Over its decade-long history, the band has undergone a large number of personnel changes. Multi-instrumentalist and main songwriter Anton Newcombe is the only member who has stayed with the Brian Jonestown Massacre since its beginning, when it was founded by Newcombe, tambourine player Joel Gion (who stayed with him the longest), and guitarist/bassist/vocalist Matt Hollywood. There are at least two dozen musicians who have been in the BJM at one point or another.
Ex-members include: guitarist Jeff Davies; Matt Hollywood, a founding member of Portland band The Out Crowd; Peter Hayes, founding member of San Francisco rock trio Black Rebel Motorcycle Club; Joel Gion, a founding member of San Francisco band, The Dilettantes; Rob Campanella, a Los Angeles producer and engineer who has worked with The Tyde, Beachwood Sparks, Dead Meadow, Mia Doi Todd, Frausdots, Scarling., and his band The Quarter After; Bobby Hecksher, founding member of Los Angeles band The Warlocks; solo recording artist Miranda Lee Richards; Matt Tow, founding member of the Australian band The Lovetones.
Current long-term members include Collin Hegna (bass), Frankie Teardrop (guitar,noise,etc), and Dan Allaire (percussion). Long-time guitarist Ricky Rene Maymi was recently replaced by Irina Yaikowsky for a short tour, who was in turn, replaced by Ricky Rene Maymi.
Much has been made of the fact that Newcombe is head strong and has just one vision in mind: his own. However, many of the musicians who quit his band have stayed in his orbit and continue working with him in some capacity. Newcombe was, at one point, a drummer in Hecksher's Warlocks. Campanella produces or engineers many of the records on Newcombe's record label, the Committee to Keep Music Evil and has also been on the last 2 highly successful European tours, playing keyboards and on occasion, guitar. Gion is forever showing back up shaking the tambourine at BJM shows. Even the Dandy Warhols appear to have buried the hatchet with Newcombe, as he joined them onstage at Lollapalooza in July of 2005.
In 2005 the band released the EP We Are the Radio, on Newcombe's record label The Committee to Keep Music Evil.
The band announced the release of a new studio album, tentatively titled My Bloody Underground, which was released in 2008. On September 3, 2007, the band released rough recordings from the album for download from their website. Music videos of the songs on the album have also been released, including a music video compilation DVD entitled 'Book of Days'. Songs from Brian Jonestown Massacre were specially adapted for use in the score to the critically acclaimed independent film, "Four Eyed Monsters."
Fingertips
The Brian Jonestown Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All that seems won't ever last
Broken glass in every tree
Natural I never see
Slipping through my fingertips, like sand
Slipping through my fingertips, sand
Stare into the drinking glass
Sipping through my fingertips, like sand
Sipping through my fingertips, each time
Sipping through my fingertips, sand
At its core, "Fingertips" by The Brian Jonestown Massacre is a song that explores the transient nature of life and the inevitability of everything slipping away. This is highlighted through the repeated phrases "slipping through my fingertips, like sand" and "sipping through my fingertips, each time." These lines evoke a sense of helplessness and frustration as the singer struggles to grasp onto anything tangible or permanent in their life. The mentions of broken glass and the looking glass further emphasize the fragile and fleeting nature of existence.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of perception and how what seems to be true or lasting may not actually be so. The line "Broken glass in every tree, natural I never see" is particularly poignant in this regard, suggesting that even the most mundane or natural things in life can be distorted or altered by one's perception.
As a whole, "Fingertips" is a melancholic and introspective track that encourages listeners to consider the impermanence of their own lives and the things they hold dear.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking through the looking glass
Gazing into a reflective surface, trying to gain insight or perspective
All that seems won't ever last
Everything that appears permanent or stable inevitably fades or changes
Broken glass in every tree
The world is full of imperfections and brokenness
Natural I never see
I have trouble recognizing and appreciating nature in its pure form
Slipping through my fingertips, like sand
Things I try to hold onto or control slip away from me, like sand slipping through fingers
Slipping through my fingertips, sand
Repeated chorus emphasizing the feeling of losing control and the transience of things
Stare into the drinking glass
Continuing to search for insight or clarity through a different type of glass
Walking slow, faces pass
Slowly moving through life, observing the passing people and events
Sipping through my fingertips, like sand
Echoing the feeling of losing control and the transience of things from earlier in the song
Sipping through my fingertips, each time
Each time I try to hold on or grasp at something, I feel it slipping away
Sipping through my fingertips, sand
The repetition of the chorus further emphasizes the theme of impermanence and losing control
Contributed by Leah B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@willawrence27
Lyrics! If anyone was wondering...
Looking through the looking glass,
All that seems won't ever last,
Broken glass in every tree,
Natural love I've never seen.
Slipping through my fingertips like sand.
Slipping through my fingertips, sand.
Stare into the drinking glass,
Walking slow, faces pass,
Sipping through my fingertips, like sand.
Sipping through my fingertips, each time.
Sipping through my fingertips, sand.
Can finally sing along now! It seems that the lyrics were changed up a bit from the original in a few places.
@csernikerno
Looking through the looking glass
All that seems won't ever last
Broken glass in every tree
Natural I never see
Slipping through my fingertips, like sand
Slipping through my fingertips, sand
Stare into the drinking glass
Walking slow, faces pass
Sipping through my fingertips, like sand
Sipping through my fingertips, each time
Sipping through my fingertips, sand
@Numbz2dapain
One of the best songs of all time, the 2 note riff spiraling at you faster and faster until descending for that delicious lick is unbelievable
@antonfjordson
Oh yeah... I just noticed, I never thought about it that way. Weird because itâs actually me. I plume the reach of the bar chords
@waynesilverman3048
Love riffs like that simple
@lux9956
@@antonfjordson I wonder if you remember a show in the knitting factory where a girl was star struck by you and the band lol I am still embarrassed but I love u that much haha.. Maybe it was the bowery ballroom or some place in the City..
@josephguida5432
@@lux9956 Bowery Ballroom? Circa 2006-07? Was it the show where a person threw an empty water bottle and Anton replied âŚ.âThrowing shit?âŚâ and walked away from the stage for a few to get the crowd under control?
@lunarocks6659
Agreed
@_MrPink_
I'm a music addict. I live for music, it's what gets me up in the morning. It's the first thing I hear when I regain consciousness in the morning and the last thing I hear before I drift into oblivion at night. A very good friend introduced me to Anton, and I have never been able to get enough since. Love.
@timsanchez2584
I relate brother...I absolutely relate
@ralfnewman530
Glad I found this music before I die. :-)
@Kevin-ro1fo
I have autism so music is almost all I breath day in day out đ§đľđś