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
Come On
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waiting for me when I die
But between the day you're born and when you die
You know, they never seem to hear even your cry
[Chorus:]
So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm gonna get my share now what is mine
And then the harder they come
One and all
The harder they come
The harder they fall
One and all
And the oppressors are trying to track me down
They're trying to drive me underground
And they think that they have got the battle won
I say, forgive them Lord, they know not what they've done
[Chorus]
And I keep on fighting for the things I want
Though I know that when you're dead you can't
But I'd rather be a free man in my grave
Than living as a puppet or a slave
[Chorus]
The opening line of the song, "they tell me of a pie up in the sky Waiting for me when I die," is a reference to the idea of the afterlife being a place where one would receive the rewards they didn't receive in life. The phrase is often used sarcastically or ironically to depict a promise or idea that's too good to be true. Jackson points out that the idea of the afterlife is not practical for the daily struggles of life on earth. He notes that people are too preoccupied with their own matters that they fail to hear the cries of others in need.
The chorus of the song, "the harder they come the harder they fall, one and all," is a warning to oppressors that the harder they try to oppress individuals, the harder their downfall will be. It's also a message of resistance and hope for the oppressed. Jackson alludes to the idea that even in the face of immense pressure and difficulties, one should not give up the fight for what's rightfully theirs.
The final verse is a call to not give in to oppression and to stand up for one's rights. Jackson points out that even if fighting for what we believe in leads to our death, we should stand for what we believe in, so we don't live as "puppet or a slave."
Line by Line Meaning
Well, they tell me of a pie up in the sky
People talk about a reward after death
Waiting for me when I die
They say it's waiting for me when I die
But between the day you're born and when you die
However, from birth till death
You know, they never seem to hear even your cry
No one seems to listen to you when you cry for help
So as sure as the sun will shine
I'm certain
I'm gonna get my share now what is mine
I'll get what's rightfully mine
And then the harder they come
The more they challenge me
The harder they fall
The harder they'll fail
One and all
All of them
And the oppressors are trying to track me down
The people oppressing me are trying to find me
They're trying to drive me underground
They're attempting to force me to hide
And they think that they have got the battle won
They believe they have won the battle
I say, forgive them Lord, they know not what they've done
However, I forgive them because they don't know what they're doing to me
And I keep on fighting for the things I want
I persist in fighting for what I desire
Though I know that when you're dead you can't
Even though I understand you can't do anything when you die
But I'd rather be a free man in my grave
Still, I'd rather die free
Than living as a puppet or a slave
Than live as someone controlled or owned by others
And then the harder they come
And as the opponents become more challenging
The harder they fall
They'll still fail harder
One and all
All of them
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jimmy Cliff
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
jamesnich99
The Stones used to cover this. back in '63-'65. There's some BBC versions that sound nice..with Brian Jones on harmonica.
Lagged2Death
"Come On" is a Chuck Berry song covered by (among others) the Rolling Stones.
So I'm guessing "One or two people have done that but I forget who they were offhand" is a joke.
paolieta
shaking together with my daughter ;)
Ming
amazing
Jim Schultz
Where is this song from? UK Single flipside?
Gary Stackhouse
American B-side to "It's Different For Girls", I believe.