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
It Don't Mean a Thing
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If it ain't possessin' something sweet
It ain't the melody, it ain't the music
It's something else that makes the tune complete
What good is melody, what good is music
If it ain't possessin' something sweet
It ain't the melody, it ain't the music
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
It don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
It makes no diff'rence if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm ev'rything you got
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
It makes no diff'rence if it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm ev'rything you got
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
It don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
Joe Jackson's version of "It Don't Mean A Thing" is a lively jazz tune with lyrics that explore the essence of music. The song questions the purpose of melody and music if it does not have that "something sweet" that makes it complete. Jackson's lyrics suggest that this extra special ingredient is the rhythm of the song, which must have a certain swing in order to truly have meaning.
The repetition of the phrase "It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing" throughout the song emphasizes the importance of this rhythm. Jackson encourages us to give the rhythm everything we've got, emphasizing that the sweetness or hotness of the melody is secondary to the importance of having a strong, swinging beat.
Overall, "It Don't Mean A Thing" reminds us that music is more than just notes on a page. It is about the feeling it evokes and its ability to make us move and dance. The song captures the upbeat and lively spirit of jazz music, and encourages listeners to let go and enjoy the swing.
Line by Line Meaning
What good is melody, what good is music
What is the purpose of a melody or music?
If it ain't possessin' something sweet
Unless it has a certain pleasing quality
It ain't the melody, it ain't the music
This quality is not found in the melody or music
It's something else that makes the tune complete
Rather, another factor is essential for a complete song
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
A song is meaningless without a particular rhythm
It don't mean a thing, all you got to do is sing
It's simple to fulfill this requirement, just sing the song
It makes no diff'rence if it's sweet or hot
Whether the song is slow and sweet or fast and intense is irrelevant
Just give that rhythm ev'rything you got
The key is to put all energy into the rhythm
It don't mean a thing, if it ain't got that swing
Reiteration of the main message: without this swing, the song has no value
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind