THE GONE JACKALS are a four piece hard R&R group based in S.F., CA.
Keit… Read Full Bio ↴THE GONE JACKALS are a four piece hard R&R group based in S.F., CA.
Keith Karloff is the bandleader & front man of the G.J.'s. A singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Keith relocated to S.F. from his native N.Y.C. where he had been performing under the name Keith Gale as a solo artist. Breaking from the restrictive environment and high expectations that the N.Y.C. circuit and its "big business" atmosphere fostered, Keith's was first and foremost a quest for personal and artistic freedom.

After a period of experimenting with ine-ups and instrumentation, everything came together best with Judd Austin on guitar and vocals (formerly with TOWER OF POWER's Ed McGee Group) and Trey Sabatelli (JEFFERSON STARSHIP, THE TUBES, VINCE WELNICK's MISSING MAN FORMATION) on drums. Enjoying the chemistry of his combo and feeling that he had begun to assimilate a reasonable amount of S.F.'s atmosphere, Keith became "Keith Karloff" and the band became "THE GONE JACKALS" - a musical unit.

"Out & About with THE GONE JACKALS" (ConTon-BLUE/BLACK) released in 1990 was the group's first full length C.D. and their first official recording as THE GONE JACKALS. THE GONE JACKALS second full length C.D. "BONE TO PICK" is the featured R&RThe Gone Jackals Live and Posterized soundtrack to THE LUCAS ENTERTAINMENT GROUP's smash hit interactive motorcycle P.C. game FULL THROTTLE which has sold hundreds of thousands of units worldwide. "BONE TO PICK" sold out its entire first run of 2K units within two months of its initial release, primarily through mail order via the BLUE/BLACK P.O. Box (listed in the game information) with only a limited amount of "in store" distribution and no air play whatsoever. "BONE TO PICK" was then added to the LUCAS Mail Order Catalog and has since become the #1 selling item in the entire Catalog.

BONE TO PICK has also caught the attention of Don Johnson's Music Director, who featured the song "Born Bad" in the "Baby Boy" episode of the hit C.B.S. Television series NASH BRIDGES.

Black Is White
The Gone Jackals Lyrics

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All I want is a little sign
To tell my left from right,
Before the ground beneath me
Sets it's sights.
All I need is a reference guide
To tell the day from the night
'cause
Black is white.

The sky is red.
That mean ol' world's been
Messin' with my head.
Down is up to the upside down,
Is that what's being said?
The deep blue sun's been
Trippin' on the dead.
Time spits stakes in a yellow line
From which no man will ever rise,
'cause
Black is white.
The sky is red.
I drag my sense of reason
To the shed.
No place to hide inside the yellow lind.
No bargains struck, all appeals denied.
Black is white.
The sky is red.
Concrete crumbles beneath my feet,
I struggle for every step.
The Birdman rules the roost,
I must confess.
Concrete crumbles beneath my feet
And all bets are off
'cause
Black is white.
The sky is red.

That mean ol' world's
Done taken out my friend.

Overall Meaning

The Gone Jackals's song 'Black is White' seems to be about the chaos and confusion that life can sometimes become. The lyrics suggest that the world is upside down and that things that were once black are now white, and things that were once up are now down. The singer is searching for a way to navigate this topsy-turvy world and find some sense of normalcy. He longs for a 'little sign' to guide him and a 'reference guide' to help him distinguish between day and night, as everything seems to have been turned on its head.

The phrase 'black is white' is repeated throughout the song and seems to be symbolic of the confusion and uncertainty that the singer is feeling. The world no longer makes sense to him, and he struggles to find his place in it. The reference to the 'deep blue sun' tripping on the dead, and the concrete crumbling beneath his feet, seems to reinforce the idea that the world is in chaos and that the singer is struggling to make sense of it.

The final lines of the song suggest that the confusion and chaos of the world has resulted in tragedy, with the singer's friend being taken out by the 'mean ol' world.' Overall, the song seems to be a commentary on the confusion and chaos of modern-day life, and the struggle to find meaning and purpose in a world that can sometimes seem upside down.

Line by Line Meaning

All I want is a little sign
I need some guidance.

To tell my left from right,
I need to know the difference between right and wrong.

Before the ground beneath me Sets it's sights.
I don't want to lose my way.

All I need is a reference guide
I want a map that shows me the way.

To tell the day from the night
I want to know when it's dark and light outside.

'cause Black is white.
Nothing is as it seems.

The sky is red.
Things are not as they should be.

That mean ol' world's been Messin' with my head.
The world is confusing and overwhelming.

Down is up to the upside down, Is that what's being said?
Everything is the opposite of what it should be.

The deep blue sun's been Trippin' on the dead.
The world is dark and twisted.

Time spits stakes in a yellow line From which no man will ever rise,
There is no escape from reality.