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.
They Ran
My Morning Jacket Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And where it go'd is higher
I was another boy,
Down in another town
Armed with casino bars,
Tight whores and tinseltown
But I stayed
Ooooooh
She had a cigarette
And asked if I had a light
Out it came,
And I gave it to her,
And off into the night...
His arms were thin,
And off into the night, they ran.
Ooooo they ran...
Ooooo they ran.
The lyrics to "They Ran" by My Morning Jacket tell a story about a young man who is reminiscing about a bygone era in his life. The song seems to be about youthful rebellion, and the sense of both excitement and danger that can come with it. The singer mentions "casino bars, tight whores, and tinseltown," which suggests a life of hedonism and excess. However, despite the temptations around him, the singer chooses to stay in this world, suggesting some sense of loyalty or dedication.
The second half of the song takes a different turn, with the introduction of a female character. The singer encounters this woman, who asks for a light for her cigarette. He obliges, and the two of them go off into the night together. However, there is a sense of foreboding in the final lines of the song, with the mention of "thin arms" and the repeated refrain of "they ran." This suggests that the singer's youthful adventures may not have had entirely happy endings, and that there may have been consequences for his actions.
Overall, the lyrics to "They Ran" are evocative and atmospheric, painting a vivid picture of a time and place that is both alluring and dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Somebody stole my lighter
Someone took my lighter without permission
And where it go'd is higher
I don't know where it went, probably somewhere high up
I was another boy,
I was young and naive
Down in another town
In a different place than where I am now
Armed with casino bars,
I had access to casinos and bars
Tight whores and tinseltown
I was surrounded by frivolous entertainment and promiscuous women
But I stayed
Despite the distractions around me, I remained in that place
She had a cigarette
A woman I encountered had a cigarette
And asked if I had a light
She requested a flame to light her cigarette
Out it came,
I produced a lighter
And I gave it to her,
I handed her the lighter
And off into the night...
She left and disappeared into the darkness
His arms were thin,
The singer observed the thinness of a person's arms
And off into the night, they ran.
That person and someone else ran away into the darkness
Ooooo they ran...
The singer vocalizes the sound of their running
Ooooo they ran.
The artist repeats the vocalization
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: JIM JAMES
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
D Ringo
on Librarian
Fantastic song...simple song with a huge message