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.
Waiting For The Sun
The Jayhawks Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Then I walked on home alone
What I didn't know
Was he was waiting for you to fall
So I never made amends
For the sake of no one else
For the simple reason
It was not lost on me
It was not lost on me
Walkin' on down the road
Looking for a friend to handout
Somethin' might ease my soul
So I kept my spirits high
Entertaining passers-by
Wrapped in my confusion
While he was waiting for you to fall
It was not lost on me
It was not lost on me
Walkin' on down the road
Looking for a friend to handout
Somethin' might ease my soul
It was not lost on me
It was not lost on me
Walkin' on down the road
Walkin' on down the road
Walkin' on down the road
Walkin' on down the road
The lyrics to The Jayhawks's song "Waiting For The Sun" are open to interpretation, as many songs are. The singer of the song is waiting for something, and in this case, it is the sun. But as he walks home alone, he realizes that there is something else he didn't know or consider before now. He says, "What I didn't know was he was waiting for you to fall." This line suggests that someone else was also waiting for something, potentially bad or unfortunate, to happen to another person. The singer acknowledges that he never made amends for some past wrong, reasoning that he believed that someone else was waiting for the person he wronged to suffer.
As the song progresses, the singer describes how he continues walking down the road, looking for someone to talk to or something to ease his soul. He keeps his spirits high and entertains passers-by, but all the while, he is wrapped up in confusion. The last stanza repeats the previous ones, driving home the theme that the singer is walking down the road, and he is not alone in his waiting. He is waiting for the sun to rise, and someone else is waiting for another person to fall. The singer is aware of this dynamic, and he doesn't seem to have an easy solution or answer to it.
Interestingly, the song's lyrics do not offer a specific resolution or come to a tidy conclusion. Rather, it shares the experience of waiting, either for nature's cycles or for something more complicated. The repeated line of "It was not lost on me" suggests that the singer is aware of something but doesn't seem to know what to do with that understanding. It's a beautifully written song that invites different interpretations and leaves room for the listener to reflect on their own experiences of waiting and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
I was waiting for the sun
I was hoping for something positive or a change, but it never came
Then I walked on home alone
I left the situation by myself
What I didn't know
I was unaware of the situation
Was he was waiting for you to fall
Someone was scheming, waiting for another person's weakness or downfall
So I never made amends
I never made things right or reconciled with anyone
For the sake of no one else
I didn't do it for anyone but myself
For the simple reason
It was just too difficult for me to address or fix the problem
That he was waiting for you to fall
The person who was scheming was still waiting for someone else's misfortune
It was not lost on me
I was aware of what was happening
Walkin' on down the road
Continuing on with life's journey
Looking for a friend to handout
Seeking comfort or support from someone
Somethin' might ease my soul
Hoping something could provide emotional relief
So I kept my spirits high
I tried to remain positive and upbeat
Entertaining passers-by
I distracted myself and others with entertainment
Wrapped in my confusion
I was uncertain and unclear about what to do
While he was waiting for you to fall
The schemer was still biding their time for someone's misfortune
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GARY LOURIS, GARY MICHAEL LOURIS, MARK OLSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@critter7052
At first flash of Eden
We race down to the sea
Standing there on freedom's shore
Waiting for the sun
Waiting for the sun
Waiting for the sun
Can you feel it
Now that Spring has come
That it's time to live in the scattered sun
Waiting for the sun
Waiting for the sun
Waiting for the sun.
Waiting for the sun
Waiting,, waiting,, waiting,, waiting, waiting,, waiting,, waiting,, waiting
@caecus2715
I was waiting for the sun
Then I walked on home alone
What I didn't know
Was he was waiting for you to fall
So I never made amends
For the sake of no one else
For the simple reason
That he was waiting for you to fall
It was not lost on me
It was not lost on me
Walkin' on down the road
Looking for a friend to handout
Somethin' might ease my soul
So I kept my spirits high
Entertaining passers-by
Wrapped in my confusion
While he was waiting for you to fall
It was not lost on me
It was not lost on me
Walkin' on down the road
Looking for a friend to handout
Somethin' might ease my soul
It was not lost on me
It was not lost on me
Walkin' on down the road
Walkin' on down the road
Walkin' on down the road
Walkin' on down the road
@rael2099
Danny California's Last Dance.
@joeyday1252
Yes!
@torinkarter3778
You prolly dont care but if you're bored like me atm then you can watch all the new movies on Instaflixxer. I've been watching with my girlfriend lately =)
@ledgerrichard1516
@Torin Karter yup, I've been using InstaFlixxer for since november myself :D
@andremourapassos319
Dani California's Last Dance Waiting for the Sun
@ScaldingHotCatsup
Someone else used this riff also, can't remember who.
@ivorzic7859
34 year old Croatian here. My old man brought me right, classic rock foundation, grew up in the 90's and thought I was familiar with pretty much everything from that era. I've found this band today and just listened to Hollywood Town Hall and Tomorrow the Green Grass back to back. I haven't been this happy about music since I've listened to Black Crowes first two records for the first time. Funny enough, George Drakoulias produced all four of those records. I just want to share and send these good feelings I have in me right now on this Sunday's evening to all!
@multicaruana
Obviously the most underrated group ever. What great songs they penned, almost every one is a gem.
@UncleDansVintageVinyl
In addition to the Jayhawks being underrated in almost every way, Gary Louris is terribly ignored as a fine lead guitarist. His leads are always perfect for the song, and the tone that he achieves here is incredible.
@lindalovesmusic9734
I concur.