He started off learning to play the violin but soon switched to piano. From the age of 16 he played in bars, and won a scholarship to study musical composition at London's Royal Academy of Music. Jackson did not like the prospect of being a serious composer, and moved towards pop and rock.
His first band was Arms and Legs which collapsed after two unsuccessful singles. He then spent some time in the cabaret circuit to make money to record his own demos.
In 1978 a producer heard his tape, and got him signed to A&M Records. The album Look Sharp! was recorded straight away, and was released in 1979, quickly followed by I'm the Man and Beat Crazy in 1980. He also collaborated with Lincoln Thompson in reggae crossover.
The Joe Jackson Band was very successful and toured extensively. After the breakup of the band, Joe took a break and recorded an album of old-style swing and blues tunes, Jumpin' Jive, featuring songs of Cab Calloway, Lester Young, Glenn Miller, and most prominently, Louis Jordan. He went on to record Night and Day, an album that paid tribute to the wit and style of Cole Porter (and less directly, to New York City) and was his last album to hit the Top 10, peaking at #4.
He recorded another record that was heavily influenced by jazz, pop and jazz standards, and salsa, Body and Soul, which hit #20, containing the hit You Can't Get What You Want ('Til You Know What You Want).
Jackson followed with Big World, a three-sided double record (the fourth side consisted of a single centring groove and a label stating "there is no music on this side"). The instrumental Will Power set the stage for things to come later, but before he left pop behind he put out two more cerebral and celebratory albums, Blaze of Glory and Laughter and Lust. For some years he drifted away from the pop style, going on to be signed by Sony Classical in 1997, which released his Symphony No. 1 in 1999 for which he received a Grammy award.
Night and Day II in 2000 lacked strong pop hooks though, as usual with Jackson, displayed fine lyrics and some elegant songwriting. Volume 4 in 2003 reunited the original band and was well received. A promotional CD, bundled with the initial release, of the 'live' band playing some of Jackson's strongest material was widely admired.
Jackson is also an author, having written A Cure for Gravity, published in 1999, which Jackson has described as a "book about music, thinly disguised as a memoir". It traces his early musical life from childhood until his 24th birthday. Life as a pop star, he suggested, was hardly worth writing about.
In 2004 Jackson performed a cover of Common People with William Shatner for Shatner's album Has Been.
He has actively campaigned against smoking bans in both the USA and the UK, writing a 2005 pamphlet The Smoking Issue and issuing a satirical song (In 20-0-3) on the subject.
In 2008 the album Rain was released by Joe Jackson. Like its predecessor Volume 4, it featured members of the 'Joe Jackson Band', this time minus guitarist Gary Sanford.
Currently he lives in Kreuzberg, Germany.
Discography:
1979 - Look Sharp!
1979 - I'm The Man
1980 - Beat Crazy
1981 - Jumpin' Jive
1982 - Night and Day
1983 - Mike’s Murder, (Soundtrack)
1984 - Body and Soul
1986 - Big World
1987 - Will Power
1988 - Live 1980/86
1988 - Tucker, (Soundtrack)
1989 - Blaze of Glory
1991 - Laughter & Lust
1994 - Night Music
1997 - Heaven and Hell
1999 - Symphony No. 1
2000 - Summer in the City: Live in New York
2000 - Night and Day II
2002 - Two Rainy Nights, (Live)
2004 - Volume 4
2004 - Afterlife, (Live)
2008 - Rain
2011 - Live Music, (Live)
2012 - The Duke
Another World
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
People almost made me give up trying
Always said no
Then I turned around saw someone smiling
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another world
There was no light
I was going to all the wrong places
Like day from night
Suddenly I saw a thousand faces
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another world
The song Another World by Joe Jackson is about a person who had hit rock bottom and was losing hope. The first verse talks about how people were constantly putting the person down and saying that they couldn't succeed. However, the person turned around and saw someone smiling at them which gave them a glimmer of hope. The chorus talks about how the person stepped into another world, leaving behind the negativity and discouragement they faced in their past world.
The second verse talks about how the person was lost and unsure where to go. They were only finding themselves in the wrong places and situations like day from night. Suddenly, they saw a thousand faces, which represented a sea of new opportunities and possibilities. The chorus is repeated to emphasize that stepping into another world gave them a fresh start.
The song is full of metaphors and is about finding a new perspective and fresh start. It talks about the importance of recognizing opportunities in the darkness and moving towards the light. The song is uplifting and gives hope to those who are struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
I was so low
I was in a very unhappy state of mind
People almost made me give up trying
Others made it seem like giving up was the only option
Always said no
They said that success wasn't possible
Then I turned around saw someone smiling
But then I saw someone happy and hopeful, which made me start to believe in the possibilities for myself
I stepped into
I entered
Into another
A different
Into another world
A different reality or perspective
There was no light
I was lost and didn't know where to go
I was going to all the wrong places
I was making wrong decisions and going down the wrong path
Like day from night
But then, things suddenly changed for the better, like a stark contrast between day and night
Suddenly I saw a thousand faces
I became aware of many possibilities and opportunities
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Ian Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TheRealForrestGeorge
I was so low
People almost made me give up trying
Always said no
The I turned around saw someone smiling
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another world
There was no light
I was going to all the wrong places
Like day from night
Suddenly I saw a thousand faces
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another
I stepped into
I stepped into
Into another
Into another world
@chrissyhammond9089
Ditto to the person who said" how criminal it is that Joe Jackson wasn't recognized as much as he absolutely deserved!!! I'm grateful for his work too I heard "stepping out" and reminded me of that amazing album "I'm the man!" So appreciating all over again and then some 😊🌟
@JC-ev9dy
He's the Beethoven of Jazz beat
@cfortson1354
It's literally a crime how underrated Joe Jackson is.
@TheCornishCockney
Night and Day is a masterpiece,and everyone i've played it to has been blown away,and all said why hadnt they heard this album before.saw him live in London in the late 80's and he was fantastic.you have great taste.
@betabill633
I was MOST privileged to see Joe during the Night and Day tour in "The Mosque" in Richmond VA (seats about 3,000) AND it was packed!
@polyglotte
He's too skillful. Folks don't appreciate the skill unless they've tried to make music themselves.
@IronMan-tk8uc
Absolutely! One of my top 10 artists from the 1980s.
@johngrunwell6101
Shall we lobby for death penalties for such under-raters???
@paulconnelly523
I stepped into another world, a world where my ears realised what they meant to do. Night and day is one masterpiece of musicianship. The older I get the more I appreciate the arrangement and production of this album. Sublime
@katmatally
This album! I'd forgotten how many of the lyrics were in my head. I listened to this over and over in the '80s. What a great songwriter, with great use of rhythm!