Genres: Rock
Band Members: Sarah Smi… Read Full Bio ↴Location: London, ON, CA
Genres: Rock
Band Members: Sarah Smith- Vocal, Mike McKyes- Guitar, Kevin Kamatsu- Drums, Ken Ross- Bass
Metamorphosis-a key word in the career of London Ontario musicians The Joys. The last year or so has been a real period of growth and change for the band; as well as a period of introspection-and finally happiness. And all these emotions and changes are reflected on the group's forthcoming album UNFOLD.
"The last couple of years have been tumultuous both for the band and in our personal lives" says singer Sarah Smith "it has been a roller coaster of emotion, both good and bad-and the new songs reflect that." Marriages, births in families, as well as deaths, have been key events marking a sea change in the band's growth. "We have always been so focused on being a 'working band' " says drummer Glen Gamble "that we rarely have the chance to slow down and take stock of our personal lives." All that came to sudden stop with the events of the last while; in particular, the passing of guitarist Mike McKyes mother.
The ensuing period of grief and reflection resulted in the band pulling even closer together and realizing they wanted to continue. "The music is all we have, really" McKyes states "so we buried ourselves in our writing." The end result is a collection of songs inspired by this emotional time, in particular, the title track.
Sarah's words tell of Mike's mother's wish to become a butterfly and transcend her psychical pain, thus inspiring one of Smith's most mature set of lyrics to date. Couple this with the musical muscle of Mike's powerful riffing and sensitive acoustic "open-tuned" playing, and result is a sound both touching and forceful.
The rest of the album follows suit-songs full of emotion and feeling, inspired by life's twists and turns. Scorching rocker STORM reveals the stormy periods that can happen to the best of relationships. "Make no mistake about it-a band is like a marriage, without the sex!" laughs Gamble. But don't get the wrong idea-all is good in The Joys camp. "The changes in line-up, bad times AND good times have made us pull closer together." he concludes. Songs like FLY and SEE THE LIGHT reflect the positive side of the change the band has gone through.
All in all, this group of songs shows the over-all spectrum of experience the band has gone through recently. And it is a rich, varied tapestry of sound. Produced by Tom Treumuth (Kazzer, Big Sugar) this combos fierce live attack is finally captured on CD. "We had fun making our previous album DEMOLITION SESSIONS" says Gamble "but it was basically a self-produced demo-live off the floor and not very polished." This may be the case, but the release did serve a purpose-it was a good primer for fans wanting to get to know The Joys experience-not to mention it sold over 12,000 copies off of the stage alone. With no radio play or record company push. As a matter of fact, The Joys are the very definition of "indie rock". They eat, sleep and breathe music, playing over 250 shows a year-and doing it full-time for a living.
If you havent experienced the sights and sounds of a live Joys shows, be sure and check them out ASAP. With the summer 07 release of their 3-song single (songs from the upcoming UNFOLD) the band will continue it's relentless schedule of touring-including, for the first time, the U.S. and beyond.
Chains
The Joys Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Keep it to remind you, of a long forgotten time or a place
So that you recognize its shape, when it's near
Any time or place this misery chain should appear
Take the locks and shackles, and melt all of it down
Shine a light upon, every shadow, every acre of ground
The hidden corners on in all around
When we're gone, and it's all said and done
What will we leave
Stories told, will they speak of us when God only knows
What those words will be
And if I should fall, from the top of the world
To the depths below, so far below where our belief could exist
Down further still will be, the one who hides the key
And there's to try to put these misery chains on me
When we're gone, and it's all said and done
What will we leave
Stories told, will they speak of us when God only knows
What those words will be
Won't you take one link, from this misery chain?
Keep it to remind you, of a long forgotten time or a place
So that you recognize it, 'till it's understood
And that every trace of this misery chain is gone for good
'Til every trace of this misery chain
Is gone for good
The lyrics to The Joy's song Chains are full of metaphors and imagery that convey the idea of being burdened by past mistakes and personal struggles. The song is a plea to break free from the cycle of misery and pain that one may be stuck in, and to remember the lessons learned from those experiences. The opening lines, "Won't you take one link, from this misery chain, keep it to remind you, of a long forgotten time or a place," suggest that even though one may want to forget the past, it is important to keep a reminder of it, so as not to repeat the same mistakes. The recurring theme of the "misery chain" throughout the song further emphasizes this idea of being trapped in a cycle of pain and hardship.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of leaving a legacy and what we will be remembered for after we are gone. The lines, "When we're gone, and it's all said and done, what will we leave? Stories told, will they speak of us when God only knows what those words will be," suggest that the choices we make in life and the way we handle our struggles will be what people remember us for. The song ends on a hopeful note, with the repetition of the phrase "until every trace of this misery chain is gone for good," implying that it is possible to break free from the chains that bind us and move on to a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you take one link, from this misery chain
Please take a part of this difficult time with you
Keep it to remind you, of a long forgotten time or a place
Remember this moment or place that has been left in the past
So that you recognize its shape, when it's near
Familiarize yourself with its form when it comes up
Any time or place this misery chain should appear
It may manifest itself in any moment or area
Take the locks and shackles, and melt all of it down
Get rid of everything that weighs you down
Shine a light upon, every shadow, every acre of ground
Illuminate every dark spot and area
The hidden corners on in all around
Secret spaces hide in all directions
Anyway you feel this misery chain could be found
It can be discovered in many ways
When we're gone, and it's all said and done
After we have passed and our story complete
What will we leave
What will our legacy be
Stories told, will they speak of us when God only knows
When we are no longer present, our memories are kept by those who know
What those words will be
What will they remember us for
And if I should fall, from the top of the world
If I should fail horribly
To the depths below, so far below where our belief could exist
Even deeper than where we can put our faith
Down further still will be, the one who hides the key
Even lower, the one who keeps me down is hidden
And there's to try to put these misery chains on me
Trying to inflict more misery on me
Won't you take one link, from this misery chain?
Please take a part of this difficult time with you
Keep it to remind you, of a long forgotten time or a place
Remember this moment or place that has been left in the past
So that you recognize it, 'till it's understood
Until what you are experiencing is fully comprehended
And that every trace of this misery chain is gone for good
Until every bit of this unpleasantness no longer exists
'Til every trace of this misery chain
Until every bit of this unpleasantness
Is gone for good
No longer exists
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Chris Cornell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@user-bd5rh1gn8g
Real lucky to have such talented and beautiful Neighbours
@debrahilton4931
Saw you and Josh at the Gunnedah Town Hall last night. What a show. Funny and entertaining. I'm now a fan! Love this song and the story behind it.
@LisaSchettner
Lovely vocals and instruments! Love the vibe this song has. This is definitely going in my summer playlist 💗
@IndieMusicICMA
Have loved this Lady forever .. as a person and an Artist
@donnamarie598
Beautiful song for an amazing human being I`ve known her since 1996 and she is truly the most beautiful person as well as a very talented Artist xxx
@colleencurtis4968
Felicity Urquart heard you for the first time on the Cruise absolutely great loved all all songs looking forward to seeing you at Crown
@jamessteven2876
Lovely comment, hello Colleen how are you doing 👋👋👋👋
@derekwilliamson5024
Chain of Joy A lovely Song & Well Sung
@amberhoney730
Beautiful! 👏🏻👏🏻
@Rust-Trap-Ranch
Beautiful