirty you head to work
You start your day job at 8:30

Get your coffee and your paper and pretend it's worth it
You drink coffee and read the news, pretending it's fulfilling

Shakedown when Friday comes
You look forward to payday on Fridays

try to turn your paycheck into more than surviving
You attempt to use your paycheck for more than just making ends meet

but you know that there's something more than this
You feel like there's more to life than just working for survival

check the music as it hits
You turn to music to find meaning and escape

Thank you
Expressing gratitude towards reggae music

Thank you reggae
Expressing gratitude towards reggae music

Wailing Souls, Burning Spear, Operation ivy
Listing different reggae artists

Bad Brains, Waiting in Vain
Referencing 2 specific reggae songs

Michigan and Smiley
Another reggae artist mentioned