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
DON'T ASK ME
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And when I speak you know my voice is small
And when I'm walking down the street
I never smile at folks I meet
'Cause I know they won't smile at me
Now ask yourself why this should be
But if you want the answers
If you want the answers
If you want the answers
If you want the answers
Don't ask me
I got feelings but they don't count for much
And I shake my fist but I got no power as such
But if I tell you what I see
Don't throw my words right back at me
'Cause I can't shout and I can't moan
'Cause I got problems of my own
But if you want the answers
If you want the answers
Don't ask me
If you want the answers
If you want the answers
Don't ask me
Someday soon I gotta learn enough
To justify my actions
Until then I want you all to try
To share my gut reactions
Gut reactions
But if you want the answers
If you want the answers
Don't ask me
If you want the answers
If you want the answers
Don't ask me
The lyrics of Joe Jackson's song Don't Ask Me express a sense of frustration and helplessness that the singer feels. He feels like he has ideas and feelings but they don't count for much and his voice is small. He also expresses a feeling of being invisible, as he doesn't smile at the folks he meets because he knows they won't smile back at him. This sense of invisibility is a result of feeling unheard and unimportant. The singer also expresses that if he shares what he sees, his words will be thrown back at him, which further reinforces his sense of invisibility and feeling unheard.
Throughout the song, the singer urges the listener to not ask him for answers because he doesn't know it all, but instead encourages them to try and share his gut reactions. This emphasizes the idea that no one knows everything and that it's important to try and understand each other's perspectives. The overall theme of the song is the frustration and feeling of helplessness that comes with feeling unheard and invisible, and the importance of trying to understand each other.
Line by Line Meaning
I got ideas but I don't know it all
I have my own thoughts and opinions, but I am aware of my limitations when it comes to knowledge and understanding.
And when I speak you know my voice is small
My opinions may not hold much weight in the grand scheme of things, and others may not take me seriously when I express them.
And when I'm walking down the street
I never smile at folks I meet
'Cause I know they won't smile at me
Now ask yourself why this should be
I lack confidence in myself and my ability to connect with others. I don't expect friendly interactions with strangers and I invite introspection into the reasons for this attitude.
But if you want the answers
If you want the answers
Don't ask me
I am not confident in my insight to provide helpful or definitive answers to your questions or concerns.
I got feelings but they don't count for much
And I shake my fist but I got no power as such
While I have emotions and opinions, I recognize that they may not make a significant impact on the world or the situations I find myself in.
But if I tell you what I see
Don't throw my words right back at me
'Cause I can't shout and I can't moan
'Cause I got problems of my own
Although I can share my perspective with you, I don't want my words to be dismissed or used against me. However, I also recognize that I may not have the energy or capacity to deal with the backlash or fallout of sharing my insights.
Someday soon I gotta learn enough
To justify my actions
Until then I want you all to try
To share my gut reactions
Gut reactions
I understand the importance of learning and growing to support my decisions and behaviors. Until then, I hope that others can empathize with me and understand where I am coming from.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind