The band's moniker comes from a discarded coat James saw while walking through the remains of his favorite bar the morning after it burned down. The coat had the letters "MMJ" embroided on it. The band has released seven albums so far: "The Tennessee Fire" (1999), "At Dawn" (2001), "It Still Moves" (2003), "Z" (2005), "Evil Urges" (2008), "Circuital" (2011) & "The Waterfall" (2015). The band's breakthrough came when their 2003 single "One Big Holiday" became one of the most played songs on college radio that year. 2008's "I'm Amazed" was also a sizable hit, peaking at #6 on Billboard's Triple A (adult album alternative) Singles chart.
The Circuital songfacts reports that "Circuital" was recorded inside a church’s converted gymnasium in the band's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. Said frontman Jim James: “I hate the phrase ‘going back to our roots’, but for this record we came home and made it in Kentucky. And it just felt a lot like it did when we were first starting out.”
James co-produced the record with Tucker Martine. The pair first worked together when James appeared on Laura Veirs ' album "July Flame" in 2010, which Martine, Veirs’ husband, also produced.
My Morning Jacket guest stared in the American Dad Episode "My Morning Straitjacket" where Stan Smith becomes obsessed with them and decides to become a groupie. The edisode was first aired November 22 2009.
Don Dante
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Like a kid alive and talking
That was you
In the classroom you were teachin'
On the streets you were policing
That was you
I will tell them of your ghost
Like a thing that never, ever was
And all that ever mattered
Will some day turn back to batter
Like a joke
Behind thin walls you hid your feelings
Takes four legs to make a ceilin' like a thing
In a dream I saw you walkin'
With your friends alive and talking
That was you
Well I saw it in your movement
And even though you never knew it
Well, I knew just how sweet it could be
If you'd never left these streets
You had me worried
So worried
That this would last
But now I'm learning
Learning that this will pass...
The lyrics to My Morning Jacket's song Don Dante are poetic and poignant, evocative of a dream world where the dead walk among the living. The dreamer sees the person they're singing about alive and happy, teaching in a classroom and policing the streets. However, this person is now gone and the singer is figuring out how to process their grief. They talk of the person's ghost and how it feels like they never really existed, as if they were a figment of the dreamer's imagination. The dreamer admits that even in life the person hid their feelings behind "thin walls" and felt trapped like "a thing".
The singer's message to someone they know now is to appreciate what they have while they have it, as all that matters now will one day be gone, like a joke. The final verse speaks of the dreamer's worry and fear that their grief will never end, but they are learning to heal and move on. The lyrics are introspective and vulnerable, speaking of the pain of loss and the difficulty of accepting death.
Line by Line Meaning
In a dream I saw you walkin'
The singer saw a vision of the person they are addressing in a dream
Like a kid alive and talking
In the singer's dream, the person appeared youthful and animated
That was you
The person in the dream is identified as the same person being addressed
In the classroom you were teachin'
The person was seen in the dream as a teacher in a classroom setting
On the streets you were policing
In the dream, the person was also seen working as a police officer on the streets
That was you
These roles were also identified as being part of the person's identity
To the one I now know most
The singer has come to know the person very well
I will tell them of your ghost
The artist will share stories of the person who is now deceased
Like a thing that never, ever was
The person's presence is now felt as though they never existed
And all that ever mattered
The things that were important to the person are still recognized
Will some day turn back to batter
Those important things will eventually deteriorate or lose their meaning over time
Like a joke
Those important things may even become a source of amusement or ridicule
Behind thin walls you hid your feelings
The person was not always open with their emotions
Takes four legs to make a ceilin' like a thing
The singer uses a seemingly unrelated phrase to describe how things are not always what they appear to be
With your friends alive and talking
In the dream, the person was also seen socializing with friends
Well I saw it in your movement
The artist noticed something in the person's actions
And even though you never knew it
The person was not aware of the effect they had on the artist
Well, I knew just how sweet it could be
The singer recognized the positive qualities of the person
If you'd never left these streets
The person's departure had a negative impact on the singer
You had me worried
The person's actions or circumstances caused concern for the artist
So worried
The artist was greatly distressed by the situation
That this would last
The artist was afraid the negative situation would continue indefinitely
But now I'm learning
The singer is gaining some insight or understanding into the situation
Learning that this will pass...
The artist is realizing that the difficult situation will eventually come to an end
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JIM JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@iiT0RAN
In a dream I saw you walkin'
Like a kid alive and talking
That was you
In the classroom you were teachin'
On the streets you were policing
That was you
To the one I now know most
I will tell them of your ghost
Like a thing that never, ever was
And all that ever mattered
Will some day turn back to batter
Like a joke
Behind thin walls you hid your feelings
Takes four legs to make a ceilin' like a thing
In a dream I saw you walkin'
With your friends alive and talking
That was you
Well I saw it in your movement
And even though you never knew it
Well, I knew just how sweet it could be
If you'd never left these streets
You had me worried
So worried
That this would last
But now I'm learning
Learning that this will pass...
@denizaliozertural9397
thats the highest level of alternative rock
@dankohollando7007
You haven't had a full life until you listen to this 50 times
@nenashawnautumn5494
maybe 100
@bandoboyz1034
On god
@bandoboyz1034
:5:20 on repeat
@ahmadodeh6087
Amateur
@kimmybishcake7235
This is one of my favorite songs
@jkbuc
This song keeps me alive. As much as I find myself tired and worn I would hate myself if I left anyone with this much grief.
@farshadalizadeh9220
Its 2024 and nothing topped this one for me yet!!
@awningcleaningindustries1799
say it again!!!!!!