My Morning Jacket is a rock band which formed in 1998 in Louisville, Kentuc… Read Full Bio ↴My Morning Jacket is a rock band which formed in 1998 in Louisville, Kentucky, United States. The band consists of Jim James (vocals, guitar), Carl Broemel (guitar), "Two Tone" Tommy Blankenship (bass), Bo Koster (keyboards) and Patrick Hallahan (drums). The band is best known for their reverb-soaked sound and their enthusiastic live shows. My Morning Jacket is signed with ATO Records. The band's style is a blend of alternative, alt country, folk rock and psychedelic rock.

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.

If It Smashes Down
My Morning Jacket Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Who's going to care
If it smashes down
Or flips you up in the air
It's just really fast
Risky ride at a fair
On these lovely trips
The conductor likes
Your soft brown eyes on his hair

No need to shut 'er down
Go 'round and 'round

In the air
In the air

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of My Morning Jacket's song "If It Smashes Down" talk about the unpredictability and precariousness of life. The song speaks about taking risks and enjoying the ride, even if it might lead to a downfall. The opening line, "who's going to care if it smashes down," conveys a sense of nonchalance towards the consequence of our actions. It highlights the idea that sometimes we are so focused on living in the moment that we forget how fragile life is.

The following lines, "or flips you up in the air, it's just really fast, risky ride at a fair," compares life to a rollercoaster ride that is thrilling but also dangerous. The lyrics suggest that we have to take risks and embrace the unpredictability of life because, like a ride at a fair, life is meant to be enjoyed.

The lines, "on these lovely trips, the conductor likes your soft brown eyes on his hair," talk about the idea of attraction and the connection between two people experiencing an exciting moment. It adds a romantic touch to the song and highlights how the little things bring joy to life. Overall, the lyrics of "If It Smashes Down" encourage us to live in the moment, embrace the uncertainty of life and enjoy the ride.

Line by Line Meaning

Who's going to care
Nobody will be concerned

If it smashes down
If it crashes

Or flips you up in the air
Or if you get airborne

It's just really fast
It’s a very speedy ride

Risky ride at a fair
It's a dangerous amusement park attraction

On these lovely trips
During this enjoyable experience

The conductor likes
The operator enjoys

Your soft brown eyes on his hair
Looking at you

No need to shut 'er down
There's no need to stop it

Go round and round
Keep rotating

In the air
Up in the sky