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
SOLO
Joe Jackson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Solo, it's just what it seems
An empty thing
Waitin' on somebody who never calls
Listening in the night to something
Scratching 'round behind the walls
Solo, with no one to care
So I'm now to dine
On free, stale crackers and a fifth of gin
And say you're fine
Feeling like something that the dogs dragged in
No one has to laugh, still safe and warm
With peace of mind after storms
Solo, you stare into space
Solo, scared to look at your face
Scared to find
Someone in the mirror who you can't recall
Pale and blind
Talking to himself and saying, "Fuck 'em all"
No one must admit, chances are few
To try to be someone new
No one gets to play with nowhere free
Peace at last guaranteed
In Joe Jackson's song Solo, the singer is facing the harsh reality of being alone, and the hardships that come with it. The song essentially describes the isolation that the character feels, from the lack of companionship to the bare cupboards that he has to depend upon for food. He spends his nights listening carefully for sounds, hoping to fill the void of silence, but all he gets are the noises of the scratching sound in the walls, further adding to his own confinement. The song's chorus is repeated twice and seems to be a cry for help, but the call out fades as the feeling of abandonment is reaffirmed.
Line by Line Meaning
Solo, it isn't a dream
Being alone isn't surreal or fantastic; it's the sad reality.
Solo, it's just what it seems
Being alone is what it is, an empty and lonely experience.
An empty thing
The absence of anyone by your side feels like a void in your life.
Waitin' on somebody who never calls
Hoping to hear from someone who never shows up or communicates just adds to loneliness.
Listening in the night to something Scratching 'round behind the walls
The only company at night is noises coming from somewhere else.
Solo, with no one to care
Being alone means there's no one to comfort or care for you.
Solo, the cupboards are bare
Being alone means you don't have any food options.
So I'm now to dine On free, stale crackers and a fifth of gin
The only meal option is a combination of dry, old crackers and cheap alcohol.
And say you're fine Feeling like something that the dogs dragged in
Putting on a facade when feeling low and undesirable.
No one has to laugh, still safe and warm With peace of mind after storms
Being alone means not having to please anyone or deal with their issues as you enjoy feeling comfortable and secure.
Solo, you stare into space
Time drags on and being alone leaves you with doing nothing but staring into the emptiness around you.
Scared to look at your face Scared to find Someone in the mirror who you can't recall
Avoiding confronting and facing the person you've become over time when no one else is there to hold you accountable.
Pale and blind Talking to himself and saying, "Fuck 'em all"
The frustration of living alone without anyone around but yourself and hating it enough to curse the world.
No one must admit, chances are few To try to be someone new
The realization that if no one is around to challenge you, there's little hope for growth or change.
No one gets to play with nowhere free Peace at last guaranteed
Freedom from the complications of social interactions brings peace, albeit joyless, to the individual.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: DAN AUGUST RIGO, JAMES SAMUEL III HARRIS, JANET JACKSON, JASON JOEL DESROULEAUX, JONATHAN ROTEM, KEIDRAN KENMORE JONES, TERRY STEVEN LEWIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Pedro Franco
"Solo (So Low)"
Solo – It isn't a dream
So low – It's just what it seems
An empty thing
Waiting on somebody who never calls
Listening
In the night to something scratching round behind the walls
Solo – With no one to care
So low – The cupboards are bare
So now to dine
On three stale crackers and a fifth of gin
And say you're fine
Feeling like something that the dog dragged in
Oh one has to laugh
Still safe and warm
With peace of mind
After storms
Solo – You stare into space
So low – Scared to look at your face
Scared to find
Someone in the mirror who you can't recall
Pale and lined
Talking to himself and saying fuck 'em all
Though one must admit
Chances are few
To try to be
Someone new
Though one gets to play
With no referee
Peace at last
Guaranteed
Dale M
Joe jackson was and still is an unappreciated genius. Brilliant song Brilliant album Rain.
Retro Bethie
Perfectly said. ❤
Dean Spencer
Joe's genius shining through. To compose this powerful piece is the proof that he's been there and survived it. Dedicated to every soul that feels so low and solo. X
Pedro Franco
"Solo (So Low)"
Solo – It isn't a dream
So low – It's just what it seems
An empty thing
Waiting on somebody who never calls
Listening
In the night to something scratching round behind the walls
Solo – With no one to care
So low – The cupboards are bare
So now to dine
On three stale crackers and a fifth of gin
And say you're fine
Feeling like something that the dog dragged in
Oh one has to laugh
Still safe and warm
With peace of mind
After storms
Solo – You stare into space
So low – Scared to look at your face
Scared to find
Someone in the mirror who you can't recall
Pale and lined
Talking to himself and saying fuck 'em all
Though one must admit
Chances are few
To try to be
Someone new
Though one gets to play
With no referee
Peace at last
Guaranteed
Dean Spencer
Grazie Pedro.
Pedro Franco
Zaradur, la vidéo... alors, chapeau!
Du coup je me suis abonné à ta chaine
;)
alanpadg1960
Love this track! In my opinion the best one from the Rain album - Joe's lyrics dig right into the bone... sheer talent!
Luna Beekhuizen
My parents loved this song, so I heard it quite a few times when I was little. Now that I can actually speak English, I remembered the sound of it, so I looked it up, and guess what, I'm crying
Tonio Franks
I love his music
Analia Damianich
MARAVILLOSO JOE!!!!! ARTISTA DE VERDAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!