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.
I Think I'm Going to Hell
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The flames gathered round
Churches and buildings
In ashes on the ground
They think they're goin' to Hell
Out in the hollow,
It drown out the crowd
If she knew what I was about
I think I'm going to Hell
Devils and demons are comin'
Mothers and children beware
Devils and demons are comin'
To take me to Hell
To take me to Hell
To take me to Hell
The lyrics to My Morning Jacket's song "I Think I'm Going to Hell" paint a vivid picture of chaos, destruction, and imminent doom. The first two lines describe a city ravaged by fire, with both religious and secular structures reduced to nothing but ashes on the ground. The repeated refrain, "They think they're goin' to Hell," suggests that the inhabitants of this city are resigned to their fate, whether that be literal damnation or a metaphorical descent into despair.
The second verse shifts to a different location, an empty hollow where only the sound of the singer's voice can be heard over the silence. He confides that he is up to no good, something that would earn him his mother's disapproval if she only knew. The chorus repeats again, but this time with a foreboding warning to mothers and children to beware of the "devils and demons" that are on their way to take the singer to Hell.
The song is open to interpretation, but one possible reading is that the singer is grappling with his own morally complicated actions or desires. The violent imagery of a burning city suggests a world in chaos, while the singer's personal troubles are represented by his reckoning with the idea of Hell and divine punishment. Overall, "I Think I'm Going to Hell" is a haunting and thought-provoking song that leaves much to the listener's imagination.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the city,
In the urban area, where everything is chaotic.
The flames gathered round
The destruction and chaos were imminent.
Churches and buildings
Even holy places were not spared.
In ashes on the ground
Everything is turned into ashes and destroyed.
They think they're goin' to Hell
People are aware of their wrongdoing and the consequences they will face for their sins.
Out in the hollow,
In a place removed from the city chaos.
It drown out the crowd
The noise of the city couldn't be heard here due to the peacefulness.
And I think my other would kill me
I'm doing something that is morally wrong and my significant other would be angry if they found out.
If she knew what I was about
If my partner knew what I was doing, they would not approve of it.
I think I'm going to Hell
I am aware of the moral implications of my actions and feel like I am going to pay for my sins.
Devils and demons are comin'
I feel like I will face punishment from hellish creatures.
Mothers and children beware
The consequences of my wicked actions will affect all those around me, including the innocent.
To take me to Hell
I feel like I am going to be taken to hell for my sins and punished accordingly.
To take me to Hell
I feel like I am going to be taken to hell for my sins and punished accordingly.
To take me to Hell
I feel like I am going to be taken to hell for my sins and punished accordingly.
Lyrics © WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: James Olliges Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D Ringo
on Librarian
Fantastic song...simple song with a huge message