Beeson originally formed a band called Johnson in 2001 with his friend Berckelman, before creating the indie band label Motherlovin' Records in 2004. Subsequent bands included Malcolm X & the Black Auditorium and Berkfinger and The Sweats, the latter combining to form Philadelphia Grand Jury in early 2008. Dan Williams (aka Dan W. Sweat) was the band's original drummer before departing from the group in September 2009 to focus on performing with Art vs. Science. He rejoined the band in 2013 as a part of the band's reunion.
In May 2009, the band signed a joint venture deal with Boomtown Records to release their records, on their own label, Normal People Making Hits, with distribution through Shock Records.
In June 2009, the band released "Going to the Casino (Tomorrow Night)" as a 7" vinyl EP. The EP was self-recorded, produced and released. "Going to the Casino" received significant airplay on Triple J and featured on the television mini-series Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities, also appearing on the soundtrack album. The band's debut album, Hope Is for Hopers, was released on 25 September 2009, reaching #34 on the ARIA Albums Chart.
At the fourth annual AIR Awards, held on 22 November 2009, Philadelphia Grand Jury won an award for 'Best Independent Single or EP'. The video for "The Good News" was filmed in North Sydney and at Parsley Bay, Rowe Street-Bondi Junction & Lighthouse Reserve-Vaucluse.
In October 2010, the band announced that they had Welch had left the band, as the 'rigours of the road have proved too arduous for the 55-year-old drummer'. Welch's replacement was Berlin-based, Brisbane-born Susanna "Susie Dreamboat" Patten (formerly of I Heart Hiroshima), who performed with the band on their tour of the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia. Patten finished touring with the band in January 2011.
In March 2011, news surfaced that the band had abandoned work on the follow up to Hope is for Hopers. When FasterLouder sought a follow-up, they were met with the following statement in regards to the band's current status.
Philadelphia Grand Jury are on something of a hiatus. No need to make it a bigger deal than it is. Creative individuals tend to have more than one project and Philadelphia Grand Jury is just one of Berkfinger’s musical personas. Berkfinger is currently focusing on other projects, including moving his recording gear to Berlin to finish the recordings that he has been working on in the various incarnations of studios that he has built over the years.
On 2 November 2011 the band posted on their Facebook page that the band had broken up.
Beeson moved onto production and remix work under the moniker of Boyhood, while Berckelman relocated to Berlin and began working on a solo project entitled Feelings. In 2013, Berckelman assembled Beeson and Williams to join him on tour in Australia under the Feelings moniker. The three playing together for the first time in nearly four years immediately sparked rumours of a reunion, which were confirmed with a midnight performance by the band at the 2013 BIGSOUND Festival in Brisbane.
I'm Going To Kill You.
Philadelphia Grand Jury Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Out of sight, I gotta hold my head and
Say my prayers and hope to get my feelings right
Tonight's the night
I don't feel sorry
Feel detached girl
If you took me back, you know I would
Hey there's a catch
I'm gonna kill you
I'm gonna kill you dead
Ha! I'm gonna kill you dead
I had a strategy, made a move
Oh but you screamed so loud I don't know how
You think that someone's saving you
There ain't no use
I had a weapon, it's a knife
And now I am standing right above you
I'll still love you on the other side
My future wife
I'm gonna kill you
I'm gonna kill you dead
Ha! I'm gonna kill you dead
Wooo oooh ooooh ooooooh oooh ooooh
I'm gonna kill you
I'm gonna kill you (I'm gonna kill you dead)
I'm gonna kill you dead (I'm gonna kill you dead)
Ha! (I'm gonna kill you dead) I'm gonna kill you dead
(I'm gonna kill you)
I'm gonna kill you dead, tonight [x4]
The song "I'm Going to Kill You" by Philadelphia Grand Jury has extremely disturbing and violent lyrics, reflecting the mindset of a vengeful and possessive character. The graves and prayers mentioned in the opening lines set a sinister tone, while the singer declares his readiness to do away with his lover, presumably consumed with jealousy and rage. He mentions being detached, which highlights his emotional numbness towards the victim - this is made apparent when he insists that he would let her go "without a scratch", if she had a change of heart. The song has an eerie vibe that is added to by the instrumental music that is used. The melody is almost playful, with a repetitive titillation that is akin to a horror movie soundtrack. It is the dichotomy between these two elements that creates the unsettling tone of the song.
The song builds up to its hair-raising climax with a description of a murder scene in which the singer stands over the victim with a knife. He declares that his love for her will transcend death, indicating that he believes that taking her life is some twisted form of eternal love. The song then closes with the refrain that he is definitely going to kill her tonight. These lyrics reflect a disturbed and dangerous mind, and the song leaves the listener with a chilling feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Down in the graveyard
The singer is in a place of darkness and death
Out of sight, I gotta hold my head and
The singer is hiding and trying to stay mentally strong
Say my prayers and hope to get my feelings right
The singer is seeking emotional clarity through prayer
Tonight's the night
The artist has decided that tonight is the night to take action
I don't feel sorry
The artist is unapologetic for their actions
Feel detached girl
The singer is addressing their victim and expressing a lack of emotional connection
If you took me back, you know I would
The singer is insincere and manipulative, pretending like they would let their victim go
Let you go without a scratch
The artist is lying, and is actually planning to harm their victim
Hey there's a catch
The artist is revealing that their previous statements were insincere and manipulative
I'm gonna kill you
The artist is announcing their murderous intent
I'm gonna kill you dead
The singer is emphasizing the certainty of their actions
Ha! I'm gonna kill you dead
The artist is mocking their victim
I had a strategy, made a move
The singer had a plan to harm their victim
Oh but you screamed so loud I don't know how
The victim resisted and alerted others, making it difficult for the singer to follow through with their plan
You think that someone's saving you
The victim may have hope that someone will rescue them
There ain't no use
The artist is declaring that it's too late for the victim to be saved
I had a weapon, it's a knife
The artist came prepared to use a deadly weapon
And now I am standing right above you
The singer has cornered their victim and is in a position to attack
I'll still love you on the other side
The singer is delusional, thinking that their act of violence is an expression of love
My future wife
The artist is likely mentally ill and has built fantasies around their victim
Wooo oooh ooooh ooooooh oooh ooooh
Musical interlude
I'm gonna kill you
The artist repeats their intent to kill their victim
I'm gonna kill you (I'm gonna kill you dead)
The singer restates their intention along with a threat
I'm gonna kill you dead (I'm gonna kill you dead)
The artist repeats their threat, emphasizing their certainty
Ha! (I'm gonna kill you dead) I'm gonna kill you dead
The singer repeats their threat and expresses their amusement at their victim's terror
(I'm gonna kill you)
The singer repeats their intent to kill their victim
I'm gonna kill you dead, tonight [x4]
The singer repeats their intent to kill their victim, specifying that it will happen tonight
Contributed by Violet P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Eva B
how come this song isnt anywhere else... i love it !!!!!
iuriSalvador
i want the studio version of this song