The Essex Green is the name of an Elephant Six indie rock band from Brookly… Read Full Bio ↴The Essex Green is the name of an Elephant Six indie rock band from Brooklyn, NY. Comprised of permanent members Jeff Baron, Sasha Bell (formerly of The Ladybug Transistor) and Chris Ziter, along with Michael Barrett and Tim Barnes, they formed in 1997 and were later signed to Kindercore Records, who released their first album, Everything Is Green, later that year.

After the release of some EPs and singles, the group signed with Merge Records who released their second album, Long Goodbye, in 2003. After a world tour, they headed back to the studio in fall of 2005 to begin work on their third album, Cannibal Sea, which was released in March of 2006.

Penny & Jack
The Essex Green Lyrics

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It never rains in New York anymore
It's always sunny there, and what's more
Penny likes it there
She's always having a good time

Jack he'd rather be in another town
Where it's cloudy but where he can lay down
You know he'd like it there

He'd be having a good time

Don't you go
I want to go
Don't you go
I have to go

So Jack, he's just wasting another day
And the sun is shining on his face

And Penny likes him there
She's always having a good time

Overall Meaning

The Essex Green's "Penny & Jack" is a melancholic yet reflective song that explores the contrasting desires of two lovers. The opening line, "It never rains in New York anymore/It's always sunny there, and what's more," sets the tone for the song. Penny loves New York, and the sunny weather suits her personality. She's a lively and cheerful person who is always having a good time. Jack, on the other hand, finds the sun oppressive and draining. He longs for a cloudy, overcast place where he can lay down and relax. Jack wishes he were somewhere else, anywhere else, while Penny is content with where they are now.

The chorus of the song expresses the tension between the two: "Don't you go, I want to go/Don't you go, I have to go." Penny wants Jack to stay with her and keep enjoying New York's sunny days, but Jack wants to leave and find a place that suits him better. The final verse is bittersweet, as Jack wastes another day under the sun while Penny continues to have a good time. The song suggests that Penny and Jack's love for each other may not be enough to overcome their incompatible desires and personalities.

Line by Line Meaning

It never rains in New York anymore
New York has been very dry, without any rain lately

It's always sunny there, and what's more
The weather in New York has been sunny and bright

Penny likes it there
Penny enjoys living in New York

She's always having a good time
Penny is always happy and enjoying herself in New York

Jack he'd rather be in another town
Jack would prefer to live in another city

Where it's cloudy but where he can lay down
Jack would like to live in a place where the weather is usually cloudy, and where he can relax

You know he'd like it there
Jack is convinced that he would enjoy living in that other town

He'd be having a good time
Jack believes that he would be happy and enjoying himself in that other town

Don't you go
Please don't leave me

I want to go
I really want to leave or go somewhere else

I have to go
I must leave or go somewhere else, even if I don't want to