He began his music career playing blues and R&B, and in the late 1960s he was a member of Adderly Smith Blues Band but according to Australian rock historian Ed Nimmervoll Camilleri was sacked for sounding too much like Mick Jagger and for upstaging the other band members.
Camilleri gained national prominence in Australia in the late 1970s as lead singer, songwriter and saxophonist in Jo Jo Zep & the Falcons, formed in 1975. Incorporating influences from blues, R&B, soul, punk, New Wave and reggae, the group achieved considerable commercial and critical success in Australia.
During this period Camilleri also produced recording for other artists and recorded his own side projects under the name Joey Vincent.
After the demise of the Falcons in 1983 Joe achieved his greatest success with his long-running group The Black Sorrows, which began as an informal semi-acoustic band playing blues, R&B and zydeco.
The group soon developed a strong fan following and garnered wide critical acclaim for its recordings and superb live performances, and The BLack Sorrows was widely acknowledged as one of the best live bands in Australia. It showcased the vocal talents of the sister duo Vika and Linda and the compositional prowess of Camilleri and his longtime writing partner Nick Smith and the superb playing of Camilleri's longtime guitarist Jeff Burstin. They released a string of commerically successful and critically acclaimed albums in the 1980s and 1990s including A Place In The World, Dear Children (an Australian Top 20 album in 1987), and Better Times.
His most recent project is the 2005 album Limestone, a collaboration with Bomba's Nicky Bomba.
Hit And Run
Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause it's gonna get you
You′ve gotta keep a one step a two step a quick step a thick step
Cause it's gonna get you
I've got to make it waterproof
Cause it just can′t go on
Oh now then don′t look back
Oh no
Cause it′s gonna get you
You've gotta keep a one step a two step a quick step a thick step
Cause it′s gonna get you
It's the last weekend in the game for the hit and run
I keep running running running for the hit and run
Break down the ties that bring us down
And the walls begin to fall
There′s no ties
No there is no fusion
For hit and run
You've gotta keep a putting a bootin a runnin a hidin
Cause it's gonna get you
You′ve gotta keep a one step a two step a quick step a thick step
Cause it′s gonna get you
I've got to make it waterproof
Cause it just can′t go on
Oh now then don't look back darling
Oh no
You′ve gotta keep a putting a bootin a runnin a hidin
Cause it's gonna get you
You′ve gotta keep a one step a two step a quick step a thick step
Cause it's gonna get you
You've gotta keep a putting a bootin a runnin a hidin
Cause it′s gonna get you
You′ve gotta keep a one step a two step a quick step a thick step
Cause it's gonna get you
It′s the last weekend in the game for the hit and run
I keep running running running for the hit and run
The lyrics of Jo Jo Zep & The Falcons's song "Hit and Run" describe the feeling of being on the run, constantly moving and hiding from something that is going to catch up to the person. The use of the phrases "putting a bootin a runnin a hiding" and "one step a two step a quick step a thick step" emphasizes the urgency and constant motion of the situation. The singer emphasizes the need to keep moving and hiding, as it's the only way to stay safe from whatever is chasing them.
The lyrics also mention the "hit and run," which could refer to a specific event or situation where the person is in trouble for something they did or witnessed. The line "It's the last weekend in the game for the hit and run" suggests that time is running out and that the person needs to escape or face the consequences of their actions. The mention of breaking down ties and walls also suggests that the person is trying to escape from something or cut ties with a situation that is weighing them down.
Overall, the lyrics of "Hit and Run" paint a picture of someone who is in a constant state of fear and running, trying to escape from something they're caught up in. The repetition of the phrases "putting a bootin a runnin a hiding" and "one step a two step a quick step a thick step" emphasize the urgency and desperation of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
You've gotta keep a putting a bootin a runnin a hiding
You have to keep moving, constantly avoiding danger
Cause it's gonna get you
Because there are consequences for your actions
You've gotta keep a one step a two step a quick step a thick step
You have to be quick and agile to stay out of trouble
I've got to make it waterproof
I have to protect myself from potential harm
Cause it just can't go on
Because the situation is unsustainable
Oh now then don't look back
Don't dwell on the past or regret your choices
It's the last weekend in the game for the hit and run
The time for reckless behavior is coming to an end
I keep running running running for the hit and run
I am constantly on the move, avoiding the consequences of my actions
Break down the ties that bring us down
Remove the negative influences that hold us back
And the walls begin to fall
Once we eliminate our obstacles, progress becomes possible
There's no ties
We are free from attachment or restriction
No there is no fusion
We are not bound to any particular ideology or movement
Writer(s): Joe Camilleri, Jay Burstin, Tony Faehse
Contributed by Adam Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@simonmoore7504
An all time classic. The shine will never wear off this : )
@chriscocks3670
Massively underrated band.
@dennisneo1608
Saw Joe last night at Crown. Even at 70 he has a better voice than ever.
@stevec3607
This song can be played in the background nearly anywhere and everyone will probably like it..?
@ThePunter29
Such a great riff.
@nagadorset
yep, that riff ...it hits and it runs
@leopoldonotarianni8663
Indeed
@bellhops
RIP John Powers. You were a part of our musical life for so many years. You will be missed
@TheSharkyoz
john was also in the hippos, brilliant band
@alfredvanravenswaay1260
a very nice man