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
I'm The Man
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why 'know I'm gonna make a comeback
And like the birds and the bees in the trees
It's a sure-fire smash
I'll speak
To the masses throughout the media
And if you got anything to say to me
You can say it with cash
So baby we should get along fine
So give me all your money
Cause I know you think I'm funny
Can't you hear me laughing
Can't you see me smile
I'm the man
I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop
I'm the man
I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo
Kung fu
That was one of my good ones
Well what's a few broken bones
When we all know it's good clean fun
Skateboards
I've almost made them respectable
You see I can't always get through to you
So I go for your son
I had a giant rubber shark
And it really made a mark
Didja looka looka lookit alla blood
Give me all your money
Cause I know you think I'm funny
Can't you hear me laughing
Can't you see me smile
I'm the man
I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop
I'm the man
I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo
Right now
I think I'm gonna plan a new trend
Because the line on the graph's getting low
And we can't have that
And you think you're immune
But I can sell you anything
Anything from a thin safety pin
To a pork pie hat
Cause I got the trash and you got the cash
So baby we should get along fine
So give me all your money
Cause I know you think I'm funny
Can't you hear me laughing
Can't you see me smile
I'm the man
I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop
I'm the man
I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo
In "I'm The Man," Joe Jackson sings sarcastically about the empty promises of fame and fortune, and the power of consumer culture. He describes his grand plans for a comeback and becoming a media sensation, all the while acknowledging that it's all about making money. He compares himself to the birds and bees, suggesting that he's a natural force that will inevitably succeed. He then brags about his past inventions, like the hula-hoop and the yo-yo, and the cultural trends he started, like kung fu and skateboarding. Again, he implies that these were all ways to make money off of people's desires for the latest fads. Jackson ends the song by saying he's planning a new trend and that he can sell anything from a safety pin to a pork pie hat, once again emphasizing the power of advertising and the culture of consumerism.
Line by Line Meaning
Pretty soon now
In the near future
Why 'know I'm gonna make a comeback
I am confident I will make a comeback
And like the birds and the bees in the trees
My success will be as natural as the birds and bees in the trees
It's a sure-fire smash
It will definitely be a hit
I'll speak
I will communicate
To the masses throughout the media
To the general public via various media outlets
And if you got anything to say to me
If you have any feedback for me
You can say it with cash
Pay me to hear your feedback
'Cause I got the trash and you got the cash
I have the inventive ideas and you have the money to invest in them
So baby we should get along fine
We can work together harmoniously
So give me all your money
Invest all your money in me
Cause I know you think I'm funny
I am aware that you find me entertaining
Can't you hear me laughing
I am laughing (perhaps at you)
Can't you see me smile
I am smiling (perhaps in amusement)
I'm the man
I am a man of importance
I'm the man that gave you the hula-hoop
I am the inventor of the hula hoop
I'm the man that gave you the yo-yo
I am the inventor of the yo-yo
Kung fu
Kung fu is a worthy endeavor
That was one of my good ones
That was one of my successful ventures
Well what's a few broken bones
Broken bones are an acceptable cost for an activity like kung fu
When we all know it's good clean fun
We all know that kung fu is fun, even if it is rough and dangerous
Skateboards
Skateboards are a promising idea
I've almost made them respectable
I have made skateboards more socially acceptable
You see I can't always get through to you
You don't always understand my ideas
So I go for your son
I market my ideas to younger generations who are more open to new ideas
I had a giant rubber shark
I had an idea that people found amusing and successful
And it really made a mark
My giant rubber shark invention was very successful
Didja looka looka lookit alla blood
People found the giant rubber shark invention amusing and perhaps even gory
Right now
At this moment
I think I'm gonna plan a new trend
I believe I can create a new popular idea
Because the line on the graph's getting low
My current ventures are not as successful as they used to be according to data
And we can't have that
This is unacceptable and needs to be remedied
And you think you're immune
You think you are not susceptible to my marketing and ideas
But I can sell you anything
I can convince you to buy anything with my marketing strategy
Anything from a thin safety pin
I can sell even the most mundane or seemingly useless item
To a pork pie hat
To a more fashionable item like a pork pie hat
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Ian Jackson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Dave Marriott
Pretty soon now, you know I'm gonna make a comeback.
And with the birds and the bees in the trees, it's a sure fire smash.
I'll speak, to the masses of the media.
And if you got anything to say to me, you can say it with cash.
Because, I've got the trash and you got the trashcan. Baby we should get along fine.
So give me all your money, coz I know you think I'm funny.
Can't you hear me laughing?
Can't you see me smile?
I'm the man!
( With the hula hoop)
( Who gave you the yo-yo)
Kung Fu, that was one of my good ones.
Well, what's a few broken bones, when we all know it's good clean fun?
Skateboards, I almost made them respectable.
You see, I can't always get through to you, so I go for your son.
I had a giant rubber shark and it really made a mark.
Did you look at, look at, look at all that blood?
Right now!
I think I gotta get a new train!
Because (?) We can't have that.
And you think I'm immune, but I can sell you anything.
Anything from a thin safety pin to a pork pie hat.
gil.gosseyn
After all this time, this is STILL my favorite Joe Jackson song. Thanks, Joe, for decades of wonderful music.
Deipatrous
heard it live not too long ago
greg osborne
Graham Maby's bass is, for all intents and purposes, the lead instrument... Incredible!
Jim McGrath
Agreed!
Peter Kroll
The bass-beast!
MyMotherTheCar
While absolutely nailing down the rhythm.
Rick Dagger
Grammy's fantastic there is no disputing that however I would point out that the guitar riff is right on top of Joe's voice. In the mix the base is predominant not so much live
greg osborne
@Rick Dagger The bass is carrying the melody as well as the beat. Guitar, when not over the vocal, is mostly accent flourishes.
mtntime1
From this, to: Stepping Out. Punk to Jazz. With one of the best bassists you'll ever hear. This band had it all!
John Mann
One of the best bass sounds ever recorded.