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
The Bottle Left Me
Jaya the Cat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Crawls in my room and wakes me up
My head is pounding
I need a drink
Last night's memories
Are only just a mystery
My head is pounding
I need a drink
The pints of courage that drown my fear
Have got me searching for another beer
Salvation only comes in so many ways
And sanity is setting in
I can feel the whole world spin
As I stumble down the street
Woke up yesterday
They took my one to love away
Left me in a world of misery
No-one left to trust
Beat down like a fucking bum
I sit and rock this, love song for drunks
This bottle left me
I know she won't forget me
Cause I treated her so well
Torn apart left here with a broken heart
And I got nothing left to lose
The angels and devils fear me tonight
I got gone lost my fucking mind
And I'm leaving all my reasoning behind
Like a ghost ship in search of shore
Followed by an evil curse
Never gonna find it's way to land
I'll find the taste that I'm searching for
Even if i have to go burn down the church
I get my belt of booze and then I'm gone
Way out in the distance everything goes up in smoke
It's a reaction from the substances I took
There ain't nothing left
Since I lost my innocence
Feel like a lock without a key
No-one left to trust
Beat down like a fucking bum
I sit and rock this, love song for drunks
This bottle left me
I know she won't forget me
Cause I treated her so well
Torn apart left here with a broken heart
And I got nothing left to lose
Torn apart left here with a broken heart
And I got nothing left to lose
The song "The Bottle Left Me" by Jaya the Cat is about the singer waking up after a night of heavy drinking and feeling the consequences. The morning sun wakes him up and his head is pounding, causing him to need another drink. He remembers the bravado he felt the night before, fueled by his alcohol intake, but now feels lost and alone. He sings about the bottle that has left him, referring to the alcohol that has caused him pain and left him with nothing but a broken heart. Throughout the song, the singer struggles with his loss of control and the unpredictable nature of addiction.
The lyrics of the song convey the dark journey of addiction and the self-destructive behavior that alcohol can cause. The singer is searching for something to fill the void and ease his pain, but he only finds temporary relief in the bottle. The chorus, "This bottle left me, I know she won't forget me, Cause I treated her so well, Torn apart left here with a broken heart, And I got nothing left to lose" highlights the singer's dependence on alcohol and the inherent loneliness that comes with the addiction.
Overall, "The Bottle Left Me" is a poignant reflection on the dangers of addiction and the destructive path it can lead a person down. The hard-hitting lyrics and somber melody create a haunting atmosphere that lingers long after the song has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
The morning sun
The start of a new day brings the harsh reality of yesterday's choices.
Crawls in my room and wakes me up
The weight of my mistakes makes it hard to face the day.
My head is pounding
The guilt and regret I feel are heavy and overwhelming.
I need a drink
Alcohol is the only temporary relief from my internal struggles.
Last night's memories
The events of the previous night are fuzzy and unclear.
Are only just a mystery
My actions are shrouded in uncertainty and I struggle to piece together what really happened.
The pints of courage that drown my fear
When I drink, my inhibitions and anxieties disappear.
Have got me searching for another beer
I am constantly chasing that feeling of freedom and release I get from alcohol.
Salvation only comes in so many ways
I am limited in my options for redemption and escape from my problems.
And sanity is setting in
The temporary high from drinking is starting to wear off and I am left to face my problems once again.
I can feel the whole world spin
My head is spinning from the effects of the alcohol and my unstable state of mind.
As I stumble down the street
My physical and emotional state are so unstable that I struggle to even walk in a straight line.
Woke up yesterday
The beginning of a new day brings up memories of what I have lost.
They took my one to love away
Someone I cared about is no longer in my life.
Left me in a world of misery
I am surrounded by pain and anguish with no escape in sight.
No-one left to trust
I have lost the support of those around me and am completely alone.
Beat down like a fucking bum
My failures and struggles have left me feeling worthless and defeated.
I sit and rock this, love song for drunks
My only solace is in the music that speaks to the pain and struggles of those like me.
This bottle left me
The alcohol that provided temporary relief from my pain is now gone.
I know she won't forget me
The bottle will always be a part of my memories.
Cause I treated her so well
I gave my all to the temporary pleasure that alcohol brought me.
Torn apart left here with a broken heart
I am left alone with the pain of my past and the regret of my actions.
And I got nothing left to lose
I have hit rock bottom and have nothing more to lose in my life.
Contributed by Jonathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.