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.
Lights
The Jayhawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
If you had a song to give
What kind of life would you live
If you had a life to live
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
What about this thing that you gave
What about if it was something bad about it
Would you love it just the same
Would you still care about it
[Chorus]
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
What kind of song would you sing
If you had a song to sing
What kind of life would you live
If you had a life to live
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
[Chorus]
What about this thing that you gave
What if it weren't quite perfect
What about if it was something bad about it
Would you love it just the same
Would you still care about it
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
[Chorus]
The Jayhawks' "Lights" is a thought-provoking song about the value of creativity and the pursuit of perfection. The song poses a series of questions to the listener, asking what kind of song they would create if they had the chance, what kind of life they would lead, and whether they would still love something they created even if it wasn't perfect. The repeated chorus emphasizes the beauty and wonder of the lights in the city, which could represent the power and potential of creativity and human expression.
The lyrics of "Lights" encourage the listener to consider their own artistic potential and the importance of valuing their creative output, even if it isn't perfect or doesn't receive recognition. The song emphasizes that the act of creation itself is valuable and worthwhile, regardless of external validation or success. The lyrics could also be read as a reflection on the value of self-love and self-care, suggesting that the listener should be proud of the life they lead and the person they are.
Overall, "Lights" is a lyrically rich and introspective song that encourages the listener to reflect on their own values and beliefs about creativity and self-worth.
Line by Line Meaning
What kind of song would you give
If you had the chance to give a song, what type of song would it be?
If you had a song to give
If you had a song to offer someone, what would it be?
What kind of life would you live
If you had the choice to live a life, what type of life would it be?
If you had a life to live
If you had the chance to live your life, what would you do?
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Is it important for you to create or do something that would make you feel proud of yourself?
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
Would that thing you create or do give you joy and satisfaction?
What about this thing that you gave
If you gave something to someone, what would happen to it?
What if it weren't quite perfect
If that thing you gave wasn't perfect, what would you do?
What about if it was something bad about it
If there was a negative aspect to that thing you gave, would it affect how you feel about it?
Would you love it just the same
Would you still have affection towards that thing you gave, regardless of its flaws or negative aspects?
Would you still care about it
Would that thing you gave still hold value and importance to you?
The lights on the city looks so good
The appearance of the city lights is stunning and captivating.
Almost like somebody thought they would
It seems like someone intentionally created or designed the city lights to look this beautiful.
What kind of song would you sing
If you had the ability to sing a song, what type of song would it be?
What kind of life would you live
If you could live your ideal life, what would it look like?
The lights on the city looks so good
The beauty of the city lights is still captivating.
Almost like somebody thought they would
It feels like someone had the intention to create something so stunning and captivating.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: VICTORIA ANN WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
colddotorisoup
Lyrics:
What kind of song would you give
If you had a song to give
What kind of life would you live
If you had a life to live
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
What about this thing that you gave
What if it weren't quite perfect
What about if it was something bad about it
Would you love it just the same
Would you still care about it
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
What kind of song would you sing
If you had a song to sing
What kind of life would you live
If you had a life to live
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
What about this thing that you gave
What if it weren't quite perfect
What about if it was something bad about it
Would you love it just the same
Would you still care about it
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
Moriah Skinner
This song evokes memories of coffee shops, smoking to much, open mic nights and my oldest brother, whom introduced me to all of this. Miss you so much Zachariah, you taught me how to be me.
colddotorisoup
Lyrics:
What kind of song would you give
If you had a song to give
What kind of life would you live
If you had a life to live
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
What about this thing that you gave
What if it weren't quite perfect
What about if it was something bad about it
Would you love it just the same
Would you still care about it
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
What kind of song would you sing
If you had a song to sing
What kind of life would you live
If you had a life to live
Would you wanna make something good, that you could look on
Give you lots of pleasure, yeah you would
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
What about this thing that you gave
What if it weren't quite perfect
What about if it was something bad about it
Would you love it just the same
Would you still care about it
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
The lights on the city looks so good
Almost like somebody thought they would
Thought they would
Aaron Bradley
Come on I mean you didn't download this everybody who came here Knows lyrics to this song and I'm willing to bet that they never for having forgotten them. I Saw The Jayhawks what's Soul Asylum and Lucinda Williams and I could not believe they did not do the song I mean I just couldn't believe it I mean it was a good show but I was still very upset they didn't see this song
Ellen Cohen
I still love this so much 💜
Corey Okubo
Had to share this on Facebook. RSD re-release Today. Really a masterpiece.
Polly Amma
Thank you for uploading. This song brings back memories of me, my 92 convertible and a guy I thought I loved. The car died, the love died but this song reigns on.
blueridger28
My sister would wear this album out when we were teenagers
Dennis Schmieder
This reminds me of my first year doing Teach For America. I was a kid from New Jersey in over my head in the Mississippi Delta. My best friend from back home made me a mixtape which included this gem. It helped me through a lot of rough times.
Euclidean Plane
thank you for sharing that
Grant Harris
Who cares?