The Jayhawks are an American alt-country and rock band that began in the mi… Read Full Bio ↴The Jayhawks are an American alt-country and rock band that began in the mid-1980s. On hiatus from 2005 to 2009, the band reunited and, in September 2011, released a new album, "Mockingbird Time".

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.

Nevada California
The Jayhawks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Left his day job behind
Every fool dies trying to give his back
Kicked around on the burn
Like a child I scolded for broken toys

Can you help me to find
Nevada, California
The last thing I did

Was I tried to hold her

The station master is gone
I'm your lovesick cousin that never wins
First you twist then you turn
Your all lies as a mountain, dear passenger

Can you help me to find
Nevada, California
Can you help me to find
Nevada, California
The last thing I did
Was I tried to hold her

Nevada, California
Nevada, California

The station master is gone
Behind the lies you wonder
There lies a jewel
Could it be something's wrong
The love that won't talk to you but seven wins

Can you help me to find
Nevada, California
Can you help me to find
Nevada, California
Nevada, California

The last thing I did
Was I tried to hold her

Overall Meaning

The Jayhawks' song "Nevada California" is a poignant and metaphoric tune that speaks of longing and desperation to find a place where one can feel at home. The lyrics seem to describe a man who has left his day job and is wandering around, feeling lost and unfulfilled. The opening lines, "Left his day job behind, every fool dies trying to give his back," suggest that the singer has embarked on a journey that involves giving up the stability and security of a day job to find something more meaningful in life but is not sure how to achieve it.

The following line, "Kicked around on the burn, like a child I scolded for broken toys," is a metaphor that implies that the singer is being tossed around like a fragile toy by the forces around him. The central theme of the song, though, is the quest for a place called "Nevada, California." The phrase seems paradoxical as Nevada and California are two different states, yet their names combined create a sense of romance, adventure, and longing.

The song's chorus, "Can you help me to find Nevada, California? The last thing I did was I tried to hold her," is a plea for help, a cry of desperation from someone who knows that the quest is futile but still cannot give up. The singer is swallowed up by his desire to find this mythical place that he cannot locate. The song ends with a sense of ambiguity and mystery, like a story that has no ending. It's up to the listener to determine if the man finally finds what he's searching for or if he's destined to wander aimlessly forever.

Line by Line Meaning

Left his day job behind
He left his boring and conventional job.

Every fool dies trying to give his back
Attempts of achieving something impossible will only result in regrets.

Kicked around on the burn
He was aimlessly wandering around.

Like a child I scolded for broken toys
He felt helpless like an adult scolding a child whose toy is broken.

Can you help me to find Nevada, California
He needs help in navigating his way to Nevada and California.

The last thing I did Was I tried to hold her
His last attempt was to hold onto something that was slipping away.

The station master is gone
The guide or mentor that was supposed to help him is no longer there.

I'm your lovesick cousin that never wins
He is unlucky in love and it never seems to work out for him.

First you twist then you turn
People can be deceptive, they lead you astray and then get rid of you completely.

Your all lies as a mountain, dear passenger
Everything that is being said or done is false and misleading.

Behind the lies you wonder There lies a jewel
Amidst the deceit and lies, there exists something of great value and beauty.

Could it be something's wrong The love that won't talk to you but seven wins
There's something wrong with love when despite its unresponsiveness, it still manages to win over you.

Nevada, California
A repetition of the previous request to seek help in finding these two locations.

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GARY LOURIS, GARY MICHAEL LOURIS, MARK OLSON, MARK JOHN OLSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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