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.
Easy Morning Rebel
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well he has come
Come down from Heaven, all bathed in sun
He'll take to flyin', he'll take to the road
As long as he's movin' to get dey blood!
He'll be the water if you'll be the wine
Sent down from Heaven in this earthly disguise
Well the evening rebel, his heart is stone
Just a temporary home
A dream of movin' moves on thru the night
And he sure looks good when he moves in the light
He'll be the water if you'll be the wine
Sent down from Heaven in this earthly disguise
Black hearted ruler? I only knew
That loving moment I had with you
The song Easy Morning Rebel by My Morning Jacket is a poetic description of two contrasting characters, the Easy Morning Rebel and the Evening Rebel. The Easy Morning Rebel is portrayed as a free spirit who has descended from heaven to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the excitement of the road. He is constantly in motion, driven by his thirst for adventure and discovery. In contrast, the Evening Rebel is depicted as a cold-hearted ruler, who sees his earthly body as a temporary shell that he must shed in pursuit of his true identity.
The lyrics use water and wine as metaphors for the two characters. The Easy Morning Rebel is like water, flowing freely and effortlessly, while the Evening Rebel is like wine, which must be carefully cultivated and refined. The final line of the song, "Black hearted ruler? I only knew That loving moment I had with you," suggests that despite their differences, there is a deep connection between the two characters, and that they have shared a vulnerable and intimate moment.
Overall, the lyrics to Easy Morning Rebel are a meditation on the human experience of movement and transformation. It speaks of the need for freedom and adventure, as well as the inevitability of change and the impermanence of our earthly existence.
Line by Line Meaning
Well the easy mornin' rebel
This person is a free spirit who doesn't conform to societal norms
Well he has come
This person has arrived in the present moment
Come down from Heaven, all bathed in sun
This person is happy and carefree
He'll take to flyin', he'll take to the road
This person is always on the move and loves to travel
As long as he's movin' to get dey blood!
This person needs movement to feel alive and energized
He'll be the water if you'll be the wine
This person is open to being complementary to someone else
Sent down from Heaven in this earthly disguise
This person is here on earth temporarily
Well the evening rebel, his heart is stone
This person may seem tough on the outside, but has a soft heart
This earthly body
The physical body that this person inhabits
Just a temporary home
This person won't be on earth forever
A dream of movin' moves on thru the night
This person's desire for movement and travel persists
And he sure looks good when he moves in the light
This person exudes a sense of joy and happiness when they're active
Black hearted ruler? I only knew
This person has only experienced love and positivity
That loving moment I had with you
This person has experienced a moment of love and connection with another
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Edward Jr Olliges
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D Ringo
on Librarian
Fantastic song...simple song with a huge message