Jill Tracy states that some of her biggest childhood influences were film score composers such as Bernard Herrmann, and classic suspense tales, including Alfred Hitchcock and Fritz Lang films, Ray Bradbury stories, and Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone.
She is listed in San Francisco Magazine’s Top 100 Creative Forces in the Bay Area.
1999's Diabolical Streak is the first studio album featuring her back up ensemble The Malcontent Orchestra. “Evil Night Together” from Diabolical Streak was awarded the SIBL international Grand Prize for songwriting. The album was listed among the "Top 10 Neo-Cabaret albums of all time" in Shift magazine. “The Fine Art of Poisoning,” from Diabolical Streak became an animated short film in 2003, a collaboration with Bay Area animator Bill Domonkos. The film has won over 30 film festival awards and continues to screen internationally.
Jill Tracy and The Malcontent Orchestra’s original score to F.W. Murnau’s 1922 silent vampire classic Nosferatu debuted live at San Francisco’s Foreign Cinema in 1999 and toured Northern California theatres during Halloween season for five consecutive years. This led to the 2002 CD release Into the Land of Phantoms.
Her latest (and fourth) album, The Bittersweet Constrain (2008), explores a heavier, cinematic sonic edge with the addition of instruments such as the sarod, harmonium, and seldom-seen Chapman Stick. The recording also features percussionist Randy Odell, horn player Ralph Carney (Tom Waits/B52's), cellist Erica Mulkey (Rasputina/Unwoman), and violinist Tony Cross (Tarentel).
Produced by Alex Nahas (John Vanderslice/Zoe Keating/LaughingStock), The Bittersweet Constrain has been described by the San Francisco Chronicle as "devastatingly beautiful."
Domonkos served as art director/graphic designer for The Bittersweet Constrain. The CD packaging features Jill Tracy portraiture by Bay Area surrealist photographer Michael Garlington, known for his dreamy macabre imagery shot on vintage film stock.
Petrified
Jill Tracy Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Huddled close in a corner of the room
Why can’t it always stay like this?
But it starts too late and it ends too soon
Sugar stains and a hangnail moon
Why can’t we always stay like this?
Caught forever deep inside this moment in time with you
So pretty, so perfect, petrified
Lost in this moment
Can we exist in this moment …for good?
I don’t care about another day
Hold your breath and we’ll make this one stay
Can you feel my heartbeat in your hand?
Destination lives in your eyes right now
Your skin glows blue and the sweet scent of somehow
Someway, we’ll never let this change
So pretty, so perfect, petrified
Caught forever deep inside this moment in time with you
So pretty, so perfect, petrified
Lost in this moment
Can we exist in this moment …for good?
Cause I want to be so pretty for you
That I want to make you cry
And I’ll show you things that you’ve never dreamed of
And tell you all of the reasons why
Because Time can never catch us if we just never close our eyes
Frozen in this moment I’m alive
And it’s perfect just like this
The song "Petrified" by Jill Tracy is all about wanting to stay in a perfectly beautiful moment forever. The singer of the song desires to freeze time and stay lost in a moment of sheer perfection with the person they love. The lyrics explore the fear of losing this moment and the desire to make it last forever. The imagery used in the lyrics is stark and potent. The first line talks about being "as dark as Venus," conveying the sense of mystery and the unknown that comes with holding onto something precious. The singer wants to "huddle close in a corner of the room" with their loved one where "it always stay[s] like this." They long for the moment to continue, but the reality is that "it starts too late and it ends too soon."
The concept of perfection runs throughout the lyrics. The singer describes the moment as "pretty" and "perfect." They are "petrified" in this moment, meaning they are caught up in its beauty and are frozen in place. The singer goes on to describe how they want to stay lost in this moment forever and make it their reality. They want to be "so pretty" for their loved one that they "want to make you cry." They want to show them "things that you've never dreamed of" and "tell you all the reasons why" they want to stay together in this perfect moment. The singer understands that "time can never catch us if we just never close our eyes." They want to stay frozen in time, alive and in love forever.
Overall, the song captures the feeling of deep love and the desire to freeze a perfect moment forever. It speaks to the human longing to hold onto something precious and not let it slip away. Jill Tracy's haunting voice and the mesmerizing piano chords make this song a beautiful and poignant interpretation of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
As dark as Venus and I want you
The singer is in a dark place emotionally, but is drawn to the person they are addressing.
Huddled close in a corner of the room
The singer is physically close to the person they are addressing, seeking comfort and connection.
Why can’t it always stay like this?
The singer wishes that the moment they are experiencing could last indefinitely.
But it starts too late and it ends too soon
The moment is fleeting and the singer is aware of its impermanence.
Sugar stains and a hangnail moon
The details of the moment are vivid and grounded in reality.
So pretty, so perfect, petrified
The singer is enamored with the perfection of the moment and feels frozen in time.
Caught forever deep inside this moment in time with you
The singer is completely present in the moment with the person they are addressing.
Lost in this moment
The singer is fully absorbed in the present moment and unaware of anything else.
Can we exist in this moment …for good?
The singer wants the moment to last forever and is unsure if that is possible.
I don’t care about another day
The singer is so immersed in the present moment that the future holds no importance to them.
Hold your breath and we’ll make this one stay
The singer wants to prolong the moment as much as possible and is willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen.
Can you feel my heartbeat in your hand?
The singer is physically connected to the person they are addressing and wants to share their emotions with them.
Destination lives in your eyes right now
The person the singer is addressing is the focus of their attention and their future feels intertwined with that person.
Your skin glows blue and the sweet scent of somehow
The details of the moment are still vivid and the singer is still fully present in the experience.
Someway, we’ll never let this change
The singer is desperate to hold onto the moment and is willing to do whatever it takes to prevent it from ending or changing.
Cause I want to be so pretty for you
The singer wants to be their best self for the person they are addressing and impress them.
That I want to make you cry
The singer wants to move the person they are addressing emotionally and make them feel deeply.
And I’ll show you things that you’ve never dreamed of
The singer wants to share new experiences with the person they are addressing and expand their horizons.
And tell you all of the reasons why
The singer wants to express their feelings and intentions clearly to the person they are addressing.
Because Time can never catch us if we just never close our eyes
The singer believes that if they stay present in the moment, time will not be able to change or end it.
Frozen in this moment I’m alive
The singer feels fully alive and present in the moment they are experiencing.
And it’s perfect just like this
The singer believes that the moment they are experiencing is perfect and should not be changed or interfered with.
Contributed by Cameron E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
thewitchqueen74
Your music is absolutely beautiful. It has helped me through some rough times. Thank you so much for sharing your art with the world :)
Jill Tracy
Thank you for your beautiful words. Means the world to me. xox
Vladimir Ravic
one word, beautiful...thank u for uploading Tracy!
Denver Potts
gorgeous, got a nice Portishead feel to it, loving your work.