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.

Two Angels
The Jayhawks Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'd hope to find you this morning
Talking to the trees
I could miss you, after what went down.

If false love could lie by you
While I'm swinging low
I could steal downtown, making some sweet time

[Chorus]
Two angels, one bad end

This lifetime's easy
Way back home there's a funeral

Think I'll take to the sidewalk
Knowing it's not real
I could steal downtown, making some sweet time

[Chorus]

Two angels, one bad end

[Chorus: x 2]

Overall Meaning

The Jayhawks’ song “Two Angels” is open to interpretation, but its lyrics are woven together to create a melancholic story of longing for something the singer can’t quite articulate. The use of natural imagery in the opening verse adds a sense of surrealism to the song. The singer’s hope to catch the addressee “talking to the trees” is a poignant image that hints at a deep connection with nature – perhaps indicating the singer’s relationship, or lack thereof, with the world around him.

The second verse introduces the concept of “false love”, and the singer’s desire to “steal downtown” implies that he is seeking something illicit or forbidden. The chorus ultimately reveals the title of the song, and with it, the notion of duality. The use of the phrase “one bad end” suggests conflicting forces at work, and the subsequent verse about a funeral only adds to the eerie, otherworldly mood of the song.

Overall, “Two Angels” is a haunting and mysterious song that paints a vivid picture of elusive longing and a sense of restlessness. The Jayhawks’ use of ambiguous yet striking lyrics work in tandem with their country-infused rock sound to create a memorable piece of music.

Line by Line Meaning

I'd hope to find you this morning
I was hoping to see you this morning

Talking to the trees
Just spending time alone outside

I could miss you, after what went down.
Despite the problems we had, I still care for you

If false love could lie by you
If someone else could deceive you into thinking they love you

While I'm swinging low
Even though I'm feeling down

I could steal downtown, making some sweet time
I could go into town and enjoy myself

Two angels, one bad end
Two beautiful people, but things didn't work out

This lifetime's easy
Life is simple and easy to live

Way back home there's a funeral
There's a somber event happening back where I'm from

Think I'll take to the sidewalk
I'll go for a walk

Knowing it's not real
Aware that the situation isn't ideal