Carl Newman, who writes most of the band's material, has said, "When I seriously started to try to write songs, my main influences were, like, Burt Bacharach, Jim Webb, and Brian Wilson. Those were the guys I kinda looked at their music and went, 'What the hell are they doing here?' I was just fascinated by the structures and the harmonics."
The melody of the first and eponymous track on their second album Electric Version, for instance, begins with an arpeggiated diminished triad --- a rare and strange opening flourish for a pop song.
The band have released a series of well-received albums: Mass Romantic (2000), Electric Version (2003), Twin Cinema (2005), Challengers (2007), Together (2010), Brill Bruisers (2014) and Whiteout Conditions (2017). In 2019 they released In the Morse Code of Brake Lights.
The band members include:
- Carl Newman - vocals, guitar, ebow, synthesizer, harmonica, pump organ, xylophone
- Dan Bejar - vocals, guitar, synthesizer, melodion
- Kathryn Calder - vocals, piano
- Neko Case - vocals, tambourine
- John Collins - bass, guitar, synthesizer, ebow, vocals
- Kurt Dahle - drums, percussion, vocals
- Todd Fancey - guitar
- Blaine Thurier - synthesizer
The New Pornographers are frequently referred to as an indie supergroup because of the following members' associations:
- Carl Newman, solo artist (as A.C. Newman), also of Superconductor and Zumpano
- Dan Bejar of Destroyer,Swan Lake and Vancouver Nights.
- Kathryn Calder of Immaculate Machine.
- Neko Case, solo artist, also of Maow and cub
- John Collins of The Evaporators
- Kurt Dahle of Limblifter and Age of Electric
- Todd Fancey of Fancey
- Blaine Thurier, independent filmmaker
Newman, however, doesn't care for the term: "I'm really tired of that supergroup label, and I wish people would stop using it. None of us were known at all outside of Canada --- I just don't think it's accurate."
Jackie
The New Pornographers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"There's been a break in the continuum
The United States used to be lots of fun"
Back when the man and the myth
Of the sands and the cliffs
Composed a symphony to good works and better business
Jackie, you yourself said it best when you said
Get our kicks on an ocean of antics"
And making history has never been so easy
So visualize success, but don't believe your eyes
There's a world of wisdom and pain to despise
When people get paid just to set you straight at me
Are you gonna start the sunshine?
Are you gonna start the sunshine?
Are you gonna start the sunshine?
Are you gonna start the sunshine?
Are you gonna start the sunshine?
Visualize success!
Visualize success!
Visualize success, but don't believe your eyes
What's a version of the world without the will to despise it?
When people get paid just to set you straight it means
Jackie, hey, hey, hey, hey
Jackie, hey, hey, hey, hey
Jackie, hey, hey, hey, hey
Jackie, hey, hey, hey, hey
Jackie
The New Pornographers’ song Jackie explores the idea that the United States has lost its sense of fun and is no longer the country it used to be. The lyrics are addressed to a woman named Jackie who is credited with being the inspiration for the song’s message. Jackie is cited as the person who stated that there’s been a “break in the continuum” and that the U.S. used to be “lots of fun”. The song suggests that once upon a time, America had a charm that made things easy, but now people get paid to provide no value and set you straight.
The song’s message seems to suggest that Jackie is calling for a change in the status quo, a change in the world that has lost its sense of fun and purpose. She encourages people to “visualize success, but don’t believe your eyes” as there’s a world of wisdom and pain to despise. The song ends with Jackie’s name being repeated four times as a call to action.
In the end, the song seems to be asking Jackie to take action and start the sunshine, to bring back the sense of fun and purpose that appears to have been lost. The song is an examination of modern society and its flaws, particularly its tendency to place value on things that are not really worth anything.
Line by Line Meaning
Jackie, you yourself said it best when you said
The following quotes from Jackie will be used to explain the current status of the United States
"There's been a break in the continuum"
Things have changed and are not the same as they used to be
"The United States used to be lots of fun"
In the past, the United States was an enjoyable place to be
"Back when the man and the myth Of the sands and the cliffs Composed a symphony to good works and better business"
During a time when the idea of the American Dream was popular, and everyone believed that hard work would bring success
"One day we'll look upon a washed up Atlantic Get our kicks on an ocean of antics"
When the Atlantic Ocean dries up, we'll have to find other ways to have fun
"And making history has never been so easy"
Due to advances in technology, it's much easier to make history these days
So visualize success, but don't believe your eyes
You should aim for success, but don't be fooled by what you see
"There's a world of wisdom and pain to despise"
There is a lot of negativity and suffering in the world, and it's important to work against those things
When people get paid just to set you straight at me
There are people who will pay others to try to undermine you
Are you gonna start the sunshine?
Will you be the one to bring positivity and light into the world?
Visualize success!
Picture yourself succeeding and achieving your goals
What's a version of the world without the will to despise it?
Without people who oppose injustice and work for change, what kind of world would we live in?
Jackie, hey, hey, hey, hey
The song's chorus, repeating the name of the person addressed in the song
Lyrics © SC PUBLISHING DBA SECRETLY CANADIAN PUB.
Written by: Daniel Bejar
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind