Born Yevgeny Leonidovich Dishel in the former Soviet Union, Jack arrived in America as a three-year-old Russian refugee. A music fanatic from a young age, Jack got his first ramshackle drum set after seeing Tommy Lee spinning in midair above the crowd in Motley Crue's “Wildside” video. That spawned his "suburban metal head" phase which gave way to a lengthy “urban street kid" period which began at the age of 14 upon hearing "Fuck The Police" on a friend's stereo system in Queens.
"All of a sudden my pants were sagging and my hair was buzzed and all I did was listen to hip-hop, play handball and most importantly, write graffiti", says Dishel.
He became so obsessed with it that he spent the next few years running along elevated train tracks painting NYC walls, tunnels and trains. After numerous escapes from the police and hundreds of pieces all over the city, Jack felt satisfied with the form and called it a day. By the end of his teens he had become an underground celebrity and had his work featured in numerous graffiti magazines and videos across the country.
Once in college, Jack got his proper introduction to indie rock and spent hundreds of hours soaking in the music of Elliott Smith, Built To Spill and Blonde Redhead.
He learned to play guitar quickly and began writing and recording onto his new four-track. After graduation, Jack moved to New York City and recorded two albums of his songs under the band name Stipplicon.
Stipplicon played many wildly energetic shows in NYC and gained fans that included many Lower East Side musicians - among them were Adam Green and Kimya Dawson, who asked Jack to play guitar for their band The Moldy Peaches.
The Moldy Peaches dressed in costumes, sang about porn and crack, and recorded one of the most beloved indie records of the decade. Their insane take on folk-punk took them all over the world playing with everyone from The Strokes and Yeah Yeah Yeahs to They Might Be Giants and Tenacious D. "One minute I was playing to my friends at the Sidewalk Cafe and the next I was playing to thousands of people in foreign lands...in a mini-skirt and tiara," he laughs.
In 2002, after tons of costume changes and sold out tours all over Europe and the US, The Moldy Peaches disbanded to pursue their own projects. After they went their separate ways, Jack began working on a batch of new songs that were different that those of his previous bands.
He decided to lay Stipplicon to rest and re-invented himself once more as Only Son. Based out of New York City, Jack released his first album under the Only Son banner, "The Drop To The Top", on Cassette Records. He spent much of 2006 touring America, Europe and the United Kingdom supporting top artists such as Regina Spektor and The Strokes.
Only Son’s latest album, "Searchlight" is an expansive, diverse collection of songs; much like a late Beatles album, each song occupies its own space on the record and fleshes out a different side of his musical sensibilities.
Someone
Only Son Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You were praying on a mountain top
Til nothing felt the same
Hold my shoes, let me walk the coals
Television full of bullet holes
But still I can’t forget my name
you gotta be someone, somewhere, sometime
Let me out, I want to feel the cold
Gotta borrow back what I sold
Don’t really need what I’ve been after
Spent time with a lunatic
he told me that you never get used to it
but if you listen close you hear the laughter
And it’ll take you so much time
To get nothing on your mind
You gotta be someone, somewhere, sometime
You gotta be someone, somewhere, sometime
The lyrics of Only Son's song "Someone" seem to touch on themes of identity, purpose and the search for meaning in life. The opening lines of the song, "I was laying in a parking lot / You were praying on a mountain top / Til nothing felt the same," suggest a feeling of disorientation or lack of direction, which is echoed in the later lines "Don't really need what I've been after" and "And it'll take you so much time / To get nothing on your mind."
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea of needing to be someone, somewhere, sometime - perhaps reflecting a desire to find one's place in the world or to feel some sense of significance or importance. The verses contain a mix of vivid and abstract imagery, from walking on coals to watching a television full of bullet holes, reflecting a certain surreal quality that adds to the song's overall sense of searching and questioning.
The lines "Spent time with a lunatic / he told me that you never get used to it / but if you listen close you hear the laughter" hint at a certain darkness or instability, but also suggest that there may be some kind of joy or lightness to be found in even the most difficult of situations. In this way, the song seems to be grappling with some big questions about the nature of existence and the search for meaning, but ultimately leaves the listener to draw their own conclusions.
Line by Line Meaning
I was laying in a parking lot
I was feeling low and down, like I had hit rock bottom
You were praying on a mountain top
You were seeking something higher and greater than yourself, hoping for a better future
Til nothing felt the same
Your prayers and my struggles changed our perspectives and made us see things in a different light
Hold my shoes, let me walk the coals
Allow me to face the pain and struggles of life, to make me stronger and braver
Television full of bullet holes
The world we live in is filled with violence and hatred, making it hard to find peace and hope
But still I can’t forget my name
Despite the difficulties, I know who I am and what I stand for
You gotta be someone, somewhere, sometime
You have to find your purpose and meaning in life, wherever and whenever it may be
Let me out, I want to feel the cold
I want to break free from the comfort and safety of my life, to experience the harshness and realities of the world
Gotta borrow back what I sold
I need to regain what I lost or gave away in my pursuit of success or happiness
Don’t really need what I’ve been after
What I thought would make me happy or successful is not what I truly need or want in life
Spent time with a lunatic
I spent time with someone who was different or crazy, but they taught me valuable lessons about life
he told me that you never get used to it
He warned me that life's struggles and hardships never get easier or more bearable, no matter how accustomed you may become
but if you listen close you hear the laughter
But amidst the difficulties, there is still hope and joy to be found, if we pay attention
And it’ll take you so much time
It's a long and difficult journey to find oneself and purpose in life
To get nothing on your mind
But once you find inner peace and purpose, your mind becomes clear and at ease
Contributed by Ava N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@asmallsandstorm4686
My God, Timothée is glorious. Such a talent.
@ttsao0423
Glorious is the word that popped into my head too
@mikelkindell7823
I agree very talented.
@kg2002
don't use God's name in vain.
@hwlsgrl
@Krystal Gittens stop just fucking stop
@sofia-qk6pj
@Krystal Gittens Timothee Chalamet IS God
@symrin1548
When he said "I've never met your god and I don't want to" I literally got chills by how genuine it felt
@AC-mp7cx
yall will hype up anyone white tbh
@blossombassey3863
@AC LMFAO
@donmiller6602
@AC 😆 🤣 😂