Quever was brought up in a commune in Humboldt County, California. After both his parents' early deaths, he traveled alone up and down the West Coast before eventually settling in San Francisco. His musical career began when he used the apartment of a vacationing friend to record piano tracks for Cass McCombs' 2002 album, Not the Way. This was the start of a busy few years collaborating with others (like Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, the Skygreen Leopards, and Vetiver) while also starting up Papercuts. The first Papercuts album, Mockingbird, was released in 2004, then Can't Go Back followed in 2007. It was released on the Gnomonsong label, run by Devendra Banhart and Vetiver's Andy Cabic, and in support of that record, Papercuts toured throughout the U.S. with Grizzly Bear.
Up to that point, Papercuts records were mainly solo Quever works recorded at his self-built Pan American home studio, but on 2009's You Can Have What You Want, Alex Scally of Beach House not only contributed bass, keyboards, and percussion, but also assisted with string arrangements and session engineering. The next Papercuts album took the collaborative spirit even further, with Quever using members of his live band (keyboardist David Enos, drummer Graham Hill, and bassist Frankie Koeller) as well as producer Thom Monahan to help record the road-tested songs. It was also the first Papercuts album to be recorded outside Pan American, as parts of it were tracked at the Hangar in Sacramento. It was also the band's Sub Pop debut, and the legendary label released the sprightly, more expansive Fading Parade in 2011.
After this, Quever put the band on the back burner and focused more attention on producing other artists. A few notable albums he worked on at this point were Donovan Quinn's Honky Tonk Medusa, Dean Wareham's Emancipated Hearts, and Eux Autres' Sun Is Sunk. He had also been working on another Papercuts album during this time, recording at Pan American with occasional guests like Graham Hill and a small string section. The resulting Life Among the Savages was released in May of 2014 for new labels Easy Sound in the U.S. and Memphis Industries in the U.K.
After a spot of touring, Quever again put the band on hold and moved behind the scenes to work on albums by the Mantles, Sugar Candy Mountain, Luna, and Beach House. He also moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles, dismantling his home studio in the process. The next Papercuts album was recorded at Palmetto Studios in L.A. with minimal outside help, and found Quever stripping back the usual lush arrangements in favor of a shoegaze-inspired approach. Fittingly, the record, 2018's Parallel Universe Blues, was released by Slumberland Records, home to many great shoegaze and dream pop albums over the years. Quever shifted back behind the scenes after this, working on albums producing by Dean Wareham, Sugar Candy Mountain, and Dark Tea. He resurfaced in 2021 with a five-song EP titled Baxter's Bliss, which was more home-cooked dream pop. On it, he covered songs by Galaxie 500 and Leonard Cohen, alongside three new songs that dealt with the uncertainty of life in COVID times. It was issued by Slumberland in November.
Biography by Kenyon Hopkin
John Brown
Papercuts Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where you gonna go to now
Ooh John Brown
Where you gonna go to now
I see in your eyes
But I can't see your brain
Something don't look right
I know you can see
Faces in the walls
And, oh, you can hear
Those voices in the halls
But oh John Brown
If you go downtown now
Just be sure
It's the will of the lord
There's a man over yonder
He's as mad as the devil
Of what's become
Of this land
They say a man can only fill
Just so much in his head
Until they start to forget
But oh John Brown
Where you goin now
Oh John Brown
Where you goin now
Ahh ahh ahhh
The lyrics to Papercuts's song John Brown are a reflection on the mental state of the titular character. The song uses John Brown as a symbol for someone who is struggling with mental illness, a problem which is often ignored or dismissed in society. The song opens with the repeated questioning of "Ooh John Brown, where you gonna go to now?", which creates a sense of confusion around his whereabouts and state of mind. The next line, "I see in your eyes but I can't see your brain", reveals the internal turmoil that John Brown is facing. It is a struggle that he cannot externalize or easily explain to others. The line "something don't look right, are you going away?" shows that his behavior has become erratic and people are beginning to take notice.
The song then goes on to reveal that John Brown is experiencing hallucinations, "I know you can see faces in the walls, and oh you can hear those voices in the halls". Papercuts uses this as an illustration of the suffering and fear that mental illness can induce. The repeated phrase "oh John Brown" seems to be an expression of the artist's concern and distress over the situation. The song ends with a warning to John Brown, telling him to be sure that his actions are righteous and godly before he ventures out. It's a heavy song that highlights the need for society to pay attention to those struggling with mental illness and to offer them support and understanding.
Line by Line Meaning
Ooh John Brown
Addressing the subject of the song, asking where he is headed
Where you gonna go to now
Repeating the opening line, asking for John Brown's destination
I see in your eyes
Observing John Brown's physical appearance
But I can't see your brain
Cannot discern John Brown's internal state of mind
Something don't look right
Noticing that John Brown's behavior is unusual
Are you going away
Questioning if John Brown intends to leave
I know you can see
Acknowledging John Brown's perception of the world
Faces in the walls
Describing John Brown's hallucinations
And, oh, you can hear
Also acknowledging his auditory hallucinations
Those voices in the halls
Further describing John Brown's hallucinations
But oh John Brown
Addressing John Brown again
If you go downtown now
Warning John Brown about going to the city
Just be sure
Advising John Brown to be cautious
It's the will of the lord
Implying that John Brown should only act under divine guidance
There's a man over yonder
Referring to another individual nearby
He's as mad as the devil
Characterizing the man as being extremely angry
Of what's become
Expressing the man's dissatisfaction with current events
Of this land
Referring to the country or region they are in
They say a man can only fill
Discussing a common adage about human capabilities
Just so much in his head
Indicating that people have limited capacity for knowledge and memory
Until they start to forget
Suggesting that people will eventually forget some information when they are overwhelmed
But oh John Brown
Returning to the subject of the song again
Where you goin now
Asking John Brown once more about his destination
Ahh ahh ahhh
Non-verbal vocalization with no specific meaning
Contributed by Eli L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Aaron Henderson
This turned out to be a favourite of mine from this era...love it.
eduardo ramirez
hermosaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!
Yeldin Eyintun
Jason, make more fucking music already!!!!!