Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion grew up in a musi… Read Full Bio ↴Producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Jon Brion grew up in a musical family: his father was director of the Yale concert and marching bands, his mother sang in jazz bands, and his siblings, Randy (a conductor/arranger in L.A.) and Laurie (a violinist), were both avid music students. Young Jon didn't deal with instruction or practice well, but his natural affinity for improvisation and melody more than made up for his impatience. Unwilling to conform to the conventional school system, Brion attended special education class at Hamden High School in New Haven, CT, and the day he turned 17, he left school for good. Moving to Boston in 1987, the young musician formed many bonds that he would keep long into his professional career, including producer Mike Denneen (owner of Q Division, Boston's premier studio and record label) and 'Til Tuesday vocalist Aimee Mann. Also while there, Brion tuned his improvisational musical abilities: "I used to watch TV with an unplugged electric guitar, on the couch, and commercials would come on and I'd try to play along. It was one of the prime things I concerned myself with for several years, getting to the point where if I heard it, I could play it. Then I started working on getting my brain to do multiple things at once. And having my hands translate them." This proficiency led to increasingly frequent studio work on the West Coast, eventually resulting in his move to L.A. While in California, he and Jellyfish guitarist Jason Falkner formed the Grays, an underground superstar group which released the 1994 album Ro Sham Bo, before quickly fading as the other members (Falkner, Dan McCarroll, and Buddy Judge) went on to individual musical success. Throughout the '90s, Brion found himself increasingly in demand in the studio, producing and collaborating on albums by Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple, Rufus Wainwright, David Byrne, and the Eels and soundtracks including the Grammy-nominated Magnolia.
Recently, Brion experimented Hip-Hop style as producer on Kanye West last album, "Late Registration". The result is brilliant, with real-life instruments mashed up with heavy beats. To complete this mutation, Kanye West did a live recording of his record at the mythic Abbey Road Studio, Jon Brion being the missing link between Hip Hop and The Beatles pop music.

In addition to his prolific studio work, he also has held a long-term position as "the house band" Friday nights at the high-profile Hollywood nightclub Largo. At his live shows, the crowd can expect anything from guest appearances by Aimee Mann, Michael Stipe, Elvis Costello, T-Bone Burnett, or Grant Lee Phillips, and Brion is infamous for making up songs on the spot (often from titles shouted from the audience). He also is beloved for his quirky cover versions of songs by Cheap Trick, the Beatles, and Cole Porter, proudly likening his on-stage antics to "spraying musical Raid on the classics, until each dying song flips on its back and wiggles its little musical legs in surrender." Whatever music he was involved in, his eclectic touch undeniably shaped the sound of many progressive alternative musicians throughout the '90s.

Didn�t Think It Would Turn Out Bad
Jon Brion Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

It was happy at the start
When you offered me the part
We agreed to go awhile
And it all was on a handshake and a smile
'Cause it looked okay to me
But I guess you shouldn't be too sure of yourself
And now I see that I was incorrect
But that's easier in retrospect

All my friends said what's the fuss
Don't you know these things happen to the best of us
So if you think of me as desperate
You should not even ask for it
Oh, and as for my defense
I can swear that it made sense to me at the time
So now it's safe to say
That I really should've run the other way

I didn't think it would turn out bad

Overall Meaning

At first glance, Jon Brion's song "Didn't Think It Would Turn Out Bad" appears to be a simple reflection on a failed endeavor. The singer recounts a situation where initially everything seemed happy and agreeable, but ultimately ended poorly. The song's tone is one of regretful hindsight as the singer questions why they didn't see the disaster coming. The lyrics paint a picture of a person who trusted too easily and didn't fully consider the ramifications of their actions. The final line, "I didn't think it would turn out bad," succinctly sums up the singer's disbelief and disappointment in the outcome.

However, upon closer examination, the song can also be read as a commentary on the superficiality of human interaction. The initial agreement between the two parties, made simply on a "handshake and a smile," is ultimately revealed as disingenuous. There is a sense that the relationship between the singer and the other party was built on appearances rather than a genuine connection. This is further reinforced by the lines "All my friends said what's the fuss / Don't you know these things happen to the best of us," suggesting that the singer's experience is a common one. The song, then, can be read as a cautionary tale about the dangers of trusting too quickly and being overly reliant on surface-level interactions.

Overall, "Didn't Think It Would Turn Out Bad" is a poignant examination of human fallibility and the consequences of poor judgement. With its introspective lyrics and melancholic melody, it is a song that invites listeners to reflect on their own experiences with disappointment and regret.

Line by Line Meaning

It was happy at the start
Things were going well in the beginning

When you offered me the part
When you gave me the opportunity

We agreed to go awhile
We agreed to try it out for a while

And it all was on a handshake and a smile
Our agreement was informal and friendly

'Cause it looked okay to me
Because it seemed fine to me

But I guess you shouldn't be too sure of yourself
But it's not always wise to trust your judgement

And now I see that I was incorrect
Now I realize I was wrong

But that's easier in retrospect
But it's easier to see that now, looking back

All my friends said what's the fuss
My friends didn't think it was a big deal

Don't you know these things happen to the best of us
These types of things happen to everyone

So if you think of me as desperate
If you view me as needy

You should not even ask for it
You shouldn't request my help

Oh, and as for my defense
And in my defense

I can swear that it made sense to me at the time
I believed it was the right decision at the time

So now it's safe to say
So now I can confidently say

That I really should've run the other way
That I should have avoided this situation altogether

I didn't think it would turn out bad
I didn't expect things to go wrong

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JON BRION

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Trinfinity

14y↑1

is it healthy to love someone as much as i love jon? he is a genius.

Julie Lawrenz

13y

Jon Brion has a big heart.

jonesfoto

13y

A big mind and a big heart. Nice combination, really.

gattopardo

15y

did somebody have the tabs of this song?

Alex Weiser

14y

thats because jon brion references the beatles a lot in his production and songwriting--- he studied the entire beatles catalog. he knows every part of every song by heart. so i highly doubt that if it sounds like "girl," its a mistake.