Junaco is the foundation of Shahana Jaffer and Joey LaRosa. Born in the uni… Read Full Bio ↴Junaco is the foundation of Shahana Jaffer and Joey LaRosa. Born in the unincorporated mountain town on the outskirts coastal Northern California, the duo found an escape from musical conventions. Fleeing the rituals of rushing through songs, away from the nonsense of worrying, a budding partnership was found based equally on half-parts progression and melody. Mellow bursts of epiphany and pleas of gentle seduction give way to driving grooves in Junaco’s music, leaving the immediate fan with a delicate, instantly familiar and completely unassailable batch of songs.

Jaffer, a natural talent whose limbs were too long to dance, met a counterpart in LaRosa, a guitarist and percussionist’s dream who from a young age had been told that “musician” wasn’t an achievable career. Though conventionally unlikely on the global scale that a Pakistani songstress would find her way into the creative adventures of a drummer from Indianapolis, they found in their partnership a desire to make music for music’s sake; to write honest songs that meant something true enough for themselves, that someone else might be able to take it and make it true for them, as well.

The AWRY EP, helmed by Omar Yakar (War on Drugs, Perfume Genius) from Boulevard Recording, whose engineering and production prowess brought this young and refreshing outfit’s mountainous incubations to life. The duo initially set out with the intention of nothing but creation and expression and resulted in a stunning collection of tracks detailing the emotions of freedom. Jaffer reveals, “The underlying theme is about coming to terms with experiences and hardships we have faced and finally putting them out there. It’s very healing.”

Junaco hope to create music that will leave listeners feeling a sense of connection and closeness to. With the aim to remind others of our innate human emotions, Junaco’s debut EP, “Awry,” highlights just how similar we are at our cores.

Weight of the World
Junaco Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd like to go back
In time
And find the way we
Lived life
I know we're lucky to be here

This time i'm running from
Radio, TV

I don't believe in who's
Behind those things

Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?
Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?

My mind is money
So i can't let it wander

These angles are changing
Arranged in a way i can't define

These days have come and
Gone away
Too late to stay in your
Old ways
But we're still lucky to be here

This time i'm running from
Radio, TV
I don't believe in who's
Behind those things

Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?
Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?

Slow down,
I can't help but
Look around

Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?
Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Junaco's song Weight of the World express a longing for a simpler time and a rejection of modern technology and media. The singer wishes to go back in time and experience life as it used to be lived, acknowledging that they are lucky to be alive in the present but still feeling a sense of dissatisfaction. They express their distrust of radio and television and the people behind them, longing to escape from the constant bombardment of information they bring.

The chorus asks the question "Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?" This can be interpreted in a few different ways. It could refer to the creators and controllers of mass media, who hold a great deal of power and influence over the information that is disseminated to the masses. Alternatively, it could refer to the individual's own relationship with technology and media, and the way in which these things can feel like a heavy burden that we carry around with us.

The final verse brings the song to a more reflective conclusion. The singer acknowledges that time has passed them by and that they can't go back to the way things were. However, they also recognize that they are still lucky to be alive, and encourage themselves and others to slow down and appreciate the world around them. The repetition of the chorus at the end adds weight to the question of who is responsible for the weight of the world we carry around with us every day.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd like to go back
I wish to travel back in time

In time
In the past

And find the way we
And discover how we

Lived life
Used to live our lives

I know we're lucky to be here
I am aware of how fortunate we are to exist

This time i'm running from
Currently avoiding

Radio, TV
Media sources

I don't believe in who's
I don't have faith in those

Behind those things
Controlling those outlets

Who put the weight of the world in the palm of your hand?
Who gave you the power to control everything?

My mind is money
My thoughts are consumed with financial gain