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.

Helpless
Jesse Malin Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is a town in north Ontario,
With dream comfort memory to spare,
And in my mind I still need a place to go,
All my changes were there,

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,

Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us

Helpless, helpless, helpless
Baby can you hear me now?(helpless, helpless, helpless)
The chains are locked and tied across the door(helpless,helpless, helpless)
Baby, sing with me somehow.(helpless, helpless, helpless)

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
Yellow moon on the rise,
Big birds flying across the sky,
Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Leave us

Helpless, Helpless, Helpless

Overall Meaning

The song "Helpless" by Jesse Malin talks about a small town in north Ontario that the singer still reminisces about. He feels a sense of comfort and nostalgia for this town, as it holds memories and changes that shaped him. The blue windows and yellow moon on the rise create a vivid imagery, while the big birds flying across the sky throwing shadows on their eyes adds a sense of mystery and wonder. However, despite the need to return to this town, the singer feels helpless and trapped, with chains locked and tied across the door. He looks for solace in his partner, asking her to sing with him somehow. The repetition of the word "helpless" throughout the song emphasizes a feeling of being stuck in one's own thoughts and longing for something beyond one's reach.

Overall, the song explores themes of nostalgia, longing, and the feeling of being trapped in one's own thoughts. The imagery of the town and the natural surroundings add a sense of beauty and wistfulness, while the repetition of the word "helpless" emphasizes a sense of stuckness and desperation.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a town in north Ontario,
There is a town located in North Ontario,

With dream comfort memory to spare,
That town has an abundance of memories that bring peace and solace to the mind.

And in my mind I still need a place to go,
Even now, the mind yearns for a place to visit.

All my changes were there,
All the changes in life had taken place there.

Blue, blue windows behind the stars,
The windows beyond the stars shine blue.

Yellow moon on the rise,
The moon is rising and its color is yellow.

Big birds flying across the sky,
Large birds are flying over the sky.

Throwing shadows on our eyes.
Their flight is creating shadows on our eyes.

Leave us Helpless, helpless, helpless
This situation makes us feel powerless.

Baby can you hear me now?(helpless, helpless, helpless)
A plea to the partner for he/she to hear and relate.

The chains are locked and tied across the door(helpless,helpless, helpless)
The door is locked and tied providing no escape and leaving one crippled.