He is, however, best known as a solo artist who performs with changing line-ups. As such, he has released two albums to critical acclaim; both have been included in best-album lists in South African magazines as well as in Billboard Magazine.
His most notable instrument is the guitar, including a home-built lap steel guitar. His musical style spans over indie rock, country, americana and punk.
In 2001, Neversink moved to Johannesburg and began using the artists´ name Jim Neversink. Having suffered a nervous breakdown, he chose the name as an allusion to overcoming psychological trauma. The crisis was triggered by claustrophobia when he was being locked in a toilet cabin in a prison where he worked as a music teacher; an underlying factor seems to have been his adopted father’s death by suicide in 1994, an incidence which features directly and indirectly in the lyrics of his epnoymous debut album.
Neversink's debut album was produced by Matthew Fink. Recorded partly under primitive circumstances in Neversink´s bedroom, it was nominated “Album of the Year” by The Star, pronouncing it "a masterpiece that will no doubt stand the test of time"; Beeld included it in its "Top-Ten Albums" list. Channel24.co.za, which likewise referred to the album as a "South African masterpiece", awarded it five stars out of five, remarking that "Neversink and Matthew Fink have produced a benchmark album, seemingly out of nowhere." At the turn of the decade, Beeld included it in a list South African albums of the decade.
Shakey is Good
A second album likewise earned critics' acclaim: it came in as no 2 on The Times’ international "Top 20 albums" of 2008; Billboard Magazine's South African correspondent placed it as no 6 on her international list of "2008 Billboard Critics Top 10s"; Isolation.tv placed it as no 1 on their top-10 "South African albums of the year"; and both The Times and Mail & Guardian included it in their listings of "albums of the decade". Channel24.co.za awarded it five out of five stars.
Shortly after the launch of Shakey is Good, Neversink began to perform with Loandi Boersma (bass) and Kevin O´Grady (drums) and various guest performers. With this line-up, and guest performances by Rian Malan, Lani Pieters and Timon Wapenaar, a new album, Skinny Girls Are Trouble, will appear in 2010.
Skinny Girls Are Trouble is produced by Richard Lloyd, former member of the New wave/punk rock band Television. Lloyd supervised the recordings in Johannesburg in March 2009 and performed live with Neversink; post-production was carried out at Lloyd's studio in New York. The album was engineered, mixed and mastered by Peter Pearlson.
Monkey
Jim Neversink Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Started off the simian dream
Made too much noise, was told to go
Watch TV in the cabin below
Every little trick is from the tube
Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do
I'll plug you dragon, a mile away
Cabin went red
And he lit a J
Three were dead
And one was crazed
Every little trick is from the tube
Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do
Every little trick is from the tube
Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do
Tossed the gun into the open sea
No weapon, no motive, you'll never get me
Sat on the deck and drank Mainstay
Didn't get enough sun today
Sat on the deck and drank Mainstay
Think of those poppies and how they sway
Every little trick is from the tube
Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do
Every little trick is from the tube
Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do
(Every little trick is from the tube)
(Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do)
(Every little trick is from the tube)
(Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do)
The lyrics to Jim Neversink's song "Monkey" seem to be a commentary on the passivity and lack of individuality in modern society. The monkey sitting on the tambourine represents the masses who simply go along with what they are told to do and see on television. The line "Every little trick is from the tube, well it's a monkey see, monkey do" reinforces this idea that people are not thinking for themselves, but rather imitating what they see on TV.
The middle section of the song takes a darker turn, with mentions of violence and death. Rooster Bill's threatening words and actions seem to represent the dangers of blindly following those who seem to have power. The fact that the cabin turns red suggests that there is bloodshed or violence happening. The line "three were dead and one was crazed" indicates that there are real consequences to these actions, but that the influence of the TV continues to hold sway over people's behavior.
Finally, the song ends with references to drinking and drug use, suggesting that these vices are a way for people to escape from the pressures of modern society. The line "Think of those poppies and how they sway" is a reference to opium poppies, which can be used to make drugs like heroin. Overall, the lyrics to "Monkey" seem to be a warning about the dangers of conformity and the importance of maintaining independent thought and action.
Line by Line Meaning
Monkey sat on the tambourine
The monkey is idle and just sitting on the tambourine.
Started off the simian dream
The monkey began dreaming his monkey dream.
Made too much noise, was told to go
The monkey made a lot of noise and was asked to leave.
Watch TV in the cabin below
The monkey is asked to watch TV in the cabin below.
Every little trick is from the tube
Every behavior the monkey exhibits is learned from television.
Well, it's a monkey see, monkey do
The monkey just imitates the behaviors it sees on TV.
Through the static I heard Rooster Bill say
Jim hears Rooster Bill's voice even with the static on the radio.
I'll plug you dragon, a mile away
Rooster Bill says he can shoot a person from a mile away to Jim.
Cabin went red
The room became red with bloodshed.
And he lit a J
Rooster Bill lights a joint after the act of violence.
Three were dead
Three people were killed by Rooster Bill.
And one was crazed
One person went insane due to the violence.
Tossed the gun into the open sea
Rooster Bill tosses the gun into the sea.
No weapon, no motive, you'll never get me
Rooster Bill got away as there is no clear evidence or moment for anyone to catch him.
Sat on the deck and drank Mainstay
Jim sat on the deck of the ship and drank Mainstay.
Didn't get enough sun today
Jim thinks he hasn't basked enough in the sun today.
Think of those poppies and how they sway
He reflects on the poppy flowers and how they sway.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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