Led by the gifted songwriting, impeccable playing, and honeyed harmonies of vocalists/guitarists Gary Louris and Mark Olson, the Jayhawks' shimmering blend of country, folk, and bar band rock made them one of the most widely acclaimed artists to emerge from the alternative country scene. The group sprung up in 1985 out of the fertile Minneapolis, Minnesota, musical community, where Olson had been playing standup bass in a rockabilly band called Stagger Lee until his desire to write and perform his own country-folk material prompted him to begin a solo career. He enlisted Marc Perlman, the guitarist for a local band called the Neglecters, whom Olson then convinced to take up the bass; after the addition of drummer Norm Rogers, the group first played in front of a crowd of less than a dozen people. One of those patrons, however, was Gary Louris, a veteran of the local bands Safety Last and Schnauzer; after the show, he and Olson began talking, and by the end of the evening Louris, a guitarist famed locally for his innovative, pedal steel-like sound, had become a member of the group, eventually named the Jayhawks.
Drawing on influences like Gram Parsons, the Louvin Brothers, Tim Hardin, and Nashville Skyline-era Bob Dylan, the Jayhawks quickly became a local favorite, honing their sound in Twin Cities clubs before releasing their eponymous debut in 1986. Issued in a pressing of just a few thousand copies, the album was well received by those who heard it; a major recording deal did not follow, however, so the band continued to polish their craft live, with more and more of their songs bearing writing credits belonging to both Olson and Louris. In October 1988, after a lineup change which saw the departure of Rogers (who joined Cows) followed by the addition of drummer Thad Spencer, Louris was nearly killed in an auto accident, and the Jayhawks went on hiatus. At much the same time, however, executives at the Minneapolis independent label Twin/Tone decided to issue the demos the group had been stockpiling over the past few years, and after some overdubbing and remixing, Blue Earth appeared in 1989. Richer in sound and more complex in its themes and concerns, the record's release brought the group considerable attention, and also brought Louris back into the fold. After another drummer switch (Spencer for Ken Callahan), the band hit the road for a national tour.
The Jayhawks were signed to major label American Records after producer George Drakoulias heard The Blue Earth playing in the background during a phone call to Twin/Tone's offices. With Drakoulias in the producer's seat, the band recorded its breakthrough album, Hollywood Town Hall, in 1991; a mainstay of critics' annual "best of" lists, the album generated the alternative radio hits "Waiting for the Sun," "Take Me With You (When You Go)," and "Settled Down Like Rain." After a tour which saw the permanent addition of Minneapolis pianist Karen Grotberg, the individual bandmembers guested on albums from Counting Crows, Soul Asylum, Maria McKee, Joe Henry, and others. Before recording the fourth Jayhawks album, Callahan departed, and was replaced by session drummer Don Heffington. The resulting record, 1995's Tomorrow the Green Grass, is a beautiful collection of songs led off by the elegiac single "Blue," the recipient of significant airplay. A tour followed, but after some months on the road, Olson announced he was quitting the band. In 1997, the Jayhawks — now consisting of Louris, Perlman, Grotberg, and drummer Tim O'Reagan — released the album Sound of Lies. Grotberg left the band in early 2000, and was replaced by ex-DAG keyboardist Jen Gunderman for the band's sixth album, Smile. A move to a new label (Lost Highway) in 2002 brought about more changes in the band's ever evolving lineup, leaving Louris, Perlman, and O' Reagan (assisted by newcomer Stephen McCarthy on guitar) to craft 2003's rootsier Rainy Day Music.
After a hiatus from 2005-9, the band reunited and, in 2011, recorded a new album. The lineup consists of Mark Olson, Gary Louris, Marc Perlman, Karen Grotberg, and Tim O'Reagan. The album, Mockingbird Time, was released on 20 September 2011. In September 2015, the same line-up, minus Mark Olson, began recording a new album 'Paging Mr Proust', produced by Peter Buck and Tucker Martine for release on the band's own Sham label in April 2016.
The Jayhawks featured on two albums by English rock musician Ray Davies, best known as lead singer-songwriter for The Kinks: Americana, released in April 2017, and Our Country: Americana Act II which appeared in June 2018.
The following month, the 'Paging Mr Proust' line-up was augmented by John Jackson (mandolin, violin, acoustic guitar) for the album Back Roads and Abandoned Motels. Recorded in two sessions in 2017, it comprises nine songs co-written by Gary Louris with other artists, alongside two of his recent compositions.
Norm Rogers (August 1, 1956 - February 19, 2018) original drummer and founding member, died in 2018.
http://www.jayhawksofficial.com
There is another band with the same name:
2. The Jayhawks (Jay Hawks, Jay-Hawks) were an American doo-wop group from Los Angeles, California that had a hit in 1956 with "Stranded in the Jungle". Their track "The Creature (From Outer Space)" can be found on various Halloween themed rock & roll compilations. During this time they also recorded as The Classics, After a few line-up changes they renamed themselves The Vibrations in 1960, but also had a hit with "Peanut Butter" under the name The Marathons.
Baby Baby Baby
The Jayhawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I had to move along
I took my bags, i took my car
But it all went wrong
Beneath the gloom
I hear the sirens whine they sound so far away
A darkened room
I've been so faithful, i've been so true
There's a million flags flying
A million dreams that died
And i died too
As twisted metal rained across the interchange
I've been so faithful, i've been so true
I would have run (baby, baby, baby)
But i never saw it coming (baby, baby, baby)
I've been so faithful, i've been so true
I would have run (baby, baby, baby)
But i never saw it coming (baby, baby, baby)
I would have run (baby, baby, baby)
Flying, flying
Ooh so beautiful, so beautiful
You'll cry your eyes
Just like jesus christ, just like jesus christ
So beautiful, you'll cry your eyes
Just like jesus christ, just like jesus christ
So beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful
The Jayhawks's song "Baby Baby Baby" is a heart-wrenching tale of lost love, regret, and tragedy. The lyrics convey a sense of desperation and despair as the singer talks about leaving his lover, only to meet his fate during an unforeseen and tragic event. The opening line, "Baby, baby, baby, I had to move along," indicates the singer had to leave, perhaps due to circumstances beyond his control. The lines "I took my bags, I took my car, but it all went wrong" suggests that despite his best intentions, something terrible happened along the way.
The following verses describe the aftermath of the event. The sirens sound far away, indicating that the incident is not within his immediate vicinity. However, the memories of his loss are still fresh, as he hears his lover's voice calling out to him, and he notes that "I had so much to say." The singer tries to reconcile his role in the events that unfolded, "I've been so faithful, I've been so true". However, he acknowledges the many things that died alongside his lover - "a million flags flying, a million dreams that died, and I died too".
Throughout the song, the singer expresses his desire to escape the tragedy, "I would have run" but accepts that his fate was sealed long before the event occurred. The final lines about flying and crying like Jesus Christ are cryptic; they could be interpreted as the singer's struggle to come to terms with his grief. The song leaves the listener with a sense of unfulfilled longing and tragedy as the singer looks back at his life with a deep sense of regret.
Line by Line Meaning
Baby, baby, baby
A repetitive plea to someone or something that is being left behind
I had to move along
A declaration of the necessity of separating from the current situation
I took my bags, i took my car
A briefing on the manner of the departure taken by the singer - with belongings and own vehicle
But it all went wrong
An admission of the unexpected negative outcome of the situation encountered
Beneath the gloom
A description of the melancholic and oppressive environment being experienced
I hear the sirens whine they sound so far away
A detail on the ambiance with distant and faint sounds that amplify a sense of despair
A darkened room
A portrayal of a room with no light, symbolizing the bleakness of the current state of things
I hear you call my name, i had so much to say
A revelation of a desire for communication which was hindered by the aforementioned departure
I've been so faithful, i've been so true
A statement of loyalty and commitment
There's a million flags flying
A description of the landscape, where several flags are being displayed, symbolically standing for many aspects of life
A million dreams that died
A reflection on the failure of expectations and goals set earlier
And i died too
An emotional declaration of being affected and hurt by the turn of events
As twisted metal rained across the interchange
A metaphor for the chaos and damage that resulted from the situation that caused the need for departure
I would have run (baby, baby, baby)
A reiteration that escape or avoidance wouldn't have been the choice, despite being possible
But i never saw it coming (baby, baby, baby)
A realization that the event leading to the departure was unexpected and sudden
Flying, flying
A change of tone, referencing a new situation that is accompanied by a sense of freedom
Ooh so beautiful, so beautiful
An appreciation of the beauty of the current moment
You'll cry your eyes
A prediction of emotional release due to the overwhelming positive experience
Just like jesus christ, just like jesus christ
A comparison to a religious figure known for the symbolic value of suffering resulting in a glorious moment
So beautiful, you'll cry your eyes
A repetition of the earlier claim of an incredibly intense positive feeling
So beautiful, so beautiful, so beautiful
A closing line that doubles down on the importance of the moment that is happening
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GARY LOURIS, GARY MICHAEL LOURIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind