Growing up in a family of seven children in Torquay, Victoria (Australia), near the famous surfing location Bells Beach, Rudd showed a keen interest in music. While primary school-aged, Rudd used his mother's vacuum cleaner as a makeshift didgeridoo and he began playing his brother's guitar. He also played saxophone and clarinet as a child.
Before launching his solo career, Rudd began playing music as part of the band 'Xavier and the Hum'. In 2004, Rudd released Solace, his first album to be distributed by a major label.
Rudd's music is compassionate and always manages to render emotion in his fans. His songs include stories of the mistreatment of the indigenous people of his homeland; they tell of humanity, spirituality or the environment. The songs are written and sung with compassion and they urge the celebration of life.
Rudd is skilled with a variety of instruments, include guitar, shaker, didgeridoo, Weissenborn slide guitar, Tongue drum, stomp boxe, djembe, harmonica, ankle bells, and slide banjo. It's an experience to watch him perform his songs live, as he plays the guitar, digeridoo and various percussion instruments simultaneously, using a unique stage setup. But the real magic comes when he opens his mouth and his soulful voice spills upon his audience.
Rudd recalls that when he was 10, his dad took him to see Paul Simon’s Graceland tour. “I remember seeing it and knowing that that was what I was gonna do,” he says. “I had no doubt. It sort of made sense, because I’d always lived in my head, in this world of song that was my own little secret. But to see that show and that whole thing happening, I sort of felt comfortable as a human, and thought.” He learned to play the digeridoo, the 50,000-year-old wooden trumpet of the Aboriginal people, by practising on a vacuum cleaner pipe.
As a teenager, Rudd really got into songwriting. He started performing at his school, with solo gigs following. He drew inspiration from artists such as Leo Kottke, Ben Harper, Natalie Merchant and multi-instrumentalist David Lindley, as well as music from diverse sources, such as Hawaii and Native American music.
As with most solo artists, Rudd has experimented playing in a band. Though it was a short- lived experiment, as Rudd quickly found that it wasn't the right way to go for him. “What I do now is just more me,” he says. “And it sounds full.”
Quotes:
“It’s all about peace and happiness,” he says of his performances. “That’s sort of the blanket that seems to sort of settle in the room, or on the venue when I play, but I sort of feel not solely responsible. I don’t really feel like it’s me and the audience. I feel like it’s all of us, one big connection and I just happen to be channeling the energy through music. It comes from the audience and channels through me and I put it back in the audience.”
“My music is about good spirit. I’m so lucky to be able to do what I do. I’m so blessed to be able to be able to travel around and play music and connect with so many people in so many places in so many cultures. It’s a gift of life as a musician.”
After the failure of his marriage in 2009, Rudd was supported in his grief and recovery by new South African bandmates, bassist Tio Moloantoa and percussionist Andile Nqubezelo. Rudd had met Moloantoa and Nqubezelo performing at the 2008 Wiesen Nuke Festival in Austria. Rudd described his connection with Moloantoa and Nqubezelo as musical, spiritual and emotional—"I feel like they were sent to me," he said.
In 2010 Rudd bought 20 hectares of property at Koonyum Range, Mullumbimby, the location was the inspiration for the name of the album Rudd would release with Moloantoa and Nqubezelo, titled "Koonyum Sun", as Xavier Rudd & Izintaba. The album moved away from the heavier sound of Rudd's 2008 album "Dark Shades of Blue" to a more up-beat style.
"Nanna", the 2015 album Rudd released as Xavier Rudd & the United Nations champions cultural understanding and condemns racism and intolerance. It features a diverse group of musicians from Australia, South Africa, Samoa, Germany, Ireland, and Papua New Guinea.
In 2018, Rudd released "Storm Boy".
Jack
Xavier Rudd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Foot in front of the
Other foot and then
Lick his lips again
The train came past about
Three o'clock or so
His mother told him so
His hand was sore from
All the gravel rash
Would he get it back
It looked just like the tracks
He must not take his shoes off yet
His mother told him this
Would there be hope someday
Or would his spark slowly fade
This the boy who would smile
When his heart was in pain
And his simple mind
Would be settled in grace
When he knelt down and spoke
To his father in his grave
The boys would hide
Behind the tea tree
The ugly tea tree
The fucking tea tree
They'd all jump out and
Jack would smile at them
And then they'd smirk at him
And kick stones at him
The first punch came from
The big fat one
Then all the other ones
He wondered what he'd done
He'd end up in the little frog pond
Beside the railway line
And then one day the
Big fat one
Was drowning in the pond
And crying for his mum
And jack came down
And he pulled him out again
And then he put his hands
Over his simple head
And all the frogs went
La de da de da
La de da de da
In Xavier Rudd's song "Jack," the lyrics tell the story of young boy named Jack who is navigating life's struggles and hardships. The first stanza describes him standing with one foot in front of the other, nervously licking his lips as a train passes by. His mother has warned him about the dangers of playing near the tracks, as indicated by the line "His mother told him so, all the kids should know." Jack has some injuries from playing outside, the gravel causing him to have a sore hand, which he worries about getting back. Despite these challenges, Jack maintains a simple and innocent mindset, which is captured in the lines "And his simple mind/Would be settled in grace."
The second stanza jumps forward in time, and Jack is now being bullied by some other boys behind an ugly tea tree. Even though they torment him by smirking and throwing stones at him, Jack maintains his positive attitude and smiles back. However, the situation turns violent when the boys start physically attacking him, and Jack ends up in a pond beside the railway line. Interestingly, the song takes a surprising turn when the big fat bully starts drowning in that same pond, and Jack rushes to his aid to save him. After rescuing him, Jack covers his head with his hands, and they're joined by the croaking of frogs, symbolizing a moment of understanding between the two and a potential for redemption.
Overall, the song touches on several themes, including bullying, innocence, familial relationships, pain, and resilience. Perhaps the most striking aspect of the song is Jack's character, who confronts adversity with a strong sense of kindness and integrity.
Line by Line Meaning
Jack would stand one
Jack had a habit of standing straight, placing each foot one in front of the other
Foot in front of the
Jack would always keep his feet close while standing, with one foot in front of the other
Other foot and then
He would repeat the pattern by placing the other foot in front of the other one
Lick his lips again
Jack had a nervous habit of licking his lips when he was anxious or unsure
The train came past about
At around three o'clock, the train passed by
Three o'clock or so
This was the approximate time when the train usually passed by
His mother told him so
His mother would often advise him on various things
All the kids should know
She wanted all kids to be aware of certain things
His hand was sore from
Jack's hand was hurting because of the gravel rash he got from playing outside
All the gravel rash
The rough and scraped skin due to playing on the ground with gravel
Would he get it back
He wondered if his hand would ever heal
It looked just like the tracks
The injury on his hand appeared similar to the tracks left by the train
He must not take his shoes off yet
His mother advised him not to remove his shoes yet, presumably to avoid getting cold or dirty feet
His mother told him this
Jack's mother was always looking out for him and his well-being
Would there be hope someday
Jack was optimistic that things would be better in the future
Or would his spark slowly fade
He was afraid that his passion and energy would gradually diminish over time
This the boy who would smile
Jack was known for his cheerful demeanor and was often seen with a smile on his face
When his heart was in pain
Even during difficult times, he managed to stay positive and optimistic
And his simple mind
He had a straightforward and uncomplicated way of thinking
Would be settled in grace
Despite any challenges he faced, Jack had an inner sense of serenity and calmness
When he knelt down and spoke
Prayer and meditation were part of Jack's routine, and he would often kneel down to pray
To his father in his grave
Jack's father had passed away, and he would pray to him in the graveyard
The boys would hide
Jack's peers would often playfully tease him by hiding behind a tea tree
Behind the tea tree
The boys would use the tea tree as a hiding spot
The ugly tea tree
Although the tree may not have been aesthetically pleasing, it served its purpose as a hiding spot
The fucking tea tree
The boys used a rude or vulgar term to describe the tree, likely as a way to bond or feel closer to each other
They'd all jump out and
Once Jack got near the tree, everyone else would jump out and surprise him
Jack would smile at them
Despite the prank, Jack would always take it in stride and smile at his friends
And then they'd smirk at him
His friends would often follow up their prank with a smirk, indicating they found it amusing
And kick stones at him
As a part of their teasing, the boys would sometimes throw stones at Jack
The first punch came from
In one particular incident, the teasing escalated, and one of the boys punched Jack
The big fat one
The aggressor was a larger boy, who may have used his size to intimidate Jack
Then all the other ones
The rest of the group followed the lead of the first boy and started attacking Jack as well
He wondered what he'd done
Jack was confused about why he was suddenly being attacked by his friends
He'd end up in the little frog pond
As a result of the altercation, Jack ended up in a nearby pond filled with frogs
Beside the railway line
The pond was located near the train tracks
And then one day the
At a later date, something happened to one of the boys, changing the group dynamic
Big fat one
The same boy who punched Jack before was the one who ended up needing help
Was drowning in the pond
The boy fell into the pond and was having difficulty breathing
And crying for his mum
His mother was not present, and he was calling out for her
And jack came down
Despite their past, Jack was the one who came to the boy's rescue
And he pulled him out again
Jack was able to get the boy out of the pond and potentially save his life
And then he put his hands
After rescuing the boy, Jack comforted him by placing his hands on his head
Over his simple head
The gesture was simple yet powerful, and it showed Jack's compassion and empathy for his fellow human being
And all the frogs went
As if to acknowledge this act of kindness, the frogs nearby started singing
La de da de da
The sound of the frogs was peaceful and harmonious, adding to the overall sense of calm
Contributed by Caleb R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Douglas Jenkins
Jack would stand one
Foot in front of the
Other foot and then
Lick his lips again
The train came past about
Three o'clock or so
His mother told him so
All the kids should know
His hand was sore from
All the gravel rash
Would he get it back?
It looked just like the tracks
He must not take his shoes off yet
His mother told him this
Chorus:
Would there be hope someday
Or would his spark slowly fade
This the boy who would smile
When his heart was in pain
And his simple mind
Would be settled in grace
When he knelt down and spoke
To his father in his grave
The boys would hide
Behind the tea tree
The ugly tea tree
The fucking tea tree
They'd all jump out and
Jack would smile at them
And then they'd smirk at him
And kick stones at him
The first punch came from
The big fat one
Then all the other ones
He wondered what he'd done
He'd end up in the little frog pond
Beside the railway line
Chorus
And then one day the
Big fat one
Was drowning in the pond
And crying for his mum
And jack came down
And he pulled him out again
And then he put his hands
Over his simple head
And all the frogs went
La de da de da
La de da de da
Chorus
And all the frogs went
La de da de da
La de da de da
Jack Lees
Would be settled in grace
When he knelt down and spoke
To his father in his grave
The boys would hide
Behind the tea tree
The ugly tea tree
The fucking tea tree
They'd all jump out and
Jack would smile at them
And then they'd smirk at him
And kick stones at him
The first punch came from
The big fat one
Then all the other ones
He wondered what he'd done
He'd end up in the little frog pond
Beside the railway line
Chorus
And then one day the
Big fat one
Was drowning in the pond
And crying for his mum
And jack came down
And he pulled him out again
And then he put his hands
Over his simple head
And all the frogs went
La de da de da
La de da de da
Megan McClure
this song lives rent free in my heart and head always
Emma Dot
One of the many songs I remember from my childhood:)
Cam Geddes
Have you seen him live?!
Douglas Jenkins
Jack would stand one
Foot in front of the
Other foot and then
Lick his lips again
The train came past about
Three o'clock or so
His mother told him so
All the kids should know
His hand was sore from
All the gravel rash
Would he get it back?
It looked just like the tracks
He must not take his shoes off yet
His mother told him this
Chorus:
Would there be hope someday
Or would his spark slowly fade
This the boy who would smile
When his heart was in pain
And his simple mind
Would be settled in grace
When he knelt down and spoke
To his father in his grave
The boys would hide
Behind the tea tree
The ugly tea tree
The fucking tea tree
They'd all jump out and
Jack would smile at them
And then they'd smirk at him
And kick stones at him
The first punch came from
The big fat one
Then all the other ones
He wondered what he'd done
He'd end up in the little frog pond
Beside the railway line
Chorus
And then one day the
Big fat one
Was drowning in the pond
And crying for his mum
And jack came down
And he pulled him out again
And then he put his hands
Over his simple head
And all the frogs went
La de da de da
La de da de da
Chorus
And all the frogs went
La de da de da
La de da de da
Rui Araújo
A track that helped me grow through bullying, still underated decades after...No1 grows ears anymore... Its sad...
yellowskieify
I love this song so much.
Alex MacEachern
Driving around in Eddie Bower windows down just screaming this song at the top of are lungs .
Forever in my heart this one
Vicki Hare
Forever returning to this video to hear this every time I’m sad
a Wes
One man band ... Beautiful song.
Josh Hembrow
My names jack :D Been in love with his music for years and never realized this song was here!! Peace out to all Xx