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.
Think About It
The Jayhawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left her lying in her misery
He was locked up in his room
Colored pinwheels as the sirens wine down the avenue
[Chorus]
Think about it once
Take your time don't fuss
Everybody choose
Think about it once
Take your time, don't fuss
All the dog-eared pages on your shell
You never talk except about yourself
All the red eyes in the room
Tried to rearrange your world for you
[Chorus]
Think about it once
What you got to lose
As he pulled his pad and scribbled "suicide"
the county coroner, he shook his head from side to side
He was a little less than pleased
Very pale and very tired
The toil of love had brought them to their knees
[Chorus: x2]
The Jayhawks’ song “Think About It” appears on their 2000 album, “Smile”. The song is a slow, mournful ballad that is built around a theme of despair and mental illness. It tells the story of a woman who has taken pills and is left lying in her misery while her partner is locked up in his room, surrounded by colored pinwheels, while the sirens wail down the avenue. The lyrics paint a bleak picture of a world where nobody seems to be able to help anyone else, and where love seems to be an impossible dream.
Line by Line Meaning
Took her pills and her magazines
She consumed a combination of medication and magazines, possibly as a method of escape or consolation.
Left her lying in her misery
She was left alone in a state of emotional pain and distress.
He was locked up in his room
He isolated himself from the world by confining himself to his room.
Colored pinwheels as the sirens wine down the avenue
As the police cars drove by, the multi-colored pinwheels spun in the wind, possibly a symbol of the fleeting nature of happiness and joy.
Think about it once
Reflect on the situation and consider possible solutions or actions.
Take your time don't fuss
Don't rush to make a decision, but don't procrastinate either.
What you got to lose
Consider the potential consequences of the decision or action you choose to take.
Everybody choose
Ultimately, each person must make their own decisions and choices.
All the dog-eared pages on your shell
Your outward appearance or persona may be well-worn or familiar, but it doesn't necessarily reflect your inner thoughts and feelings.
You never talk except about yourself
You tend to only focus on your own experiences and perspectives, rather than engaging in a two-way conversation.
All the red eyes in the room
The people in the room are exhausted, possibly from trying to help the person in distress.
Tried to rearrange your world for you
They attempted to make changes and improvements to the person's life, but it didn't have the desired effect.
As he pulled his pad and scribbled "suicide"
Someone wrote the word "suicide" on a notepad, possibly as a cry for help or a prelude to a tragic event.
the county coroner, he shook his head from side to side
The coroner expressed his disappointment and sorrow at the loss of life.
He was a little less than pleased
Despite any efforts that were made, the outcome was not favorable or desirable.
Very pale and very tired
The characters are physically and emotionally drained from their struggles and experiences.
The toil of love had brought them to their knees
The hardships and difficulties that they faced in trying to help and care for each other had taken a toll on their relationship.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GARY LOURIS, GARY MICHAEL LOURIS, MARC R. PERLMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind