Remember when music was fun but clever? When Jonezetta frontman Robert Chis… Read Full Bio ↴Remember when music was fun but clever? When Jonezetta frontman Robert Chisolm shouts out, "Wake Up!" during Burn It Down, its an exhortation as much to the musical masses as the audience in front of him. Isolation breeds artistry, and like The Smiths or The Cure, the Jonezetta story begins with creative people bursting through the seams of an otherwise stuffy environment.

Clinton, Mississippi is a very tiny town. If you're a young boy, you either play sports, go hunting, or both. We come from small families within a sheltered town and our parents made it obvious that we were to go to school for twelve years and then to go for four more years, Chisolm deadpans. The idea of not going to college and trying to pursue music was never a reasonable one in our heads.

Jonezetta began as a lark. Even their name was birthed off the cuff. It was designed to combine two words that dont go together but sound cool (like Radiohead, Coldplay, or Starsailor) but as Chisolm admits, all of the good words were taken. It wasn't until they took a long hard listen at the demos they were creating purely for their own amusement that Jonezetta realized how incredibly special their band could be. When we met [co-manager] Ryan Rado and the guys in the band As Cities Burn, they really gave us hope that pursuing music simply because its something we love is not a bad thing, says Chisolm, who credits the pair with bringing Jonezetta to Tooth & Nail's attention.

Cue a bidding war that involved several major labels and one of the biggest deals for a new artist in The Nails history. Jonezetta has quickly amassed a slew of believers in the music industry and across the rock and pop underground. And the mainstream is next.

Like the rich blues embedded in the soil around them, Jonezettas Tooth & Nail debut is full of mood and atmosphere, with hooks that slice through the fog the way song titles like Hot Machete would suggest. And from here, with a coveted slot on the 2006 Tooth & Nail tour ahead of them, Jonezettas goals remain as modest as ever. "We want to be the first band to sell a billion records", laughs Chisolm. "We want to play every continent in the world. And then, we want to meet Prince."

"People take themselves too seriously. Music today has become such a downer," he adds thoughtfully. "We encourage kids to enjoy themselves."

Wide Awake
Jonezetta Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Wide-awake
I am hardly talking
I didn't have a lot to say
if this is really love
or the reflection

on and on
give up everything

leave with out it
we are not coming back now

in my mind we are all one
floating in a world, misunderstood
I heard the voice of God
in the reflection

on and on
give up everything

leave without it
we are not coming back now

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Jonezetta's "Wide Awake" are open to interpretation. It seems as though the singer is in a state of heightened awareness, but is struggling to articulate their thoughts and feelings. They may be experiencing love or some other powerful emotion, but are also questioning whether it is real or just a reflection of something else.

The repeated phrase "on and on" suggests a sense of persistence or perseverance, but also a feeling of being stuck in an endless cycle or pattern. The line "give up everything, leave without it" implies a willingness to let go of attachments or material possessions, but it is unclear whether this is motivated by a desire for freedom or a sense of resignation.

The mention of "the voice of God" and a feeling of being "misunderstood" suggest a spiritual or existential dimension to the song. Perhaps the singer is questioning the nature of reality and their place in the world. Overall, the lyrics of "Wide Awake" convey a sense of restlessness, confusion, and searching for meaning.

Line by Line Meaning

Wide-awake
Fully conscious and alert

I am hardly talking
I am not talking much

I didn't have a lot to say
I didn't have much to say on this matter

if this is really love
If what we are feeling is truly love

or the reflection
Or merely a reflection of love

on and on
Continuing without end

give up everything
Surrendering all possessions or desires

leave without it
Moving on without it

we are not coming back now
We will not return to this place or situation

in my mind we are all one
In my thoughts, we are united as one

floating in a world, misunderstood
Existing in a world that is not fully comprehended or appreciated