1996 they released an album which is regarded as their masterpiece, "Now I Got Worry". An unwieldy mess of an album, Now I Got Worry, starts with a series of piercing screams and never stops confounding until the end. Featuring the legendary Rufus Thomas howling and barking on Chicken Dog, and The Dub Narcotic Sound System on Fuck Shit Up, Now I Got Worry was a glorious celebration of what an open mind(s) could do with white trash rock and roll.
Touring endlessly, JSBX gained a small but enthusiastic global audience. Subsequent albums were "Acme" (1998), "Xtra Acme USA" (1999), "Plastic Fang" (2002), "Damage" (2004) and the earlier "Crypt Style" (1992) and "Jon Spencer Blues Explosion" (1992).
Jon Spencer as well as the other members of the band had several side-projects. They recorded an album together with The Dub Narcotic Sound System. Jon Spencer played together with R.L. Burnside ("A Ass Pocket Of Whiskey"), David Holmes ("Bow Down to the Exit Sign"), The Honeymoon Killers ("Hung Far Low") and other artists. He is also a member of Boss Hog, along with his wife Cristina Martinez. Together with Matt Verta-Ray of Speedball Baby Spencer formed a rockabilly revival band called Heavy Trash which has released three albums. The band has also been associated in various ways with The Beastie Boys, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and others.
On the Blues Explosion's album "Damage" (2004) they left out the "Jon Spencer" prefix of the band's name to show that they are a genuine band.
High Gear
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A big teen wheeler
Carryin′ lots of candy cane
Stockin' up more than a mistletoe
Ask anybody that you want
Ask any cat that you happen to know
Well I drink more eggnog than malt liquor
I′m gonna get you with that cocoa
That's right man
Clearing off my driveway
Using lots of rock salt
Dead racoon and a possum
Spread out all over the asphalt
That's when I see those little tiny reindeer
Caught up in the glare of my headlights
Well I put on my gloves and I took that pill
I′m gonna shift it through to high gear
That′s right
Yeah
Up in high gear baby
Ah! High gear
Up in high gear
High gear!
Oh!
Lost all control
Way up in a snow drift
Hot coffee in my lap
Thinking about a law suit
If you ever see me coming
You better get on the side of the road
Baby I won't stop to think for one god damn second
′Cause I'm carrying such a heavy load
That′s right man
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion's song High Gear is a comical take on the typical Christmas song. The singer portrays himself as a truck driver carrying a large number of gifts, such as candy canes and mistletoe. He also confesses to drinking eggnog instead of traditional malt liquor. The singer then encounters some reindeer on the road and decides to shift into high gear. The song ends with the driver losing control of the truck and careening into a snowdrift.
The lyrics throughout the song are humorous and playfully sarcastic. The singer uses exaggerated language and imagery to describe his Christmas journey, including dead animals on the road and hot coffee spills. The contrast between the festive backdrop of Christmas and the ruggedness of being a truck driver creates an interesting dynamic throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
Loading up my truck
I am filling my truck with goods
A big teen wheeler
It is a large eighteen-wheeler truck
Carryin′ lots of candy cane
I am transporting many candy canes
Stockin' up more than a mistletoe
I am gathering more goods than just mistletoe
Ask anybody that you want
You can ask anyone you like for confirmation
Ask any cat that you happen to know
Even the cats I know can confirm my activities
Well I drink more eggnog than malt liquor
I prefer to drink eggnog over malt liquor
I′m gonna get you with that cocoa
I'll surprise you with some cocoa
Clearing off my driveway
I am removing snow and ice from my driveway
Using lots of rock salt
I am spreading a lot of rock salt to melt the snow
Dead racoon and a possum
I have come across some dead animals
Spread out all over the asphalt
The dead animals are scattered across the roadway
That's when I see those little tiny reindeer
I spot some small reindeer
Caught up in the glare of my headlights
They are blinded by the light from my headlights
Well I put on my gloves and I took that pill
I prepare myself to handle the situation by putting on gloves and taking a pill
I′m gonna shift it through to high gear
I will push myself to the limit
That′s right
That's correct
Lost all control
I've lost control of the vehicle
Way up in a snow drift
I got stuck in a large pile of snow
Hot coffee in my lap
My coffee spilled in my lap and is hot
Thinking about a law suit
I am considering suing someone for the situation I am in
If you ever see me coming
If you see me in this situation
You better get on the side of the road
You should move over to avoid being hit by my out of control vehicle
Baby I won't stop to think for one god damn second
I won't hesitate or delay in taking action
′Cause I'm carrying such a heavy load
I am carrying a lot of goods in my truck
That′s right man
That is correct sir
Writer(s): Russell Simins, Judah Bauer, Jonathan Spencer
Contributed by Lucy P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@ChuckBoris3
Best Christmas song ever
@sadymaher44
Right on . Real Rock n Roll.
@ericellis9393
I'm listening to your record woops. Sorry. Is this song about jesus killing santa.