Jeff Heiskell, the singer, and later members Dave Jenkins and Paul Noe formed the totally unknown but great Doubters Club that recorded for the Disgraceland label in 1995 and then broke up when Jenkins and Noe ran off to Nashville to form a (terrible) mod-rock band that failed (miserably). Jeff reformed the Judybats in 2000 with the album "'00" and subsequently rocked Knoxville, Chicago, Baltimore, and all points in-between on numerous small tours promoting their album and their later EP "Six Pack of New Tracks".
Currently, Jeff is working with Heiskell, a band formed with Mike Hairrell (percussion), Doug Hairrell (guitar), and Rob Bell (bass), all members of The second iteration of the Judybats.
Daylight
The Judybats Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Night was her best companion I've heard it told
She slipped up on daylight
Crack in the sidewalk she up and disappeared
And sang, o' daylight, o' daylight, o' daylight, o' daylight
All the people gathered round
Said, "Gosh, we really liked that girl."
CHORUS
She was falling slowly going nowhere
And some boy said,
"You really should have been here, I swear
She up and disappeared, it was really too weird."
She slipped up on daylight
Caught in the morning hour she met her end, yes
She slipped up on daylight
Crack in the sidewalk she disappeared
It's for the best
O' daylight, o' daylight
O' daylight, o' daylight
CHORUS
Story is she lost her boyfriend
In some bar some months ago
Spent her nights since then
Calling and falling going nowhere
A reporter from the tabloids came
And they sang, "Gosh, we really liked that girl."
CHORUS
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The Judybats' "Daylight" is a poignant and melancholic song that tells the story of a young woman who spends her nights wandering the streets and seeking refuge in the dark. She is described as being most comfortable in the company of night, but tragically, she "slips up on daylight" and meets her end. The lyrics conjure images of a broken, lost soul who is unable to find her way in the world, and whose tragic demise is met with sorrow and regret.
Through the use of metaphor and poetic language, the song explores themes of loneliness, isolation, and the human desire for connection and meaning in life. The woman's disappearance is not only a physical event but a symbolic one, representing the inner turmoil and emotional upheaval that she must have been experiencing. The chorus, which is repeated several times throughout the song, highlights the sense of loss and regret that comes with her passing.
Line by Line Meaning
She slipped up on daylight
She made a mistake by being awake during the day, as she preferred the night.
Night was her best companion I've heard it told
She was known for being active at night, as if it was her best friend.
She slipped up on daylight
She made the same mistake again and got caught in the morning.
Crack in the sidewalk she up and disappeared
She vanished into thin air, as if she fell into a crack in the sidewalk.
And sang, o' daylight, o' daylight, o' daylight, o' daylight
She was sarcastic about the daylight, singing it mockingly.
All the people gathered round
Everyone became interested in the situation.
Said, "Gosh, we really liked that girl."
They expressed their regret and appreciation for her.
CHORUS
Repeated the main theme of the song.
And a boy said he always knew
A boy claimed to have seen this coming.
She was falling slowly going nowhere
She was stuck in a rut, with no progress.
And some boy said,
Another boy chimed in.
"You really should have been here, I swear
He suggested that if they were there, they could have prevented this fate.
She up and disappeared, it was really too weird."
It was strange and surprising that she suddenly vanished.
She slipped up on daylight
Reiterating the cause of her downfall.
Caught in the morning hour she met her end, yes
It was in the morning that she met her demise.
She slipped up on daylight
Again emphasizing the mistake of being awake during the day.
Crack in the sidewalk she disappeared
The same disappearance story is repeated.
It's for the best
Despite the sad outcome, it was better for her to move on peacefully.
O' daylight, o' daylight
Sarcastically singing again about the daylight.
O' daylight, o' daylight
Continuing to mock the daylight.
CHORUS
Repeating the chorus one last time.
Story is she lost her boyfriend
The rumored story is that she lost her boyfriend in a bar.
In some bar some months ago
The timeline is set to a few months ago.
Spent her nights since then
Since then, she's been restless and stuck.
Calling and falling going nowhere
She's been trying to make sense of her life but it's not working.
A reporter from the tabloids came
A tabloid reporter came to cover her story.
And they sang, "Gosh, we really liked that girl."
Even the reporter expressed appreciation for her.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADAM LEVINE, SAMUEL DENISON MARTIN, MAX MARTIN, MASON DAVID LEVY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eric Hennessey
30 years later and this song still works for me.
jmo
This was a very good album from a very underestimated band.
Shellee Graham
WOW! Damn, I forgot about this gem of a song “Daylight” by The Judybats 🦇! SO GREAT! 🥰 Loved hearing this WMRY (Belleville IL-St. Louis MO) radio station. At least, that was my own recollection. THANK YOU for uploading this great song!
J Doe
Shellee G. At the Judybats height, did you ever meet Tim and Ben (had to be Judybats’s bestest fans!)? I wonder what happened to the old gang….
bhdctn
Wish we could see a reunion tour after the pandemic!
Judie Tallman-Deitchman
How nice to see this pop up on my timeline on FB. I loved this band apart from the cool name
Henry Butchy
Well constructed sugary pop antics disguising brutal sad lyrics of verisimilitude. Gets me every time. (Like Beautiful South, The Smiths, and Frank Zappa.) I expect this song is drawn from real life; I would be flabergasted if it was spun out of whole cloth. But whatta I know? Cheers Judybats!
dParis
I consider The Judybats something like The American Smiths.
T K
Terry the drummer was our Mac tech guy (and friend) in Denver (post-Judybats). He was kind of a polymath guy -- great baker, musician, techy. Hi Terry if you're out there!
Lazy Crockett
I was lucky enough to live close to WOXY back in the 90's that new alternative artist got airplay and Judybats just spoke to me.