Joe Jackson (born 11 August 1954 in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK, as … Read Full Bio ↴Joe Jackson (born 11 August 1954 in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, UK, as David Ian Jackson) is a British musician who grew up in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England.. Jackson is known for the hit singles Is She Really Going Out With Him? (1979) and Steppin' Out (1982).

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

Blue Flame
Joe Jackson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I've got some walls around me, too
But they're not much compared to your house
Fifty feet high, with barbed wire
Guards on the top, aiming rifles at your lovers one by one
And friends, too

I've come with hands above my head
I'm damned if I'll try to break your door down

If you ever come out just call me
I'll still be armed with the memory of one evening when you smiled
At something

Sadness spreads like a black stain
But I know by now that's not all there is

There's a blue flame inside of you so beautiful and rare
And love's not something you decide to do
You'd be so hard to love if love was not just there

You tell me women get you down
And as for men, they're all bastards
I wonder what world you call home
And I wish I could learn their language just enough to make you laugh
Just one time

Yes, it was nice to see you, too
Although I'm never sure you mean it
I pick up the tab and you won't thank me
Not that I mind, but in my dreams it's all so different - we even kiss
Imagine this

Bitterness is a black hole
But you know by now you got more to give

There's a blue flame inside of you so beautiful and rare
And love's not something you decide to do
You'd be so hard to love if love was not just there

Impossible to love if love was not for some strange reason there

Overall Meaning

The Joe Jackson Band’s Blue Flame is a melancholic song that talks about the complexities of relationships, the emotional barriers we put up, and the difficulties of truly loving someone. The lyrics describe the singer's attempt to reach out to someone who has built an impenetrable wall around herself, something that she appears to have been doing for a long time. Though the singer acknowledges that he too has walls around him, they pale in comparison to those of the person he's singing to.

The walls surrounding her are “fifty feet high, with barbed wire,” and her guards are armed with rifles, ready to shoot anyone who attempts to enter. The singer speaks about his desire to be with this person but doesn't want to break down her walls forcefully. He thinks back to one evening when she smiled, a cherished memory that drives him to keep trying to reach her. However, he knows that it won't be easy to love her, given her aversion to love, and he wonders if it is even possible to love her if the love is not already innate in her.

The central image in the song is that of the blue flame, a metaphor for the beauty and rarity that lies within her, obscured by her walls. The singer believes that if only he could get past the defenses she has set up, he could start a fire that could light up her whole being. The song ends on a sad note, as the singer ponders whether he and the subject of his affections will ever be together in a meaningful way.

Line by Line Meaning

I've got some walls around me, too
I'm not perfect either, and I understand that we all have our walls and barriers

But they're not much compared to your house
But I recognize that your defenses are much stronger and more impenetrable than mine

Fifty feet high, with barbed wire
Your walls are intimidating and seemingly impenetrable, with no easy way to get past them

Guards on the top, aiming rifles at your lovers one by one
Your defenses are so strong that anyone who tries to get close to you will be met with hostility and aggression

And friends, too
Not just lovers, but even your friends are kept at arm's length and treated with suspicion

I've come with hands above my head
I approach you with humility and without any aggression or hostility

I'm damned if I'll try to break your door down
I won't try to force my way in or break through your walls

If you ever come out, just call me
I'm always here for you, and I'll be ready to connect with you if and when you're ready to come out from behind your defenses

I'll still be armed with the memory of one evening when you smiled
Even if you don't want to or can't let me in, I'll always cherish the memory of that one moment when we connected and you let your guard down

At something
Even if it was just a small thing, that moment meant a lot to me and I hold onto it dearly

Sadness spreads like a black stain
It's easy to let negative emotions like sadness and despair take over and color everything around us with darkness

But I know by now that's not all there is
But even though things may seem bleak, I believe that there's always hope and that there's more to life than just darkness and despair

There's a blue flame inside of you so beautiful and rare
Despite your defenses and negativity, I see something special and unique inside of you that's worth exploring and cherishing

And love's not something you decide to do
I know that love isn't a decision you can make, but something that comes naturally and spontaneously

You'd be so hard to love if love was not just there
I know that it would be difficult for anyone to love you if that spark of love wasn't already there, but I believe it is

You tell me women get you down
I know that you have bad experiences with women and that they've hurt you in the past

And as for men, they're all bastards
And you don't have much trust or faith in men either, seeing them as all being selfish and cruel

I wonder what world you call home
Sometimes I find myself wondering what kind of life you've led and what experiences have made you so guarded and defensive

And I wish I could learn their language just enough to make you laugh
I wish I could understand you better and connect with you in a more meaningful way, even if it's just making you laugh

Just one time
Even a brief moment of connection would mean the world to me

Yes, it was nice to see you, too
Even though you can be distant and aloof, I appreciate any time I get to spend with you

Although I'm never sure you mean it
But sometimes I get the sense that you're just going through the motions and don't truly care about our interactions

I pick up the tab and you won't thank me
I don't mind paying for things and being generous, but it can be frustrating when you don't even acknowledge my efforts

Not that I mind, but in my dreams it's all so different - we even kiss
Sometimes I imagine a different reality where we're more connected and intimate, even though I know that may not be possible

Imagine this
It's just a fantasy, but it's still enjoyable to picture a world where we're closer and more connected

Bitterness is a black hole
Holding onto anger and resentment can consume us and drag us down into darkness

But you know by now you got more to give
But I believe that you have more within you than just negativity and defensiveness, and that you're capable of giving and receiving love

There's a blue flame inside of you so beautiful and rare
Despite your defenses and negativity, I see something special and unique inside of you that's worth exploring and cherishing

And love's not something you decide to do
I know that love isn't a decision you can make, but something that comes naturally and spontaneously

You'd be so hard to love if love was not just there
I know that it would be difficult for anyone to love you if that spark of love wasn't already there, but I believe it is

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS

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Blue Flame

I've got some walls around me, too
But they're not much compared to your house
Fifty feet high, with barbed wire
Guards on the top, aiming rifles at your lovers one by one
And friends, too

I've come with hands above my head
I'm damned if I'll try to break your door down
If you ever come out just call me
I'll still be armed with the memory of one evening when you smiled
At something

Sadness spreads like a black stain
But I know by now that's not all there is

There's a blue flame inside of you so beautiful and rare
And love's not something you decide to do
You'd be so hard to love if love was not just there

You tell me women get you down
And as for men, they're all bastards
I wonder what world you call home
And I wish I could learn their language just enough to make you laugh
Just one time

Yes, it was nice to see you, too
Although I'm never sure you mean it
I pick up the tab and you won't thank me
Not that I mind, but in my dreams it's all so different - we even kiss
Imagine this

Bitterness is a black hole
But you know by now you got more to give

There's a blue flame inside of you so beautiful and rare
And love's not something you decide to do
You'd be so hard to love if love was not just there

Impossible to love if love was not for some strange reason there

Songwriters
JACKSON