According to Songfacts, Bonnette, who is also the lyricist of the band (with upright bass player Ben Gallant handling most of the production and some vocals as well) volunteered at a suicide prevention hotline for teenagers for eight years, and worked with homeless men and women in the Phoenix, Arizona area. These experiences gave him a sometimes bleak, but at moments, hopeful outlook on life, often reflected in the band's lyrics.
On Halloween 2005, Andrew Jackson Jihad covered Neutral Milk Hotel's In the Aeroplane Over the Sea album in its entirety at CounterCulture Cafe.
Their biggest performance to date has been in their hometown with Flogging Molly and Authority Zero on St. Patrick's Day 2006.
On April 15, 2006, the band played as part of the 2006 New Times Music Showcase, nominated for Best Americana Band, and won a 2006 Best of Phoenix later that year.
Besides their local shows, where they have become arguably the most prominent representative in Arizona of the DIY ethic, they have also toured in clubs and basements across the Western United States, appearing at such venues as the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, CA. One show in Kimberly, Idaho saw the band in a cowboy bar and leaving the premises as soon as possible after the show.
Andrew Jackson Jihad also performed at St. Augustine, Florida's second annual Harvest of Hope Festival in 2010. They played a dual set with Bomb the Music Industry!
In 2016, the band officially changed their name from "Andrew Jackson Jihad" to AJJ (a moniker that many of their fanbase had been using to refer to them for several years). In a statement on the band's website, Bonnette wrote "1.) We are not Muslims, and as such, it is disrespectful and irresponsible for us to use the word jihad in our band’s name. 2.) We no longer wish to be a living reminder of president Andrew Jackson. Interesting historical figure as he was, he was an odious person and our fascination with him has grown stale."
People Ii: The Reckoning
ajj Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We know this to be true
Everything is difficult except what's in front of you
But it's complicated even under your nose
Bullshit math equations
Your highs and your lows
And your manic depression
Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts
And you're in fight or flight mode
How's the world so small when the world is so large?
And what made the world
Could I please speak to who's in charge?
Everything is real
But it's also just as fake
From your daughter's birthday party
To your grandmother's wake
And your bipolar illness
It comes and it goes
Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts
And you're in fight or flight mode
I've tried to know which words to sing so many times
I tried to know which chord to play
And I tried to make it rhyme
I tried to find the key that all good songs are in
And I tried to find that notes to make that great, resounding din
But there's a bad man in everyone
No matter who we are
There's a rapist and a Nazi living in our tiny hearts
Child pornographers and cannibals, and politicians too
There's someone in your head waiting to fucking strangle you
So here's to you Mrs. Robinson
People love you more
Oh nevermind
In fucking fact Mrs. Robinson
The world won't care whether you live or die
In fucking fact Mrs. Robinson
They probably hate to see your stupid face
So here's to you Mrs. Robinson
You live in an unforgiving place
In "People II: The Reckoning," AJJ provides a commentary on the complexities of the human experience. The first verse acknowledges the limitations of knowledge and understanding, highlighting the difficulty of comprehending everything that exists beyond our immediate surroundings. Further, life is full of contradictions, and even within our own bodies, we experience opposing forces, such as our highs and lows, and how our parasympathetic nervous system responds to stressors in our environment. The second verse explores existential questions about the nature of reality and our place in the world. The singer contemplates the dualities of life, such as the real versus the fake, and the existence of both good and evil within everyone, including ourselves.
The final verse directs the focus to a specific person, Mrs. Robinson, and highlights the bitter reality that sometimes the world can be unforgiving and unfair. This ending is a stark contrast to the previous verses, which speak in more general terms about the difficulties of life. However, the reference to Mrs. Robinson also brings to light the struggle of individual people in harsh environments. In this way, the song serves as a reminder that though life might be difficult and unfair, we should still try to empathize with others and offer support in whatever ways we can.
Line by Line Meaning
Nobody knows everything
It's impossible for anyone to be completely knowledgeable about everything
We know this to be true
This is an undeniable fact
Everything is difficult except what's in front of you
Things tend to appear more challenging when viewed from a distance
But it's complicated even under your nose
Even things that seem simple can have underlying complexities
Bullshit math equations
Complicated problems that are difficult to solve
Your highs and your lows
The emotional ups and downs experienced throughout life
And your manic depression
A psychological condition characterized by extreme changes in mood
It comes and it goes
Manic depression can go through cycles of intensity
Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts
Autonomic responses to external stimuli
And you're in fight or flight mode
The body's response to perceived danger or threat
How's the world so small when the world is so large?
Although the world is vast, it can seem small due to our interconnectedness
And what made the world
A question about the origins of the world
Could I please speak to who's in charge?
A desire to communicate with those who are responsible for the state of the world
Everything is real
The world is genuine and exists
But it's also just as fake
The world is also filled with illusions and facades
From your daughter's birthday party
An example of a joyful celebration
To your grandmother's wake
An example of a somber occasion
And your bipolar illness
A mental illness characterized by extreme changes in mood
I've tried to know which words to sing so many times
The struggle to express oneself effectively through music or language
I tried to know which chord to play
The challenge of finding the right sound to complement the words
And I tried to make it rhyme
The desire to create a pleasing, poetic effect with one's lyrics
I tried to find the key that all good songs are in
The search for the fundamental elements that make a song great
And I tried to find that notes to make that great, resounding din
The aspiration to make a powerful and memorable sound
But there's a bad man in everyone
Everyone has the capacity to do terrible things
No matter who we are
This is true for every person, regardless of background or circumstances
There's a rapist and a Nazi living in our tiny hearts
A metaphor for the potential for evil within every individual
Child pornographers and cannibals, and politicians too
Examples of individuals who have committed heinous acts
There's someone in your head waiting to fucking strangle you
The presence of inner demons that can cause harm
So here's to you Mrs. Robinson
A toast or a sarcastic remark towards a particular individual
People love you more
A common misconception that people are capable of unconditional love
Oh nevermind
A dismissal of the previous statement
In fucking fact Mrs. Robinson
A tone of anger towards the individual being addressed
The world won't care whether you live or die
A commentary on the lack of empathy in society
They probably hate to see your stupid face
An insult towards the individual being addressed
You live in an unforgiving place
A commentary on the harshness of the world
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kingjules8744
… Nobody knows everything
We know this to be true
Everything is difficult
Except what's in front of you
But it's complicated even under your nose
Bullshit math equations
And your highs and your lows
And your manic depression
It comes and it goes
Your parasympathetic nervous system reacts
And you're in fight-or-flight mode
… How's the world so small when the world is so large?
And what made the world, could I please speak to who's in charge?
Everything is real but it's also just as fake
From your daughter's birthday party to your grandmother's wake
And your Bipolar illness, it comes and it goes
You parasympathetic nervous system reacts
And you're in fight or flight
You're in fight or flight
You're in fight or flight mode
… I've tried to know which words to sing so many times
And I've tried to know which chords to play
And I've tried to make it rhyme
And I've tried to find the key that all good songs are in
And I've tried to find the notes to make that great resounding din
… But there's a bad man in everyone
No matter who we are
There's a rapist and a Nazi living in our tiny hearts
Child pornographers and cannibals, and politicians too
There's someone in your head waiting to fucking strangle you
… So here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
People love you more, oh never-mind
Oh, never-mind
In fucking fact, Mrs. Robinson
The world won't care whether you live or die
You live or die
In fucking fact, Mrs. Robinson
They probably hate to see your stupid face
Your stupid face
So here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
You live in an unforgiving place
@ricky.888
In fucking fact, Mrs. Robinson always gets me.
@alexmalhavok8624
One of my favorite outro's ^!!!
@haylei2804
Love You.
@Eleanore.Rigbyy
Its my favorite part. Always makes me go FUCK YOU to Mrs.Robinson lmao
@tatianayoung4700
Most school teachers lol
@daniellee691
Same
@lilpancakes6228
Mrs. Robinson diss track
@embernoble8510
I must now find someone called Mrs. Robinson and sing this to her
@masdavis236
They were feeling some kind of way about the Beatles
@Seewhathappens101
SCREAMING 🤣🤣🤣