Then the band - at that point composed of Johnson, Charlie Koltak (drums), Rodrigo Palma (bass), and Steven Nistor (keyboards) - hit a wall. Strain set in and two months into a national tour, founding members Johnson and Koltak sat at the bar after a particularly soul-crushing show in Indianapolis and decided to stop playing together. The band dispersed and moved on. Nistor went on tour drumming for Daniel Lanois, Koltak joined Saturday Looks Good to Me, Palma went back to school and Johnson became a father.
From burnout and a search for authenticity began a new period of collaboration between Johnson and Palma. They would meet regularly to learn new software and experiment with creating their own sample banks. Eventually the duo took the work they had been developing into the studio to make what they had hoped would be the next Judah Johnson release. Instead they came out with the darkest and most fractured music either of them had ever created. They ultimately shelved the recording and turned their attentions toward making something that drew from the band's song-based past as much as its new sonic palette. Enter Andy Smith, an engineer who came up at New York's The Hit Factory working on albums from David Bowie to Public Enemy to Mariah Carey, with a true passion for synth programming, particularly the lost art of modular synthesis. Through a mutual contact Johnson and Smith met, bonded over their love of Talk Talk and made plans to co-produce the next Judah Johnson record together.
Recorded in just five days, Be Where I Be belies its swift creation. While the album captures the energy and immediacy of a quick session, its meticulous production style has more in common with studio rats like Kate Bush and Prince than most rock records. Palma says this is due in part to a mixing style where large chunks of textural experimentation are picked over to embellish the core performances, giving the illusion of a longer session. Johnson credits inspiration. "It sounds crazy but I don't really remember playing the stuff I played. I listen back to the record and if you told me it was someone else I would believe you." Thrilled, the band left the studio with new optimism. Then waited... and waited while Smith got tied up overseas working with Brian Eno on a new Paul Simon record.
Nearly a year later, it was finished and, without overstating, it sounds like nothing else: immaculate, yet messy; carefully considered while full of accidents. It's less a statement of a new direction than a sample of every stage of the band's development; yet it's also an attempt to pretend their past never happened. The album is a dream of something organic and colorful overtaking the machine. An imaginary place where the roots of Jamaican dub and the ruined futurism of 70s Berlin meet. Its title, like a Zen koan in jive, is an invitation to experience the depth of emotion and ideas the band has invested into their music. It's an admission that even 21st century life is not entirely apocalyptic. Be Where I Be is the sound of reconciliation. It's the end of a debate.
Currently the band is enjoying a second chance. Koltak and Johnson have made their peace and are having a "second honeymoon." Keyboardist Noah Harris and guitarist Arun Bali have been added to the lineup, returning the band's live sound to its original five-piece thunder and allowing the textures of the album to be reproduced faithfully while continuing to reshape it.
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The Ruse
Judah Johnson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And then you felt its burning handshake
A sucker in the end
She slipped you poison tongue this time
I guess you want to tell me where I'm going now
You're always right, I guess
Everybody's laughing 'cause the joke's on me
Another faulty fuse
They said you were the last assassin
A very clever ruse
But I've seen so much time in action
I guess you want to tell me what the plan is now
You always leave me in the dark
I knew that this was risky
Now I'm learning how
That this could only go so far
And of course it hurts
Let's begin with the first verse, which depicts the disillusionment and betrayal that come with growing up and facing the harsh realities of life. The singer addresses "Life" as if it were a person, stating that it could have been his friend, but instead it gave him a "burning handshake," a metaphor for a painful and insincere greeting. The last line of the verse describes how "She slipped you poison tongue this time," suggesting that Life, personified as a woman, has verbally attacked and hurt the singer.
Moving on to the chorus, the singer seems to be addressing someone who claims to know where he's going and what his future holds. The singer concedes that this person is usually right, but asserts that he has seen more than anyone else, implying that he has learned a lot from his experiences. The second half of the chorus brings up the idea of being laughed at, and suggests that the singer is aware of how he might be perceived by others, but is not deterred by their opinions.
The second verse seems to have more of a political or social commentary, with references to an assassin and a "faulty fuse." The singer accuses someone (presumably a politician or authority figure) of being a "very clever ruse," suggesting that they are manipulating people with their words and actions. Once again, the singer acknowledges that he doesn't know what's going on, but is aware that time is passing and things are changing.
Overall, "The Ruse" seems to be a song about the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that can be harsh and confusing. The singer is aware of the lies and deceptions around him, but is also resilient and determined to keep moving forward.
Line by Line Meaning
Life would be your friend
At first, things seemed to be going well and life was friendly.
And then you felt its burning handshake
But then life quickly turned harsh and dealt a painful blow.
A sucker in the end
Despite our attempts to avoid it, we often end up being taken advantage of by life.
She slipped you poison tongue this time
This time, life's words were deceitful and malicious.
I guess you want to tell me where I'm going now
I sense you have information about my future.
You're always right, I guess
You seem to be trustworthy and accurate in your predictions.
Everybody's laughing 'cause the joke's on me
Others find it amusing that I'm in a difficult situation while they are not.
But I've seen more than all the rest
Despite this, I have gained valuable experiences that others have not.
Another faulty fuse
This is just another failure or setback.
They said you were the last assassin
You were rumored to have the power to end it all.
A very clever ruse
But it turned out to be a clever trick or deception.
But I've seen so much time in action
I have learned from my experiences to not be taken in by such schemes.
I guess you want to tell me what the plan is now
I sense that you have knowledge of a plan or strategy.
You always leave me in the dark
But you consistently keep me uninformed or unaware.
I knew that this was risky
I was aware that this course of action had potential danger.
Now I'm learning how
But now I'm seeing firsthand the consequences of my actions.
That this could only go so far
I realize now that my previous path was not sustainable.
And of course it hurts
It is naturally painful to experience the consequences of my actions.
Contributed by Benjamin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.