jumping jesus
"what's a room with all this yellow for?"

Of all the "non album songs" the Crows had ever done, THIS was the song I most wanted to listen to first. I don't know why, but I found the title "Jumping Jesus" to be such a cool name.

Then I learned that it was a covers song by a group called Sordid Humor, and I was like, "wow, now that's an even cooler name", I don't know why, but it really appealed to me....

Anyway, back to the song, In my polls section, this song has come up more frequently in people's "least favorite cover song", for good reason I guess. It's not a very attractive song. The lyrics are rather, blah and abstract even for me. And well, it's not really that catchy over all. BUt you know what? I like the song...a lot.

The first thing that sold me was the power of the chorus, the imagery of "my oh my he's got a great big bottle of sunshine" was rather interesting. The central character in the song seems to be surrounded with such desolation and hopelessness, this is reflected so much in the mood of the song, very low and desperate. But the initial "unintersting" lyrics take in a new meaning. "what's a room with so much yellow for?" Yelow conotes positiveness, happiness....yet the song asks, how the hell can this guy be so "positive" with all this shit around him? And the answer..."I don't know"...but the later chorus later urges the listener to "get inside". Try to find out what's keeping this guy going, keeping him so positive amidst all this strife. It's an invitation, it's a challenge to see what "all this yellow is for?"

Tom Barnes(singer of Sordid Humor) in my book seems to be a real good lyricist, producing lines like "hello my sweet orangutang" and "she lives alone in her private archipealago" that don't seem to make sense at first glance but do over time, and make great additions to any Crow song. Jumping Jesus is just the tip of the ice berg...if you didn't like it before, listen to it again, and again.....and to think, I didn't even mention the great harmonizing and melodies/blending of the chorus..coool!