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.
King Of Kings
The Jayhawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Black clouds are coming
Go out, get a hand gun
Walk the streets of Houston
Skylines falling down
I walked out this morning
The blue skin was jiving
I don't have to warn ya
Black clouds are coming
Headlines to the west
Skylines falling down
People getting ready
Yeah, people getting ready
To meet the king of kings
To meet the king of kings
Out on the main line
There's a pitch black highway
The city after midnight
Is up around the next bend
Sunrise in the east
Cities burning down
I feel burned down now
People getting ready
Yeah, people getting ready
To meet the king of kings
To meet the king of kings
I don't have to warn ya
Black clouds are coming
Go out, get a hand gun
Walk the streets of Houston
Headlines to the west
Skylines falling down
I see falling down now
People getting ready
Yeah, people getting ready
To meet the king of kings
To meet the king of kings
I got to come on down
People getting ready
Yeah, people getting ready
To meet the king of kings
To meet the king of kings
To meet the king of kings
To meet the king of kings
The lyrics to The Jayhawks song, King of Kings, paints a picture of an impending apocalypse or disaster, with black clouds looming and skylines falling down. The singer suggests that in the face of such chaos, one should get a hand gun and walk the streets of Houston. The chorus, "people getting ready to meet the king of kings," implies that perhaps this is the end of days, and people are preparing to meet their maker. The verses mention cities burning down, a pitch black highway, and an overall sense of destruction and desolation.
However, with its upbeat melody and vocal harmonies, there is also a sense of hope and urgency in the song. The repetition of "people getting ready" suggests that there is still time to prepare, to come together, and to face this impending catastrophe with strength and resilience.
Overall, King of Kings is a powerful meditation on the fragility of life, the inevitability of change, and the resilience of humanity in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't have to warn ya
The impending danger is clear and imminent.
Black clouds are coming
Trouble is on the horizon.
Go out, get a hand gun
Prepare and arm yourself for survival.
Walk the streets of Houston
The dangers are not confined to one area, it's everywhere.
Headlines to the west
The world as we know it is collapsing.
Skylines falling down
The structures and norms of society are crumbling.
I walked out this morning
Starting a new day, but with uncertainty and fear.
The blue skin was jiving
The world seems surreal and strange.
People getting ready
We are all preparing for the inevitable chaos.
To meet the king of kings
Facing a higher power or an unavoidable end.
Out on the main line
Navigating through the main path, the most common and usual route.
There's a pitch black highway
The way ahead is dark and ominous.
The city after midnight
The city becomes a different, more dangerous place at night.
Is up around the next bend
The future is uncertain, and danger may be lurking just beyond.
Sunrise in the east
A new day is dawning, but the world will never be the same.
Cities burning down
The destruction of society and stability is spreading.
I feel burned down now
The weight of the situation is taking its toll.
I got to come on down
I need to face the reality of what's happening.
To meet the king of kings
To face the ultimate power or fate.
To meet the king of kings
To face the ultimate power or fate.
To meet the king of kings
To face the ultimate power or fate.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Lola-ox3bk
What a gem. The mix is pretty good, too. Marc’s all over that bass on this one. My first show wasn’t until 1986 but I swear to god he was wearing that same outfit lol.
@Jay-to7yz
What a beautiful tribute. I still cant believe norm isnt here. You guys are all so young here!
@johncoker13
Awesome!!!
@jeffpearson4573
Wow! What a surprise gem!!