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
Battleground
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Listen to the rhythm of the bass boom
Black nigga takes a hit sending up a spark
In the dark heat
Swaying a little to the bass beat
White nigga takes a hit takes money out
Says this is what it's all about
Rots your brain-who cares
White nigga sighs
I like your music
I like your style
I crack a joke so why don't you smile
White nigga dancing out on the floor tonight
The band's not good but the beat seems right
The band's all black and the floor's all white
Clenching fists unite and fight
Rock Against Racism rules tonight
But in the real world
No-one rules
But fists are clenched all right
Down in the Underground
Out in the playground
The common ground
is a Battleground
Now you don't have to be black to be a nigga no more
The writing's on the wall
Say-black is power
White is flower
Diveded we fall
And behind the wall
behind the door
In the dark heat
In the rhythm of the bass beat
Something is wrong
And no-one is taking the blame
Joe Jackson's song "Battleground" tackles the complex issue of racial tensions in society. The song starts with two groups of people, one black and one white, coming together to enjoy music. However, underlying tensions exist as the black member takes a hit, and the white member criticizes it. The lyrics "rots your brain-who cares" imply that the white member is dismissive of the harmful effects of drugs on the black community. The black member stares back at the white member in silent anger, indicating the frustration and anger that the black community often feels towards their white counterparts.
As the song progresses, the lyrics address the notion of unity and equality through music, where people of all races can come together to enjoy music, even though the reality of the situation is not as simple. The lyrics "But in the real world, No-one rules, But fists are clenched all right" are a reminder that, while music can bring people together, it is not a solution to the racial divide in society. The song's title, "Battleground," implies that the issues of race are a constant struggle and fight.
The final verses of the song touch on the idea of power and control. Black people have historically been oppressed and suppressed in society, and the lyrics "Black is power, White is flower, Divided we fall" reflect this notion. The closing thought of the song is that there is something wrong, and no one is taking the blame. The song implies that the only way to resolve the racial tensions is by acknowledging that there is a problem and taking responsibility for it.
Line by Line Meaning
Black nigga white nigga standing in the dark
Two people of different races standing in the darkness
Listen to the rhythm of the bass boom
Pay attention to the sound of the bass
Black nigga takes a hit sending up a spark
One person inhales drugs and causes a spark
In the dark heat
In a hot, dark environment
Swaying a little to the bass beat
Moving slightly to the rhythm of the bass
White nigga takes a hit takes money out
Another person also takes drugs and removes money from their pocket
Says this is what it's all about
Declares that this is the purpose of their existence
Rots your brain-who cares
The artist knows that drugs damage the brain, but doesn't care
Black nigga stares
One person looks intensely at the other
White nigga sighs
Another person exhales in a sigh
I like your music
One person compliments the other's music taste
I like your style
The artist admires the other person's attitude and behavior
I crack a joke so why don't you smile
The singer tries to make the other person laugh or smile
White nigga dancing out on the floor tonight
Another person is dancing on the dance floor
The band's not good but the beat seems right
The music is not great, but the rhythm is enjoyable
The band's all black and the floor's all white
The band members are black and the audience is white
Clenching fists unite and fight
People clench their fists and come together to fight
Rock Against Racism rules tonight
The concert is organized to promote anti-racism
But in the real world
However, outside of this context
No-one rules
No one has complete control or power
But fists are clenched all right
People are still ready to fight
Down in the Underground
In the subculture or underground scene
Out in the playground
In places where people gather to hang out
The common ground
The shared beliefs or experiences
is a Battleground
Becomes a place of conflict
Now you don't have to be black to be a nigga no more
Racism exists beyond skin color or ethnicity
The writing's on the wall
It's easy to see what's happening
Say-black is power
Black people have the power
White is flower
White people are submissive
Diveded we fall
We are weaker when we are divided
And behind the wall
Beyond our visible barriers
behind the door
Secrets and hidden truths reside
In the dark heat
In a hot, dark environment
In the rhythm of the bass beat
To the beat of the music
Something is wrong
There is an issue or problem
And no-one is taking the blame
Nobody is willing to admit fault
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind