Jesse Malin (born January 1968 in New York City) is an American singer-song… Read Full Bio ↴Jesse Malin (born January 1968 in New York City) is an American singer-songwriter who started his performing career at the age of 12 in the 1980s in the New York hardcore band Heart Attack. After that Malin was the original frontman for the 90's punk/hard rock band D Generation. After that band broke up in 1999, Malin formed the alt. rock band Bellvue before he began to work on solo material. Malin's solo songs have displayed such influences as Paul Westerberg, Bruce Springsteen, and Neil Young. In 2010, he formed a band called Jesse Malin & the St. Mark's Social and later the same year released as single as a member of Rodeo Queens.

In going solo, Ryan Adams, an old friend, was impressed by Malin's songs and offered to produce a record for him, in spite of having never done it before. Malin's debut, "The Fine Art of Self Destruction," was made in just under a week, and was released in January, 2003. He toured both the US and the UK in support of the album.

Malin's follow-up, "The Heat," was released in June, 2004. He released his third solo album, "Glitter in the Gutter," in March, 2007.

In 2010, Malin formed a band called Jesse Malin & the St. Mark's Social and released an album called Love It To Life; the title comes from a quote by Joe Strummer (the title was previously used on a 2007 UK release of live material on the One Little Indian label.) Featuring a more rockier approach, the album's first single was "Burning The Bowery" and next single was "All The Way From Moscow." Love It To Life was referred to as "the best album of his career" by Paste Magazine.

In December 2010, Malin, along members of Green Day, formed the band 'Rodeo Queens'. They released one song, along with a video, called 'Depression Times'. D Generation reunited in 2011 and continue to play live.

In 2019, Jesse Malin released the critically acclaimed album "Sunset Kids," in collaboration with American roots icon Lucinda Williams and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day.

Brooklyn
Jesse Malin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The last car on the line
I guess you're back doing time
The ghost of Christmas past
Left Walt Whitman in the trash

[Chorus]
You started out with nothing but lonely days
You used to like the sad songs of doom and gloom

You started with nothing but throwaways
You couldn't live with me so you moved to
Brooklyn

Artificial desserts
Some have cars some have kids
Hit the pathmark after work
Some never been past the bridge

[Chorus]

I sometimes lie awake until sunrise
Wondering how we become what we despise

No more couches to surf
Only beaches in your dreams
No more trannies near work
It's still a drag walking in Queens

It's all blood money in the bank
Somehow some people find the nerve

Like the soldiers they thank down in DC
If I could only find the words

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Jesse Malin's "Brooklyn" are a reflective commentary on life and the choices that one makes. The first few lines of the song provide the listener with the impression that someone has been released from prison and is taking the last car on the train line home. The "ghost of Christmas past" suggests a haunting memory that has remained with them long after their time in prison.

The chorus outlines the journey this person has taken, starting from a place of emptiness and loneliness, to finding comfort in sad songs that helped them cope with their life. The reference to 'throwaways' speaks of the things deemed worthless or unimportant that they turned to, before making a move to Brooklyn in search of a change.

The second verse sheds light on the reality for many people living in Brooklyn- the stark contrast between those who have and those who don't. The line "hit the pathmark after work, some never been past the bridge" highlights the bleakness of living paycheck to paycheck, and the fact that many cannot afford to venture outside the immediate area due to financial constraints.

The song then speaks to the regret that is often felt by people who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. They long for a time when life was different and they weren't caught up in their own darkness. The line "I sometimes lie awake until sunrise, wondering how we become what we despise" serves as a reminder of how one's choices can lead them down a path they might not have anticipated.

Overall, "Brooklyn" is a song that touches on a variety of themes such as loneliness, poverty, regret, and the search for a better life.

Line by Line Meaning

The last car on the line
He's feeling like he has nothing left in life and is at the end of the track.

I guess you're back doing time
He's assuming that his partner is back in the rut of their old habits.

The ghost of Christmas past
He's haunted by all the things that have happened in the past, both good and bad.

Left Walt Whitman in the trash
He's trying to say that the things that he used to hold dear, like poetry, have been discarded and neglected.

You started out with nothing but lonely days
He's reminiscing on how the two of them originally had nothing and how they would spend hours together on their own.

You used to like the sad songs of doom and gloom
He remembers how they both took comfort in listening to melancholy music.

You started with nothing but throwaways
He's reflecting on how they both started with nothing and had to make do with whatever they could find or scavenge.

You couldn't live with me so you moved to Brooklyn
He's still unsure why his partner left him to move to Brooklyn.

Artificial desserts
He's acknowledging how the things that people consume nowadays aren't as natural or genuine as they used to be.

Some have cars some have kids
He's pointing out how different people have different priorities and responsibilities, depending on what stage of life they're in.

Hit the pathmark after work
He's commenting on how some people have to go to the grocery store right after work because they don't have time to do it later.

Some never been past the bridge
He's mentioning how some people never leave their neighbourhood because they're content or complacent with what they have there.

I sometimes lie awake until sunrise
He's admitting that he can't sleep at night and is plagued with thoughts and worries.

Wondering how we become what we despise
He's wondering how people can turn into something that they used to hate or look down on.

No more couches to surf
He's saying that he can no longer rely on the kindness of others to let him stay on their couches.

Only beaches in your dreams
He's implying that his partner's aspirations or dreams are unattainable or unreachable.

No more trannies near work
He's noting that the neighbourhood has changed and evolved over time, and how new people have moved in and old people have moved out.

It's still a drag walking in Queens
He's saying that even though he's close to Brooklyn, he still finds his home neighbourhood boring or tiring.

It's all blood money in the bank
He's saying that all the money he's made or received is tainted or corrupted in some way.

Somehow some people find the nerve
He's commenting on how some people have the courage or audacity to do things that others can't.

Like the soldiers they thank down in DC
He's using soldiers as an example of people who are respected and honoured, but who also endure hardship and sacrifice.

If I could only find the words
He's expressing his desire to articulate or express his feelings, but feeling like he's unable to do so.

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