Nastasia has released six albums so far, the first of which, Dogs, was initially released in 2000 in a miniscule edition of 1000 copies on Socialist Records. The album sold out quickly and her subsequent albums, The Blackened Air (2001) and Run to Ruin (2003) were released on indie label Touch and Go Records. The label also re-released Dogs in 2004. All three albums were recorded by Steve Albini, as were later albums released on Fat Cat Records. These include On Leaving in 2006 and You Follow Me (produced in collaboration with Jim White) in 2007. Her sixth and most recent album, Outlaster, was also recorded by Steve Albini and was released in June 2010, preceded by the single Cry, Cry, Baby in May.
Nastasia was a favorite of late BBC disc jockey John Peel and recorded six sessions for his shows. The last one was recorded with the help of Tuvan throat singing group Huun-Huur-Tu. Nastasia also contributed a song to the tribute compilation for Peel named "Bird of Cuzco". Two of Nastasia's songs made Peel's annual Festive Fifty: "Ugly Face" (ranked 4th in 2002) and "You, Her & Me" (13th in 2003).
Discography:
Albums
2000 Dogs (Socialist)
2004 Dogs re-released (Touch and Go)
2001 The Blackened Air (Touch and Go)
2003 Run to Ruin (Touch and Go)
2006 On Leaving (Fat Cat)
2007 You Follow Me [with Jim White] (Fat Cat)
2010 Outlaster (Fat Cat)
Singles
2008 What She Doesn't Know (Fat Cat)
2010 Cry, Cry, Baby (Fat Cat)
Nina's official myspace page can be found at www.myspace.com/ninanastasia.
Jim's Room
Nina Nastasia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I woke up and smelled burning wires
For a month I wasn't me
A thief would wait for me outside
There were nights I would let him in
I always wondered, Francis, where you lived
Standing proudly in the tub
I never saw you in your clothes
In the back of the house in the room right next to mine
The only place she let you smoke
There you spent most of your time
Painting pictures of smoke
Nina Nastasia's song "Jim's Room" opens with the singer reflecting on her past experiences in a house where she used to sleep. She wakes up to detect the scent of burning wires, which could be a metaphor representing the initial feelings of discomfort or danger that she experienced in the house. The next line of the song indicates that she was not herself for a month, possibly alluding to some personal struggle or mental distress she experienced while living there. Moreover, the lyrics describe a thief who would wait for her outside. It could be interpreted to imply that she was being stalked, or that she had befriended someone who might have had ulterior motives.
In the next few lines, Nina Nastasia confesses to having allowed the thief to come inside on some nights. The song doesn't clarify whether the experience was consensual or compelled, but the singer appears to recognize that it was a troubling experience that remained a secret. She closes the first stanza by mentioning Francis and wondering where he lived. It is unclear who Francis is, but the lyrics suggest that he could be a former resident of the same house or an acquaintance from the singer's past.
The next stanza shifts the focus towards Jim's room, a place in the house where someone, probably Jim, spent most of their time painting pictures of smoke. The singer refers to Jim standing proudly in the tub, suggesting that he was comfortable in his own skin despite the struggles that might have existed in the house. Nevertheless, the lyrics indicate that Jim's room was the only place where someone was allowed to smoke cigarettes, which could be an implication that the house had some rules or restrictions.
Line by Line Meaning
In the back of the house in the room I used to sleep
The singer used to sleep in a room located at the back of the house.
I woke up and smelled burning wires
The singer woke up smelling something unpleasant like burning wires.
For a month I wasn't me
The singer feels like she lost herself for a month.
A thief would wait for me outside
Somebody, probably a thief, was waiting for the artist outside the house.
There were nights I would let him in
On some nights, the artist would allow the thief to come inside the house.
No one ever found out
Nobody ever discovered what the singer was doing with the thief.
I always wondered, Francis, where you lived
The singer was curious about where Francis, somebody she knows, lived.
Standing proudly in the tub
Somebody, probably Francis, was standing in the tub, looking proud.
I never saw you in your clothes
The artist never saw Francis wearing any clothes.
In the back of the house in the room right next to mine
There was a room located next to the artist's room at the back of the house.
The only place she let you smoke
That room was the only place where a woman, possibly the homeowner, allowed Francis to smoke.
There you spent most of your time
Francis spent a significant amount of time in that room.
Painting pictures of smoke
While in that room, Francis painted images of smoke.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: NINA NASTASIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind