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.
Strangulation!
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When your hands close tight around my neck
And force the air that I breathe
I don't wanna feel a thing
I don't wanna feel a thing
Yes, she was a young girl, 'bout the age of 23
So she flew out on a breeze
Said, I don't wanna feel a thing
I don't wanna feel a thing
I'm sure he was a good kid
But his phone it'd never ring
He got tired of walkin' a tightrope
Needin' too much to drink, so he got on a knee
I don't wanna feel a thing
I know there's someone that loves up above
Wants to fix you a dream
Wanna sit down and think
Wanna pour you a drink
You won't feel a thing, you won't feel a thing
You won't feel a thing
The lyrics to My Morning Jacket's song "Strangulation" convey a sense of desperation and a desire for escape from pain. The title itself suggests the idea of suffocating or being choked, which is further emphasized by the repetition of the line "I don't wanna feel a thing." There is a sense that the singer has been pushed to the brink and is willing to use extreme measures to escape their emotional pain. The lines about the young girl and the boy who never received a phone call serve to highlight the universality of this feeling of desperation - it can happen to anyone, regardless of age, gender or background.
Overall, the song seems to be about the desire to escape from emotional pain and numbness. The repeated refrain of "I don't wanna feel a thing" suggests a kind of resignation and exhaustion. The final lines, "You won't feel a thing, you won't feel a thing," seem to offer a sense of release - perhaps the only way to escape the pain is by giving up altogether.
Line by Line Meaning
Strangulation, I don't wanna feel a thing
The singer wants to avoid feeling the pain of being strangled.
When your hands close tight around my neck
The singer is referring to a specific situation where someone's hands grip tightly around their neck.
And force the air that I breathe
Being strangled cuts off the singer's air supply.
Yes, she was a young girl, 'bout the age of 23
The artist is introducing a character in the story, a young 23-year-old girl.
But somehow the Lord never smiled down upon her
The artist is suggesting that this girl had a difficult life.
So she flew out on a breeze
The girl left her life behind in some way or another.
Said, I don't wanna feel a thing
The girl does not want to feel any emotional or physical pain.
I'm sure he was a good kid
The artist is introducing another character, a boy, who was likely a good person.
But his phone it'd never ring
The boy was lonely and did not receive many phone calls.
He got tired of walkin' a tightrope
The boy was likely struggling with something in his life, and eventually could not handle it anymore.
Needin' too much to drink, so he got on a knee
The boy turned to alcohol to cope with his problems.
I don't wanna feel a thing
The artist is repeating their desire not to feel pain.
I know there's someone that loves up above
The singer believes that there is a higher power that cares for people.
Wants to fix you a dream
This higher power wants to provide comfort or happiness to people.
Wanna sit down and think
The singer is suggesting that they want to take time to reflect on their life or situation.
Wanna pour you a drink
The artist wants to offer a drink to someone, possibly to help them feel better in some way.
You won't feel a thing, you won't feel a thing
The repeated line from the beginning reinforces the artist's desire to avoid pain.
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JIM JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Erik Schnese
These soundboard audio vids of the boys are just too good. Hidden gems of youtube
james jeffers
The greatest band on the planet. Bar none
John Miller
Also was a great candy bar. Bar none
Tim Walsh
Not even close
Dan Schneier
One of the most underrated songs -- by far -- in MMJ's ocean-deep discography
Jonse Gabriel
this was crazy heavy.
Beau Spencer
The riff is so reminiscent of Eagles "Take It To The Limit"...perhaps homage.
Stew Coe
No, this is much more profound. Eagles equals boredom
Frodo Baggins
Good stuff!
ali romdhane
Frodo Baggins