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
BOYS
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Teeth so white and hair so clean
Pretty boys - sing and play guitars
Pretty boys get to be big stars
How do you rate my sex appeal from one to ten
Is my image just a bit confusing
Maybe i should get a facelift, start again
'cause talent don't count
For pretty boys
Those promo people got a lot to answer for
You can take your face and see just where it fits
Be a pretty pawn in someone else's war
Your baby blue eyes - somebody else's wits
Equals success
For pretty boys
I want to see a human being on my tv set
Want some action for the fat and thin man
They're getting closer but they ain't got robots yet
Just a hero with a smile like a tin man
No brains and no heart
Just pretty boys
The song "Pretty Boys" by Joe Jackson highlights the frivolous nature of the entertainment industry where physical appearance often takes precedence over talent. The song starts off by painting a picture of the "pretty boys" who grace our TV screens, with their perfect teeth and perfectly coiffed hair. These "pretty boys" are singers and guitarists who have become huge stars for their looks rather than their musical talent. Joe Jackson then questions the audience about their perception of his sex appeal, implying that being "pretty" is essential for success in the music industry. He even seems to consider getting a facelift, as a way to fit in with the "pretty boys."
The song then takes a critical turn and accuses the industry of promoting shallow values. Jackson suggests that the people who work in the industry have a lot to answer for because they are the ones who manipulate people's images and take advantage of their vulnerabilities. They mold their clients into "pretty pawns in someone else's war" and create an image that appeals to a mass audience. The song highlights the fact that the success of these "pretty boys" has nothing to do with their actual talent, but rather their appearance.
In the final verse, Jackson expresses his desire to see someone with more substance gracing our screens. He wants to see people who are flawed and real, not just pretty faces with no brains or heart. The song concludes with the assertion that talent should count over mere looks in the music industry.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty boys - on my tv screen
I see attractive men on my television screen
Teeth so white and hair so clean
Their teeth are very bright and their hair is very neat
Pretty boys - sing and play guitars
These are good-looking men who sing and play musical instruments
Pretty boys get to be big stars
Attractive men gain a lot of fame
How do you rate my sex appeal from one to ten
Can you rate how attractive I am on a scale of one to ten
Is my image just a bit confusing
Is the way I look causing some confusion?
Maybe i should get a facelift, start again
I should consider getting plastic surgery and starting over
Maybe i should trade my pointed shoes in
Perhaps I should exchange my stylish shoes for something more practical
'cause talent don't count
Because being talented doesn't matter
For pretty boys
Only the attractive men succeed
Those promo people got a lot to answer for
Marketers are accountable for much of this trend
You can take your face and see just where it fits
You can conform to society's standards and see where you fit
Be a pretty pawn in someone else's war
Become a mindless pawn in someone else's agenda
Your baby blue eyes - somebody else's wits
Your attractive eyes - somebody else's smarts
Equals success
Equals fame and fortune
I want to see a human being on my tv set
I want to see someone who looks like a normal person on my television
Want some action for the fat and thin man
I want to see programming that caters to people of all sizes
They're getting closer but they ain't got robots yet
Things are improving, but they are not yet perfect
Just a hero with a smile like a tin man
Only an emotionless hero with a fake smile
No brains and no heart
This person has neither intelligence nor compassion
Just pretty boys
Only attractive men
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind