Philadelphia Grand Jury (The Philly Jays) are an Australian trio from Sydne… Read Full Bio ↴Philadelphia Grand Jury (The Philly Jays) are an Australian trio from Sydney, New South Wales. The band's line up consists of Joel "MC Bad Genius" Beeson on bass, keyboard and guitar, Simon "Berkfinger" Berckelman on vocals and guitar and Dan "Dan W. Sweat" Williams drums. They play a mix of indie, punk and soul.

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.

Phillip's Not In Love With You
Philadelphia Grand Jury Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Who cares if I stay?
Who cares if I go?
Who cares if I pick up all the pieces?
'Cause all of you won't

They found him on Saturday with some gold in his hands
Phillip's not in love with you

Of all of things that he said he'd do
The one that we thought would never happen is fall into you
So cry if you like but prepare to be crying all night
'Cause all of the people that been talking
I think that they're right

They found him on Saturday with some gold in his hands
Phillip's not in love with you

He's found a new place to start
We don't know what to do
Nobody knows where you are or what's become of you
He's found a new place to start
I don't know what to do
I hope wherever you are
I'm right in front of you

They found him on Saturday with some gold in his hands
They beamed out that satellite from Red Hill to Japan

They found him on Saturday with some gold in his hands
Phillip's not in love with you

Overall Meaning

The Philadelphia Grand Jury's song, Phillip's Not In Love With You, is a melancholic tune about unrequited love and heartbreak. The first stanza questions the significance of the singer's existence or departure since no one seems to care about them. The chorus repeats the fact that Phillip is not in love with the singer, elaborating at the next verse that he had promised to do so many things that she never thought of falling for him until he inevitably did. The line, "So cry if you like but prepare to be crying all night," reinforces the message that there won't be any hope for this love affair to materialize, no matter how painful for the singer.

In the final verse, Phillip has found a new beginning, while the singer is left in a limbo of confusion and doubts. There is also a hint of longing for Phillip with the phrase, "I hope wherever you are, I'm right in front of you." The repetition of the chorus serves as a reminder that Phillip's feelings for the singer will never become mutual, as the news of his success travels worldwide.

Line by Line Meaning

Who cares if I stay?
It doesn't matter if I stay or go

Who cares if I go?
Leaving or staying makes no difference

Who cares if I pick up all the pieces?
Trying to fix the situation is pointless

'Cause all of you won't
None of you will help

They found him on Saturday with some gold in his hands
Phillip had gold when he was found on Saturday

Phillip's not in love with you
Phillip doesn't love you

Of all of things that he said he'd do
Out of all the promises he made

The one that we thought would never happen is fall into you
The promise we didn't expect him to keep was to fall in love with you

So cry if you like but prepare to be crying all night
Feel free to cry, but you'll probably cry for a while

'Cause all of the people that been talking
Everyone who's been talking

I think that they're right
I believe they're correct