Then Jeric… Read Full Bio ↴Then Jerico were a British rock band from the late 1980s.
Then Jerico produced two outstanding albums of creative songwriting, instrumentation, arrangement and production. The singles "Big Area" and "Sugar Box" being especially memorable. The song "Big Area" was featured in the 1989 science fiction film "Slipstream" starring Mark Hamill.
The band included singer Mark Shaw, bassist Jasper Stainthorpe, drummer Steve Wren, and guitarist Scott Taylor.[2]
The band played at The Limelight Club in NYC in 1983 and signed to London Records in 1984. The single "The Big Sweep" was recorded for London but they objected to the lyrical subject matter (an anti-Robert Maxwell/Rupert Murdoch statement). It was initially released by the track's producer Martin Rushent on his own Immaculate label in 1985 and later as a limited edition by London Records along with the new song, "Fault".[2]
The band's songs "Muscle Deep" and "The Motive" charted in 1987.[2] They enjoyed success with two albums, First (The Sound of Music) (1987) co-produced by Mark Shaw and Owen Davies, which reached number 35 in the UK Albums Chart,[3] followed by The Big Area in 1989 that went gold and reached number 4 in the UK Albums Chart.[3] Producer Rick Nowels took care of about more than half of the tracks on that album which also led to the appearance of Belinda Carlisle on side vocals on the single "What Does It Take".[4]
Released in 1988, ahead of the group's second album, "Big Area" achieved their greatest chart success, peaking at number 13 in the UK Singles Chart.[3]
The original Then Jerico line-up split up in early 1990,[5] with Mark Shaw leaving the band to pursue a solo career. He released his only studio album, Almost for EMI in 1991.[6][7] It was produced by guitarist Andy Taylor and included two singles "Love So Bright" and "Under Your Spell".[7] Mark Shaw has also worked off and on with Spandau Ballet lead singer Tony Hadley and the SAS Band.[2]
In 1998, Shaw re-activated Then Jerico, writing the materials for Orgasmaphobia, a self-financed album[6][8] released on Eagle Rock. The album was co-produced by Mark Shaw and Andy Taylor with collaborations from Taylor, Simple Minds' keyboard player Mick MacNeil and author Iain Banks.[8] In 2000, a live album Alive & Exposed was released by Yeaah! Records credited to 'Then Jerico... Mark Shaw Etc.'.[9] It was a recording made in the summer of 1992 of a concert at The Grand Theatre, Clapham in London.[9][10] It contained a new song "Step into The Light".[10]
Shaw embarked on a new Then Jerico tour in 2012 with an original line-up of the band, made up of Mark Shaw, guitarists Rob Downes and Scott Taylor, bass player Jasper Stainthorpe and drummer Steve Wren.[11]
A Reprise Tour was launched for 2013[12] to promote the release of the 'Reprise' compilation album[12] on Warner / Rhino Music with a number of appearances including at Henley's Rewind the 80s Music[13][14] and at the Let's Rock Bristol festivals.[15]
As of February 2014 the 'original' Then Jerico called it a day; however, lead singer Mark Shaw has continued, as he vowed to do, with a new and improved line-up to fulfill Let's Rock festival dates in May, June and July. In 2015 Shaw has been playing club shows prior to a new album release in 2016 and a forthcoming performance at "Let's Rock London", Clapham Common, London, on 16 July 2016.
The Motive
Then Jerico Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rats go by and by,
Everyone just turns around and waits to feel inside,
And down you came with all you know,
And captured my desire,
Ain’t it true you know I’d find,
That I’m already tied
The riches that you gave,
And within the light the shines from you,
I bathe myself,
I bathe myself, I…
No point living without you,
Yes I’m glad I found you,
You will be the one alone (I know)
You believe in pride,
And you would leave my side,
Who could be the one to know?
Your business will just steal your soul,
And that’s what I believe,
But where there’s truth there’s poetry,
It happens naturally,
Now, I know how it feels to burn,
And throw your life away,
But I will lose myself with you,
And find myself again.
When there’s no getting over
The riches that you bring…
When was there any point in living without your love
Or any point in living without your love I hold on, and hold on, and hold on til the end
When there’s no getting over
The riches that you bring…
No point living without you…
When was there any point in living without your love
Or any point in living without your love I hold on, and hold on, and hold on til the end
Hell, there’s no point living without you…
Living without you, without you, without you, without you
Living without you, living without you, living without, without, without, without, without…
The rats go by and by, and by, and by
The lyrics in Then Jerico’s song The Motive describe the feeling of being captured by someone's desire and the resulting feeling that there is no point in living without that person in one’s life. The opening lines of the song set a nighttime mood with the moments glowing and the rats moving by. People turn around and wait to feel something inside them - a longing for connection, validation, and perhaps love.
The singer is then captured by someone who comes down with all they know and captures their desire. This person has given the singer riches that they cannot get over, and within their light, the singer bathes themselves. There is no point in living without this person, and the singer holds on and holds on until the end.
The lyrics also touch on the idea of the soul-sucking nature of business and the belief that it can steal one's soul. However, where there is truth, there is poetry, and this connection with another person happens naturally. The singer understands the feeling of burning and throwing their life away, but they are willing to lose themselves with this person and find themselves again. Overall, The Motive is a song about the power of love and the desire to hold onto it even at the cost of losing oneself.
Line by Line Meaning
The nights come down and the moments glow
As the night falls, moments become precious and significant
The rats go by and by
Time passes slowly and steadily
Everyone just turns around and waits to feel inside
People yearn for emotional connection and fulfillment
And down you came with all you know
You arrived with confidence and knowledge
And captured my desire
You sparked my intense longing and attraction
Ain’t it true you know I’d find
It's undeniable that I would fall for you
That I’m already tied
I'm already committed to you
When there’s no getting over
When it's impossible to forget or move on from
The riches that you gave
The abundance of joy and love you brought into my life
And within the light the shines from you, I bathe myself
I immerse myself in your radiance and positivity
No point living without you
Life is not worth living without your presence
Yes I’m glad I found you
I'm grateful to have you in my life
You will be the one alone (I know)
You will be the one who stands out and shines (and I know it)
You believe in pride
You have confidence in yourself and your abilities
And you would leave my side
You would never abandon me
Who could be the one to know?
Who else could understand and appreciate this bond we share?
Your business will just steal your soul
Focusing solely on work will deplete your life force
And that’s what I believe
I strongly hold this conviction
But where there’s truth there’s poetry
Where there's inherent reality, art and beauty can be found
It happens naturally
It occurs organically
Now, I know how it feels to burn
I now understand the intensity of passion and desire
And throw your life away
And the willingness to take risks for love, even if it means sacrificing stability
But I will lose myself with you
But I'm willing to give up my sense of self to fully immerse myself with you
And find myself again
And emerge from the experience with a newfound sense of identity and purpose
When was there any point in living without your love
There was never any reason to endure life without the love you provide
Or any point in living without your love I hold on, and hold on, and hold on til the end
I will hold onto our love until the end of my life, as it sustains me
Hell, there’s no point living without you…
I'd rather be in Hell with you than in Heaven without you
Living without you, without you, without you, without you
Emphasizing the pain and emptiness of life without you
Living without you, living without you, living without, without, without, without, without…
Further emphasizing the unbearable thought of living without you
The rats go by and by, and by, and by
Time continues to pass by, slowly and steadily
Contributed by Gabriel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@vicentealvarez6723
La belleza musical existe y se encuentra en esta secuencia musical, un diez para THEN JERICO 🧡🧡🧡🧡👌👌👌👌✌️✌️✌️✌️
@matpal443
grande gruppo, avevo 20 anni ero in cameretta e ascoltavo questo album a volume altissimo , ricordo la mia mamma che ora non ce più'....non mi diceva nulla....Mi manca Lei e mi manca questo musica
@stevie6468
The most underrated band & album of the 80’s way ahead of their time 🎶🎶👌👍
@spica211
My 1st CD bought. I was just about to get into my university, 1988 cold spring . Hearing this song, I can still feel and smell the cold air drifting.
@richardwillcock5768
A song truly well ahead of its time
@Camille_Anderson
What an epic, powerful & beautiful song! They made such wonderful tracks, but this is their best, imo. RIP Scott.
@MISTEREVER1967
One of the most underrated songs! Tnx 4 posting.
@jerryfiore5818
My all-time favorite TJ tune! This wouldn't sound as awesome or be my all-time favorite track without Scott Taylor's licks.
R.I.P. Scott Taylor - you were an unsung brilliant guitarist!
@yoshimishiina5181
Wow,it's such a wonderful song!!! I've lived with this song ever since I first heard it. I will continue to live with this song forever!!! Thank you,Then Jerico! Thank you,Mark Shaw!♥️
@hansvandijk8465
Love it, wondering why this was never a greater hit