Together they began working on four-track recordings aided by drum machines until they asked Chris Daly, previously the drummer for Texas Is the Reason, to join them. Daly created the name "Jets to Brazil" (perhaps taken from a poster seen in the film Breakfast at Tiffany's), and the band joined Jade Tree Records in 1997.
It was under Jade Tree that they recorded their first (and, following the successes of their previous bands, highly anticipated) album, Orange Rhyming Dictionary. Following its eventual success they went on to release Four Cornered Night, which introduced the fourth member of the band: former Van Pelt guitarist, Brian Maryansky. In 2002, Jets to Brazil launched their third — and what was to be final — album, Perfecting Loneliness. By 2003 the band had broken up, for unspecified reasons.
Empty Picture Frame
Jets to Brazil Lyrics
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where i took your picture away
and in my wallet
like a saint from some other place
that picture repays
my eyes as they glaze
a thousand lashes
i'll know that you're gone for good
when the dawn kicks me awake
i'll dress and move on put on what i can take
so take and get on you sweet thing
there's a phone call aimed at me tonight
here it comes, out go my lights
leaves me nowhere far out of sight
now i've got the frame
and some baggage that i claimed
i came home to
a world sadly changed
so i got stoned
until i thought this house was a home
but when i came down
i found myself alone
i'll know that you're gone for good
when the dawn kicks me alive
i know we'll go on somehow we'll both survive
so take and get on you sweet thing
tonight you'll find me
alone and getting high
up we float, down i fly
leave me nowhere, far out of sight
leaves me nowhere, far out of sight
The song "Empty Picture Frame" by Jets to Brazil is a melancholic ballad that touches upon the themes of loss and moving on. The lyrics describe the singer's discovery of an empty picture frame, which once held a photograph of a loved one. The picture serves as a grim reminder of a love that has long gone away. The singer's wallet is the only place where they continue to hold onto the memory of the loved one.
The lyrics suggest that the singer is struggling to come to terms with their loss. They are haunted by memories of the loved one, which they can't seem to shake off. The line "a thousand lashes from a love long gone away" implies that every memory of the loved one is akin to a lash that they must endure. The singer is still clinging onto the idea that the loved one might return someday, but they know deep down that they're gone for good.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "so take and get on you sweet thing." The phrase is directed at the loved one who has left, urging them to leave and move on. The singer knows that they too must move on with their life, and the dawn will be the sign that it's time to dress up and take on the world. The song ends on a note of resignation with the singer seeking solace in getting high.
Overall, "Empty Picture Frame" is a poignant reminder of the pain of loss and the struggle to move on. It paints an honest portrayal of the human condition, where we are plagued by memories and haunted by loved ones who have left.
Line by Line Meaning
i just found the frame
I recently discovered the empty picture frame where I had taken your photo
where i took your picture away
Where I removed your picture from its place
and in my wallet
I have your picture in my wallet
like a saint from some other place
It is like carrying a saint’s picture from a far-off land
that picture repays
That picture compensates
my eyes as they glaze
My eyes become clouded with tears
a thousand lashes
I feel pain and hurt, like receiving lashes
from a love long gone away
Caused by a love that dissipated long ago
i'll know that you're gone for good
I will finally recognise that you won’t return
when the dawn kicks me awake
I will awaken to the morning light
i'll dress and move on put on what i can take
I will wear my emotional armour and move forward with whatever strength I possess
so take and get on you sweet thing
So move on as well, my dear
there's a phone call aimed at me tonight
Someone is going to call me tonight
here it comes, out go my lights
And that call will only break me further
leaves me nowhere far out of sight
Leaves me in a terrible place, far from closure
now i've got the frame
Now I have the blank frame
and some baggage that i claimed
Along with some emotional baggage I possess
i came home to
I returned to my house
a world sadly changed
A world that is vastly different from what it used to be
so i got stoned
So I got high
until i thought this house was a home
So high that I believed that this dwelling was a home
but when i came down
But when the high subsided
i found myself alone
I was still alone, without you
i'll know that you're gone for good
I will know once and for all that you won’t return
when the dawn kicks me alive
I will be jolted awake by the dawn
i know we'll go on somehow we'll both survive
But I know we both will figure out how to continue and survive
so take and get on you sweet thing
So take your leave and move on, my dearest
tonight you'll find me
Tonight, you will find me
alone and getting high
Alone and indulging in substances to numb the pain
up we float, down i fly
Sometimes the high makes me feel lifted, and other times it makes me crash even harder
leave me nowhere, far out of sight
I end up feeling lost and forgotten, far from sight
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
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