Born in North London, Jack grew up on a die… Read Full Bio ↴Jack Allsopp - Just Jack
Born in North London, Jack grew up on a diet of dance music including, break dance, electro hip hop and house. A wannabe break dancer at eight, his love of dance music led him to start DJing at the age of fifteen and he soon became submerged in DJ culture and US garage.
After completing a degree in Furniture Design Jack enrolled on a community music production course, which heightened his awareness to the potential of sampling. This inspired Jack to concentrate on perfecting his sound by night and to take on a series of unfulfilling jobs by day.
"I've been a washer upper, a flower arranger, a runner for a TV post production company... I even worked at Gap for while. That made me all the more determined to work at the music. I would get this down time in a studio and be recording all night, and working at Gap all day. It was knackering but it was very inspiring time."
Jack's debut album, 'The Outer Marker' is a collection of songs about modern life, relationships and the pressures of social situations. Originally released by the independent label RG Records, Just Jack's debut album 'The Outer Marker' received fantastic reviews. 'The Independent' described it as "impressive", Q said, "masterful", the 'NME' said "Awesome. Welcome Just Jack, you rule!", and 'The Big Issue' saluted Jack as "The new troubadour of daily life in the UK".
"The Outer Marker" has recently been re-packaged and re-released and now includes extra tracks and the video for 'Snowflakes'. It has been receiving plenty of airplay and remixes from the likes of Aphrodite and a famous Cure bootleg of 'Snowflakes' is now thrusting Just Jack into the limelight.
Recently, Jack and his band played his third ever gig to a great crowd at the Glastonbury Dance Tent and he will be performing at the V Festivals later this summer.
Jack Allsopp on Just Jack:
"I never had heroes and never wanted to be like other musicians", he says. "I have no affiliations to anyone, I'm not part of a gang, I'm not a part of a scene and I don't have a sound that's obviously a part of a scene. I'm Just Jack."
Links to Just Jack official homepages
Just Jack Homepage
Just Jack @ MySpace
Astronaut
Just Jack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Close to the world's end,
Sitting in his y-fronts
Sponging off his girlfriend Ca-arey
She says life's right there babe
Should be getting on with it
[?] better tell her that you've all but squandered it
It's silly
And his relatives all think that it's a shame (a shame)
And they'd say that it was a mystery if his Dad wasn't exactly the same
The same
He's been a space cadet for years
Says one day he'll be an astronaut
Floating in the hemisphere
And looking down on Hampton Court
But he's always late
And knows one day he'll graduate
Then he'll be floating in the ozone
High above the empire
High above the empire
State state state
He's living in a
State state state
He's in a proper
State state state
They've got him in a
State state state
Sofa surfer, likes a little gamble
A few dodgy debts that he says he can handle
Maybe
Never not [?]
Stays in most nights
Jostling to pixelated princesses on websites
Frantically
And his family all say that it's a waste (a waste)
And they wash their mouths out with self-righteousness
To hide the bitter taste
The taste
He's been a space cadet for years
Says one day he'll be an astronaut
Floating in the hemisphere
And looking down on Hampton Court
But he's always late
And knows one day he'll graduate
Then he'll be floating in the ozone
High above the empire
High above the empire
Carey's love is cold and congealed
Like last night's take-away
And she feels
She might have to do some kind
Of midnight flit
All there is to say has been said
And as the sky's turning pink
She leaves her keys by the sink
And takes one last look at our hero's face
He's been a space cadet for years
Says one day he'll be an astronaut
Floating in the hemisphere
And looking down on Hampton Court
But he's always late
And knows one day he'll graduate
Then he'll be floating in the ozone
High above the empire
High above the empire
High above the empire state
Oh oh la la la la [x3]
Now life goes on
It will be played out
But something's s'posed to happen man before the fade out
[x3]
Before the fade out [x5 ]
The song "Astronaut" by Just Jack tells the story of a man who is living in a bedsit, sponging off his girlfriend, and dreaming of becoming an astronaut. He spends his days in his y-fronts, surfing the internet, and gambling. Despite the disapproval of his family and girlfriend, he remains devoted to his dream of becoming an astronaut and floating in the hemisphere. However, he is always late and knows that he needs to move on and graduate first. In the end, his girlfriend leaves him, and he is left to face the reality that life goes on, but something is supposed to happen before the fade-out.
The lyrics are a commentary on the struggle of modern life, the unfulfilled dreams, and the difficulty of finding a purpose in a world where everything seems predetermined. The singer is a symbol of the modern urban youth who is disillusioned and alienated from society. He is searching for meaning in life and trying to find his place in the world but is constantly thwarted by his own indecisiveness and lack of motivation. The song encourages listeners to take charge of their lives and make the most of their opportunities before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in a bedsit
Living in a small, shabby apartment
Close to the world's end
Living in a location that feels isolated from the rest of the world
Sitting in his y-fronts
Sitting around in his underwear
Sponging off his girlfriend Ca-arey
Living off of his girlfriend, Carey's, money and hospitality
She says life's right there babe
Carey encourages him to make something of himself
Should be getting on with it
Should be making the most of the opportunities presented to him
[?] better tell her that you've all but squandered it
He should admit to Carey that he has wasted opportunities and not taken advantage
It's silly
He realizes how foolish he has been
And his relatives all think that it's a shame (a shame)
His family thinks his behavior is unacceptable and a disgrace
And they'd say that it was a mystery if his Dad wasn't exactly the same
His dad has the same bad habits and behavior, so it's not surprising he turned out like this
He's been a space cadet for years
He has been lazy and unrealistic for a long time
Says one day he'll be an astronaut
He wants to succeed and make something of himself, but his goals are unrealistic
Floating in the hemisphere
Imagining himself floating in space
And looking down on Hampton Court
Having a unique perspective on the world
But he's always late
He doesn't follow through with his plans or take action
And knows one day he'll graduate
He hopes to succeed eventually
Then he'll be floating in the ozone
He has high aspirations for his future
High above the empire
He wants to be above the rest of the world
State state state
His life is in a bad state
They've got him in a
He is stuck in a negative situation
Sofa surfer, likes a little gamble
He likes to bet and take risks, but doesn't have a stable living situation
A few dodgy debts that he says he can handle
He has financial issues that he thinks he can fix
Never not [?]
Unclear meaning, possibly he is never not doing something
Stays in most nights
He spends most of his evenings inside
Jostling to pixelated princesses on websites
Engaging with online distractions such as games or social media
Frantically
He is doing so with urgency and desperation
And his family all say that it's a waste (a waste)
His family thinks he is wasting his life and potential
And they wash their mouths out with self-righteousness
They talk negatively about him in a superior or preachy way
To hide the bitter taste
They speak badly about him to cover up their own disappointment and hurt
Carey's love is cold and congealed
Carey no longer cares for him and their relationship is in a bad place
Like last night's take-away
Her feelings are stale and unpalatable
And she feels
She is realizing the depth of her negative feelings
She might have to do some kind
Carey considers leaving the relationship with him
Of midnight flit
Leaving in the night secretly
All there is to say has been said
They have exhausted their communication and there is no more to say
And as the sky's turning pink
The day is beginning and the sun is rising
She leaves her keys by the sink
Carey is leaving the apartment and leaving him behind
And takes one last look at our hero's face
She looks at him one last time before leaving him
Now life goes on
Life continues despite his struggles
It will be played out
His future is not set in stone, it will unfold as it will
But something's s'posed to happen man before the fade out
Implying that something significant is meant to happen before it's too late to make a change
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JACK CHRISTOPHER ALLSOPP, PAUL SAYER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind