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.
It Beats 4 U
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The heart that beats the wavelength
And who could say but never do
Things they've said to someone who
Thru all that's been and all will be
So in line so thoughtfully
In tune with you, so in time for me
New thoughts arrive, so in time for me
Who can stop the smoke from breathin' in my head?
Words will come and words will go
Make believe and overthrow
Just believe and you can do
You know my heart it beats for you
It beats for you, so in time we beat
Your heart aligns, so in time with me
The opening lines of "It Beats 4 U" by My Morning Jacket suggest a sense of wonder and disbelief towards the power of the human heart. The lyric "Who could see and not believe? The heart that beats the wavelength" implies that the heart has its own rhythm and life force that is beyond human comprehension. The following line "And who could say but never do Things they've said to someone who" perhaps speaks to the idea that although we may have good intentions in saying something to someone, following through with those words may be difficult.
The repetition of the phrase "so in time" throughout the song points towards a sense of synchronization and alignment. The lines "In tune with you, so in time for me, New thoughts arrive, so in time for me" suggests a harmonious relationship between two individuals. This might indicate the idea of being present with someone and experiencing life together. The refrain "Your heart aligns, so in time with me" reinforces this idea of two people being in sync and enjoying life together.
The song contains themes of personal responsibility, belief, and optimism. Lines such as "Words will come and words will go, Make believe and overthrow, Just believe and you can do, You know my heart it beats for you" suggest that the power of positive thinking and belief in oneself, combined with a strong connection with another person can create momentum and purpose in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Who could see and not believe?
Who could witness something so incredible and not believe it to be true?
The heart that beats the wavelength
The heart that is perfectly in sync with its environment.
And who could say but never do
And who could claim to do something but never follow through?
Things they've said to someone who
Things that they've promised to someone who...
Thru all that's been and all will be
Throughout all of history and all of the future...
So in line so thoughtfully
So perfectly in sync and thoughtfully aligned...
In tune with you, so in time for me
Perfectly aligned with you, so perfectly aligned with me.
New thoughts arrive, so in time for me
New thoughts come to me at just the right time.
Who can count the time im beatin' with my hands?
Who can measure the rhythm that I'm creating with my hands?
Who can stop the smoke from breathin' in my head?
Who can prevent my thoughts from swirling around inside my head?
Words will come and words will go
Words will be spoken and then fade away into nothingness.
Make believe and overthrow
Creating illusions and then tearing them down.
Just believe and you can do
If you just believe, you can accomplish anything.
You know my heart it beats for you
You know that my heart beats only for you.
It beats for you, so in time we beat
My heart beats for you, and so we beat in perfect sync.
Your heart aligns, so in time with me
Your heart is perfectly in sync with mine.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Olliges Jr
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@chrissullenger2726
First time I ever heard MMJ was actually live and they played right before Pearl Jam at Lollapalooza maybe 09...these fkn guys melted my face off with their Okonokos song list. It’s always magical seeing a band live for the first time ever hearing of them, and such a bonus when they are this damn killer. This song is definitely a favorite, but really everything these guys do is fantastic. Happy to see all the stoke for these guys. 🤙
@billyharmon8940
Chris, it was@ Bonnaroo 2008. Excellent show!
@edvluver
I had never heard of them. Seen them open up for Pearl Jam on their tour. Blown away ! Became an instant fan.
@shawnieBaby
They are serious face melters. 😇🙏
@Marzano15
Haven't listened to this in probably 13 years. Forgot it existed. One of the best feelings is rediscovering a great song.
@RedHead_88
Yep
@WassabiJuicey
My morning jacket is absolutely beautiful
@alysagabriellagordon8655
My boyfriend sent this song to me when we first started dating so I listen to it a lot. :) ❤ love this band
@einafetsyves
Mine to.. 💚💚💚💚
@shadowofthenight2146
Mine 3