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.
Take Me With You
The Jayhawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Icy black, the muddy waters.
I've got to know, won't you please tell me.
Sinking like a stone, the icy water
(Chorus)
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Past the house, where first they brought you.
Carried you to sleep, protected from harm.
And when they're gone, soon be returning.
The ones you lived by, they found a foothold.
(Chorus)
Like the sweet, sweet breeze that brought you.
Left by chance, broke down by your words.
What did I know, to ask you to leave me.
Evening will die upon my doorstep.
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Each night when I go to bed I pray.
The Jayhawks’ “Take Me With You” is a hauntingly beautiful ballad about longing, loss, and the need for connection. The song begins with the singer observing the onset of night, which is represented as a foreboding and dangerous force (“Icy black, the muddy waters”). The second verse takes us to a house where someone has been “carried to sleep” and “protected from harm” – perhaps a reference to childhood innocence or a loved one who has passed away. The chorus is a simple and repetitive prayer – “Take me with you when you go” – which expresses the singer’s intense desire for a meaningful relationship, and for someone to rescue him from his isolation and pain.
The third verse is the most enigmatic, but it seems to be describing a bittersweet memory of a past relationship that has ended (“Like the sweet, sweet breeze that brought you…”). The singer expresses regret and a sense of helplessness, as he wonders what he could have done differently to make things work (“What did I know, to ask you to leave me”). The final line of the song – “Evening will die upon my doorstep” – is a powerful metaphor for the transience of life, and the inevitability of loneliness and mortality.
Overall, “Take Me With You” is a poignant reminder of the universal human need for connection and belonging, and the way that loss and grief can shape our deepest longings. The Jayhawks’ haunting melody and melancholy lyrics capture the beauty and the pain of the human experience with grace and sensitivity.
Line by Line Meaning
Day is done, night is returning.
The day has ended and the night has arrived.
Icy black, the muddy waters.
The water is dark and cold.
I've got to know, won't you please tell me.
I need to know and I'm asking you to tell me.
Sinking like a stone, the icy water
I am sinking rapidly in the cold water.
Each night when I go to bed I pray, take me with you when you go
Every night I pray to be taken with you.
Past the house, where first they brought you.
I see the house where you were first brought.
Carried you to sleep, protected from harm.
They carried you to bed and protected you from harm.
And when they're gone, soon be returning.
They are gone but will soon be returning.
The ones you lived by, they found a foothold.
The people you lived with have found a place to stay.
Like the sweet, sweet breeze that brought you.
You came here like a sweet breeze.
Left by chance, broke down by your words.
I was left by chance and your words caused me to break down.
What did I know, to ask you to leave me.
I didn't know any better than to ask you to leave me.
Evening will die upon my doorstep.
The evening will end outside my door.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GARY LOURIS, GARY MICHAEL LOURIS, MARK OLSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@notorious534
Heard this song on a classic rock station the other day. Totally love it! Can't believe it didn't become a massive success. Even the YT views are extremely low. I count myself blessed to know about this pearl.
@paulelliott3220
Absolutely wonderful from the marvellous Jayhawks
Hollywood Town Hall, Tomorrow the Green Grass - Gary and Mark on fire, burned brightly on these brilliant albums
Gary has done some wonderful stuff with the Jayhawks after Mark left but never quite reached the heights of these sublime records
Brilliant in all guises though
@christiaanjellesma1851
speechless , still , have no words, this is magic awesome great song
@225marklin3
First heard this in '92. Been hooked ever since.
@anfrankogezamartincic1161
Makes me cry, so simple and powerful, pure emotion
@lessmorley2091
Excellente'..a musician's band if ever there wuz cuz-"show em' how it's done son~take me with you Jesus-Amen
@frankdelnoij938
i saw these guys in 1992 on a festival and this is still a great song
@OutdoorAdventureAwaits
Wow, what a great song. I just stumbled on to these guys threw Spotify.
@mspray
Some blistering guitar work there Gary.... damn....
@malcolmthompson1597
Man oh man i love these guys!