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.
Smokin From Shootin
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You never wanted to be treated like a woman
You maintained you was just a kid
Well at least you were of age my dear, these days kids they grow so fast
You never wanted to be committed to the present
You too busy be livin' in the past
Who then was your savior? Who then was your friend?
What is life in god? A perfect vision of the self?
I always thought we was a dealing with one thing
Now we are dealing with something else
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Who makes my decisions? Who reads all your thoughts?
What makes us how we are?
Faith can't prove what science won't resolve
Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore
The river's long, it is cold
It chills the body but not the soul
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Distance-coming or going? C'mon
What are you waiting for?
Distance-growing or closing in on?
Anyway?
The lyrics to "Smokin From Shootin" by My Morning Jacket tackles the theme of dissatisfaction and confusion with life. It begins with the singer questioning whether the person listening has had enough excitement in their life or not. The person never wanted to be treated as a woman and believed that they were only kids. However, the singer assures them that they were of age and not kids anymore. The person seems to be living in the past and not committing to the present.
The song then shifts to deeper existential questions. The singer wonders who the person's savior and friend are and who is committed to the present. They begin to question if God and faith can explain everything or if science is necessary. The line "Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore" is a reference to an African-American spiritual song that has been used as a peace and anti-war anthem. The river mentioned in the next line is symbolic of life, it is long, and it is cold, but it cannot chill the soul.
The chorus repeats the line "Do you see my smoking guns?" This line can be interpreted in multiple ways. Smoking guns can be interpreted as a metaphor for being on the run or running from something. The other interpretation is that the smoking guns are a symbol of outside forces that hurt us. "Smoking from shootin' at nothing dear" means that we are not fighting for anything real or something that is not important. We are giving up love and asking for nothing as we run from something that isn't even there.
Overall, this song tackles many of the issues that the modern youth struggles with. It talks about living in the past, not committing to the present, and running from something that does not exist. The song invokes a sense of despair, but in the end, it reassures that the soul cannot be chilled by the cold river of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you had enough excitement now? More than you ever did?
Do you feel like you've experienced a lot and maybe too much?
You never wanted to be treated like a woman
You didn't want to be put in a stereotypical gender role
You maintained you was just a kid
You tried to avoid adult responsibilities
Well at least you were of age my dear, these days kids they grow so fast
But at least you were legally responsible, although children seem to mature faster nowadays
You never wanted to be committed to the present
You did not want to be held accountable for current events
You too busy be livin' in the past
You were focused on reliving or romanticizing past experiences
Who then was your savior? Who then was your friend?
Who was there for you when you needed it most?
Who is now committed to the present? Is it someone that exists?
Is there anyone around you that is fully present in the moment and committed to making changes?
What is life in god? A perfect vision of the self?
What does the concept of life in a higher power entail, and is it a reflection of who we are?
I always thought we was a dealing with one thing
I thought we had one issue to face
Now we are dealing with something else
But it seems that we may be dealing with something new or different
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Are you aware of the harm and destruction you're causing, while not seeing the good things in life, actively avoiding things that lead to happiness or growth, and running away from things that don't exist?
Who makes my decisions? Who reads all your thoughts?
Who has control over what happens and knows what's going on in your head?
What makes us how we are?
What defines our characteristics and behavior?
Faith can't prove what science won't resolve
Religious beliefs and traditions are not able to provide explanations for things that cannot be solved by science
Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore
The river's long, it is cold
It chills the body but not the soul
A reference to a hymn that connotes spiritual reflection, it portrays the struggles one might face in life and how they don't necessarily have to affect one's inner self, especially if one turns to God or spirituality for guidance and support.
Distance-coming or going? C'mon
What are you waiting for?
Are you moving closer or further away? What's holding you back or preventing you from doing what you need to do?
Distance-growing or closing in on?
Anyway?
Regardless of what's happening or what you think is happening, is there any reason to be concerned?
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: James Edward Olliges Jr.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Martin Pena
Have you had enough excitement now? More than you ever did?
You never wanted to be treated like a woman
You maintained you was just a kid
Well at least you were of age my dear, these days kids they grow so fast
You never wanted to be committed to the present
You too busy be livin' in the past
Who then was your savior? Who then was your friend?
Who is now committed to the present? Is it someone that exists?
What is life in god? A perfect vision of the self?
I always thought we was a dealing with one thing
Now we are dealing with something else
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Who makes my decisions? Who reads all your thoughts?
What makes us how we are?
Faith can't prove what science won't resolve
Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore
The river's long, it is cold
It chills the body but not the soul
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Distance-coming or going? C'mon
What are you waiting for?
Distance-growing or closing in on?
Anyway?
mazium
I kick myself every day for not having discovered this band sooner than I did. Brilliant music all the way through every single record.
Joseph
That's exactly what I say about their music: No music has actually moved me like it does in 20+ years.
TheEndTrend
These guys are like Pink Floyd meets Allman Brothers. Phenomenal band!!
Daniel Kysh
"faith can't prove what science won't resolve" Another amazing MMJ song.
Chasta Tucker
Best of all times. No one will ever be better.
Nick Mullen
this track is for the real my morning jacket fans
Ryan Dorn
saw them in Orlando years ago. What a great live band.
Martin Pena
Have you had enough excitement now? More than you ever did?
You never wanted to be treated like a woman
You maintained you was just a kid
Well at least you were of age my dear, these days kids they grow so fast
You never wanted to be committed to the present
You too busy be livin' in the past
Who then was your savior? Who then was your friend?
Who is now committed to the present? Is it someone that exists?
What is life in god? A perfect vision of the self?
I always thought we was a dealing with one thing
Now we are dealing with something else
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Who makes my decisions? Who reads all your thoughts?
What makes us how we are?
Faith can't prove what science won't resolve
Kumbaya my lord, c'mon row your boat ashore
The river's long, it is cold
It chills the body but not the soul
Do you see my smokin' guns?
They're smokin' from shootin', smokin' from shootin'
Smokin' from shooting at nothing dear
Do you live your life on the run?
Losing out on lovin'
Asking for nothing
Running from something that isn't there
Distance-coming or going? C'mon
What are you waiting for?
Distance-growing or closing in on?
Anyway?
Brian Harl
the part that starts at 4:11 kills me...beautiful.
adam7190
I smiled as a tear slid down my cheek.