After completing several East Coast tours, they released a split EP in 2006 with local Cairns band Sleeping in Trains. Their debut album The Recordings of the Middle East was released on 24th April 2008, shortly before the band announced their first split. They reconvened eight months later, and in the autumn of 2009 released their album in the United States as an abridged EP, also called The Recordings of the Middle East.
Their song "Blood" is featured in the films Accidents Happen, It's Kind of a Funny Story. and Crazy, Stupid, Love, as well as in an episode of the Australian television comedy-drama series Offspring and an advertisement for European bank BNP Paribas.
At the start of their appearance at 2011's Splendour in the Grass music festival, the band announced that their set that night would be their last show ever, thanking fans in attendance for making their finale special for the band.
As I Go To See Janey
The Middle East Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Drifting aimless
Through the moonlit bay
Of sweet Marseilles
And there’s a broken feeling
But nobody’s bleeding
Any secrets
As I go
To see Janey
She is lonely
In the moonlight
In the churchyard
And the guards are restless
Thinking of the princess
She’s been shivering
Warm evening
And they say she’s dying
And all the men are crying
As they raise the flags
To the wind
As I go
To see Janey
She is lonely
In the moonlight
In the churchyard
To see Janey
She is lonely
In the moonlight
In the churchyard
The Middle East's song "As I Go To See Janey" tells a melancholic story of a person who is going to visit Janey, who is lonely and waiting at the churchyard. The song starts with a picture of six Spanish sailors drifting aimlessly through the moonlit bay of sweet Marseilles, creating a sense of a story that is taking place. As the song progresses, the listener is told of a broken feeling, but nobody is bleeding any secrets to the night. This sense of brokenness can be interpreted as something that is haunting the singer and also the person he is visiting. The guards are also restless, and there is a sense of anticipation and anxiety around them, as they think about the princess who has been shivering in the warm evening. The song then gives us the impression that the princess is dying, and all the men are crying as they raise the flags to the wind. This sorrowful and broken setting enhances the feeling of loneliness and longing that is conveyed throughout the song.
Line by Line Meaning
And there’s six Spanish sailors
There are six Spanish sailors present at the moment
Drifting aimless
They don't have a clear direction they are heading towards
Through the moonlit bay
They are passing through a bay which is illuminated by the moonlight
Of sweet Marseilles
The bay belongs to the city of Marseilles
And there’s a broken feeling
A sense of unease or sadness is present
But nobody’s bleeding
No one is physically hurt
Any secrets
No one is revealing any secrets
To the night
They are keeping their thoughts and emotions to themselves
As I go
While I am on my way
To see Janey
To visit a person named Janey
She is lonely
Janey is feeling isolated and alone
In the moonlight
The scene is illuminated by the moonlight
In the churchyard
Janey is in the cemetery
And the guards are restless
The guards are feeling uneasy or nervous
Thinking of the princess
They are concerned about a princess
She’s been shivering
The princess is cold
Warm evening
Despite it being a warm evening, the princess is shivering
And they say she’s dying
They have heard that the princess is gravely ill
And all the men are crying
The men are feeling emotional and are shedding tears
As they raise the flags
They are hoisting the flags
To the wind
They are letting the wind carry the flags
To see Janey
To visit a person named Janey
She is lonely
Janey is feeling isolated and alone
In the moonlight
The scene is illuminated by the moonlight
In the churchyard
Janey is in the cemetery
To see Janey
To visit a person named Janey
She is lonely
Janey is feeling isolated and alone
In the moonlight
The scene is illuminated by the moonlight
In the churchyard
Janey is in the cemetery
Contributed by Hunter V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Salwa Faisal
My fav song on the album
7 Ponta
Que saudade dessa música, como essa banda faz falta 😭 queria que estivessem lançando até hoje
Fabiana Moreira
😍🌻💕
7 Ponta
@Fabiana Moreira hahaa que bom, nem esperava que fosse responder, mas sim essa banda é perfeita 🤩 tenha um bom final de ano! ☺️
Fabiana Moreira
@7 Ponta Sim, sempre ouço desde 2011 :)
7 Ponta
Ainda em 2021? Kkk