Jeff St. John (Jeffrey Leo Newton, 22 April 1946 – 6 March 2018), was an Au… Read Full Bio ↴Jeff St. John (Jeffrey Leo Newton, 22 April 1946 – 6 March 2018), was an Australian musician and singer who gained fame for top ten hits with Teach Me How to Fly (1970), Big Time Operator (1967) and A Fool in Love (1977). aka Jeff St John.

Jeff St John was born in Newtown, Sydney and attended Cleveland Street Boys High School in Surry Hills, New South Wales. He was born with spina bifida and spent much of his life in a wheel chair..

He appeared with a number of bands during the late 1960s and early 1970s including; John The Syndicate aka The Wild Oats (1965), The Id (1966–67) with Bob Bertles (tenor sax '67), Jeff St John & Yama (1967–68), Jeff St John & Copperwine (1969-72), with Harry Brus (bass 70-72) and Wendy Saddington (co-lead vocals 70-71), Jeff St John Band (1972–73) and, Red Cloud (1975-76).

In 1980 he was the subject of an episode of the documentary series The Australians presented by Peter Luck. The episode was titled "Jeff St. John - Rock 'n' Roll Man".

In 1988 as part of Australian Bicentenary celebrations along with many other Australian celebrities, Jeff St John took part in a video shoot at Ayers Rock called Celebration of a Nation.

St John was involved in educating people about disabilities and was a member of spina bifida support group MOSAIC. Jeff appeared at the opening of the 2000 Summer Paralympics in Sydney where he sang the Australian National Anthem.

Jeff St John died on 6 March 2018, at his home in Perth, Western Australia.

St John's Chariot
Jeff St. John Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Ut queant laxis
So that our mouths be opened
I learned my hands could hold
Rivers of water
And spend them like an everlasting treasure

Resonare fibris
To be able to sing

I saw the waking desert
The dry wilderness
Suddenly dressed in meadows

Mira gestorum
Your wonderful deeds
I heard a virgin's voice
Descending to her wedding in these waters
With the Prince of Life

Famuli tuorum
We your servants
I knew all barrenness and death
Drowned here in the fountains
He has sanctified

Solve polluti
Absolved of sin
I touched the deep harps of Jordan
To the contrite world
As sweet as heaven

Labii reatum
Our sullied lips

Sancte Johannes

St John, strong Baptist
Angel before the face of the Messiah
Desert-dweller, knowing the solitudes that lie
Beyond anxiety and doubt
Never abandon us

Sancte Johannes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jeff St. John's song "St John's Chariot" are a mix of Latin phrases and English lyrics that describe a spiritual journey or transcendental experience. The Latin phrases add an otherworldly quality to the song and invoke a sense of religious solemnity. "Ut queant laxis" translates to "so that our mouths be opened," which could refer to the transformative power of music or prayer. The following line, "I learned my hands could hold rivers of water and spend them like an everlasting treasure," suggests that the singer has found a source of endless abundance or creativity that they can tap into.

The next verse, "Resonare fibris," which translates to "to be able to sing," strengthens the theme of music as a spiritual force. The lyrics go on to describe a barren desert suddenly transforming into lush meadows, which may symbolize a personal transformation or the feeling of being reborn. The singer then hears a virgin's voice and witnesses a wedding in the waters with the Prince of Life, which could refer to a divine union or a sense of being connected to something greater than oneself.

The lyrics then turn to a sense of servitude and humility with the phrase "Famuli tuorum," or "We your servants." The next phrase, "Solve polluti," means "absolved of sin," and suggests a form of redemption or cleansing. The singer then touches the "deep harps of Jordan," which may refer to the river Jordan in Palestine where John the Baptist preached and baptized people. The final lines call upon Saint John, the angel before the face of the Messiah, to guide the singer and never abandon them.

Line by Line Meaning

Ut queant laxis
May we be able to sing with open mouths

I learned my hands could hold
I discovered that my hands could contain

Rivers of water
Large amounts of water flowing

And spend them like an everlasting treasure
And distribute them as if they were a never-ending treasure

Resonare fibris
To resonate the fibers, or to be able to sing

I saw the waking desert
I witnessed the desert coming to life

The dry wilderness
The arid and lifeless region

Suddenly dressed in meadows
Suddenly covered in lush grasslands

Mira gestorum
Wonders of the deeds

I heard a virgin's voice
I listened to the pure voice of a young woman

Descending to her wedding in these waters
Descending into the waters for her wedding