Jesu (English pronunciation: /jeɪ-sʊ:/ yay-sue) is a band formed in 2003 in… Read Full Bio ↴Jesu (English pronunciation: /jeɪ-sʊ:/ yay-sue) is a band formed in 2003 in Abergele, Wales, United Kingdom by Justin Karl Broadrick following the breakup of Godflesh. Jesu was the name of the last song on the final Godflesh release, Hymns, and Broadrick decided to adopt it as the name of his new project.

The first release, the Heart Ache EP, was released in 2004 and featured Broadrick playing all of the instruments. It was followed in 2005 by the full-length self-titled LP, which featured the addition of bassist Diarmuid Dalton and drummer Ted Parsons, although not every song featured both new members.

With their third release, 2006's four song Silver EP, jesu took a more melodic and layered approach, gaining comparison to shoegazing band My Bloody Valentine.

Their second full-length album, titled Conqueror, was released in February 2007 in the US, UK, in Europe and Japan. The Japanese edition also contained a bonus disc featuring the two tracks that constitute the 'Sun Down'/'Sun Rise' EP, released elsewhere as a 12" album on April 23.

The band made their United States live debut, in March of 2007, as an opening act for Isis, although work permit problems caused them to miss the first three weeks of the tour. Neither Ted Parsons nor Diarmuid Dalton were able to participate in the tour and were temporarily replaced by Danny Walker, of Intronaut, and long time Broadrick collaborator, Dave Cochrane, respectively. During this tour, jesu also made its South by Southwest debut as part of a Hydra Head showcase.

'Pale Sketches', a collection of older solo works from 2000-2007 was released in October 2007 on Justin Broadrick's own label, Avalanche along with a new four song EP entitled Lifeline, released by Hydra Head in the United States and Daymare in Japan.

Broadrick has also contributed remixes of songs, using the jesu name, for Agoraphobic Nosebleed and Explosions in the Sky. Future releases include split 12" albums with both Eluvium and Battle of Mice.

Bandcamp / Soundcloud

December
Jesu Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Age comes like the night in winter
Just after we leave December
Days as bitter as they are short
Wrapped up inside our paper fort

We are only what we see
If that's true then we'll never be
Come and go without a purpose

Will spring time bring the

Usual rebirth?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jesu's song December seem to speak about the cyclical nature of life, where time moves on relentlessly and the changing of seasons symbolizes the different stages of our existence. The opening line compares the aging process to the darkness of winter, where decay and decay are common. The line "Just after we leave December" could be interpreted as the end of the year, and the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. The next two lines describe the harshness of life, how it can be bitter and short, and how we try to protect ourselves from it by building emotional barriers as fragile as a paper fort.

The chorus of the song is where the message becomes clear, where the artist questions the purpose of our existence. The line "We are only what we see" could mean that our reality is shaped by our perception of it, and that we are responsible for our actions and reactions. The next line is quite pessimistic, implying that life might be meaningless with no apparent goal, and that we simply come and go. The final line "Will spring time bring the usual rebirth?" might be interpreted as a glimmer of hope, where the changing of the seasons symbolizes a new beginning, a chance to start again.

Line by Line Meaning

Age comes like the night in winter
As we grow older, we become more towards the darker side of life, just like the night in winter.

Just after we leave December
This line symbolizes the end of the year, as December is the last month of the year.

Days as bitter as they are short
The days seem very depressing and unpleasant towards the end of the year, just like the short days of winter.

Wrapped up inside our paper fort
We try to protect ourselves from the harsh reality of life by building imaginary walls around us represented as these paper forts.

We are only what we see
Our perception towards life shapes our thoughts and actions, and defines who we are as a person.

If that's true then we'll never be
If we only believe and follow what we see, we will never be able to discover our real purpose in life.

Come and go without a purpose
Living life without any goals or intentions is similar to coming and going without any purpose.

Will spring time bring the usual rebirth?
The arrival of spring indicates new life, rebirth of nature, and rejuvenation of our souls, will this spring bring the same for us?

Contributed by Samuel L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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