JAMC's early gigs have become the stuff of legend in underground circles. Playing in front of small audiences, the band earned their notoriety by playing very short gigs, some lasting no more than ten minutes and consisting of a constant wall of feedback and distortion. The group became know as well for playing with their backs to the audience and refusing to speak to them. Many shows culminated with the Reids trashing their equipment, which was often followed by the audience rioting. All of this delighted manager and Creation Records boss Alan McGee, who obviously found it very easy to get attention for the band, as well as aliened more commercially-minded music business figures.
Their debut single, "Upside Down", came out in 1984 on Creation, but they signed to the WEA-backed Blanco y Negro the following year. Said label released their debut album, titled 'Psychocandy', which fused together the Reid's two primary influences, the guitar noise and avant-garde rock of The Velvet Underground with the 60s pop leanings of Phil Spector and The Beach Boys. It included songs such as the indie sensation "Just Like Honey". The record divided many music fans due to its deliberately abrasive sound yet still received positive critical reviews and is now considered a landmark recording in the history of alternative music.
Gillespie left the band before the next album, 'Darklands, came out, going on to front Primal Scream. He was briefly replaced by John Moore (later of Black Box Recorder), before former Biff Bang Pow! drummer Dave Evans. The aforementioned 'Darklands' also received supportive reviews, and it showed a less noisy and more contemplative sound that was welcomed by both many post-punk fans and many mainstream rock fans. Notable songs from that period include "April Skies" and "Happy When It Rains".
Albums
# Psychocandy (November 1985)
# Darklands (September 1987)
# Automatic (September 1989)
# Honey's Dead (March 1992)
# Stoned & Dethroned (1994)
# Munki (June 1998)
# Damage and Joy (2017)
Plus the following - (sessions, singles, b-sides, live recordings et cetera)
# Barbed Wire Kisses (April 1988)
# The Sound of Speed (1993)
# Hate Rock N' Roll (1995)
# 21 Singles (2002)
# BBC Live in Concert (2003)
# The Complete John Peel Sessions (2003)
# The Power of Negative Thinking: B-Sides & Rarities (2008)
For the iconic indie label Sub Pop, the band recorded 1998's 'Munki' album, which would turn out to be their last before splitting the following year. The album is often thought of as sounding 'divided' due to the Reids' crumbling relationship. Jim Reid has recalled: "Me and William weren't really getting along at all. That last year we barely even spoke. 'Munki' is one of my favorite albums, but it was really divided. William would go into the studio with the rest of the band and record while I wasn't there, and then I'd go in with them when William wasn't there."
William Reid then recorded as the artist Lazycame. Brother Jim formed the band Freeheat, which disbanded in 2003. Jim Reid is currently recording solo material and he has, to date, recorded and released one single Song For A Secret which was released on Transistor Records.
Like some of their influences such as Dee Dee Ramone, Lee Hazelwood, Iggy Pop and Lou Reed, throughout their career the boys were rumored to have ongoing substance abuse issues, which may have contributed to their notoriety. They reportedly dabbled in regular use of things like amphetamines and heroin, which made for lyrical reference in songs like Some Candy Talking and the album title Stoned & Dethroned.
Despite not having huge commercial success, they've gone on to influence a range of other music groups such as Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Butthole Surfers, My Bloody Valentine, and Spacemen 3.
The Jesus and Mary Chain reunited to play at the Coachella Festival on April 27, 2007, followed by two more shows in Spain at the Summercase Festival. More shows followed in late 2007 and early 2008 in London.
Calling themselves 'Sister Vanilla' an LP, Little Pop Rock, was released in 2007 and reunites the brothers along with their sister, Linda, singing on most tracks.
Damage And Joy is the brand new studio album by The Jesus And Mary Chain, released on March 24th, 2017.
Other personnel;
Richard Thomas (drums 1988-1990)
Ben Lurie (bass/rhythm guitar/backing vocals 1989-1998)
Steve Monti (drums 1990-1995)
Matthew Parkin (bass 1992)
Barry Blackler (drums 1992)
Nick Sanderson (drums 1993-1998)
Mark Crozer (rhythm guitar 2007-now)
Loz Colbert (drums 2007-now)
JAMC singer Jim Reid is name-checked in the 2017 song "Lollipop (Ode to Jim)" by Canadian band Alvvays which begins "I saw Jim Reid in the corridor.." and contains other allusions to JAMC themes.
http://thejesusandmarychain.uk.com/
Down On Me
The Jesus and Mary Chain Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
but still the world looks down on me
twenty five years of growing old
it just hangs infront of me
I can't see or understand why
pushing up can drag me down
take my time in everything
it breaks me up if I cant sing
I cant touch
sometimes in the summer sunshine
the sky falls down on me
always in the dead of darkdays
someone's after me
talking fast I'm walking backwards
and my head is in the trees
you can hang this heavy feeling
hanging down on me
The Jesus and Mary Chain's song "Down on Me" is a melancholic tune that talks about the feeling of being overwhelmed by the world and the struggles that come with growing old. The singer is experiencing a sense of helplessness and understands that sometimes, even the ability to fake a smile cannot change the world's perception of them. The opening lines, "sometimes I can fake a smile, but still, the world looks down on me" set the tone of the song, and the following lines delve deeper into the singer's struggle of growing old.
As the song progresses, the singer expresses their frustration with the feeling of being stuck and not being able to get over this overwhelming sense of emptiness. The line, "twenty-five years of growing old, it just hangs in front of me," highlights the hardships that come with getting older and feeling like time is running out. The singer is struggling to understand why pushing themselves to do better in life can sometimes make them feel worse, and they express their desire to take things slow and appreciate life's little moments but recognize that it can break them up if they're not singing.
The chorus of the song is a representation of the world closing in on the singer, "I can't see, I can't touch, sometimes in the summer sunshine the sky falls down on me, always in the dead of dark days, someone's after me." The singer feels like the world is closing in on them and that they are being chased by their troubles. They feel like they are walking backward, and their head is in the trees, which presents this sense of disorientation and confusion. The lines "you can hang this heavy feeling, hanging down on me" focuses on the weight of the emotions that the singer is feeling, as though they are a burden weighing them down.
Line by Line Meaning
sometimes I can fake a smile
I hide my sadness and put on a brave face
but still the world looks down on me
Despite this, I feel everyone judges me
twenty five years of growing old
I've spent 25 years becoming an adult
it just hangs infront of me
But I'm somehow stuck
I can't see or understand why
I don't know what's causing my problems
pushing up can drag me down
Trying harder sometimes makes things worse
take my time in everything
I need to slow down and be patient
it breaks me up if I cant sing
Music is my source of comfort and losing it is devastating
I cant see
I'm completely lost
I cant touch
I don't know how to fix things
sometimes in the summer sunshine
Occasionally I feel content but
the sky falls down on me
Reality comes crashing back
always in the dead of darkdays
I'm usually at my lowest when it's dark outside
someone's after me
I feel like someone is out to get me
talking fast I'm walking backwards
I'm disoriented and not making sense
and my head is in the trees
I'm lost in my own thoughts
you can hang this heavy feeling
This overwhelming feeling is weighing me down
hanging down on me
And I can't escape it
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
mclenstarrison
Sometimes I can fake a smile
But still the world looks down on me
Twenty five years of growing old
It just hangs infront of me
I can't see or understand why Pushing up can drag me down
Take my time in everything It breaks me up if I cant sing
I cant see I cant touch
Sometimes in the summer sunshine
The sky falls down on me
Always in the dead of darkdays
Someone's after me
Talking fast I'm walking backwards
And my head is in the trees
You can hang this heavy feeling
Hanging down on me
Shane Cassidy
One of the best songs from one of the best bands of all time.
elangel albino
One of the songs more often heard in my life.....
Really thrills me , I love this great song!
mclenstarrison
Sometimes I can fake a smile
But still the world looks down on me
Twenty five years of growing old
It just hangs infront of me
I can't see or understand why Pushing up can drag me down
Take my time in everything It breaks me up if I cant sing
I cant see I cant touch
Sometimes in the summer sunshine
The sky falls down on me
Always in the dead of darkdays
Someone's after me
Talking fast I'm walking backwards
And my head is in the trees
You can hang this heavy feeling
Hanging down on me
Julian Martin
This song always puts me in a good mood.
Ella H
Underrated gem
GEMIMAN 57
Great band, saw them four times back in the 80s
alberto menendez campa
Me crié con su música.. Me he quitado 30 años de encima... Volvereeee
Trevaughn Sumrall
2020 still here🔥
fabien josset
THE BEST
Eric Beck
Great riff or chord progression or whatever, but really great lyrics IMO. And I find almost all lyrics underwhelming.