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what´s the story behind Jefferson?
28 replies
Permaniac said on May 1, 2004 21:41:
what is about this song? who is Jefferson? why he or she is so out of luck? perhaps it´s a stupid question but who is really sally? etc? :P
Jackeill said on May 1, 2004 22:55:
yep, it’s a cat, which is hit by a truck. it dies in a snow by the road... sad story :(
sally is another cat, of course.
[;
Rich-UK said on May 2, 2004 01:06:
Yeah, you can hear all the cat noises in the background (behind the guitars) if you listen closely. Very sad about the truck...
Jud (moderator) said on May 2, 2004 10:54:
actually I thought it was a friend of the dogs Lars och Urban...
n-Somnia said on May 3, 2004 05:13:
Don’t think it’s an animal of any kind...because why would the cops come in and take it by surprise? :P
roxcyn said on May 4, 2004 02:02:
I’m sorry about Jefferson being a cat, but I DON’T believe it!
Quotes from the song:
“I’m going to pray for Jefferson’s soul” and “Jefferson is alway on my mind/ When him and me were runnin’ out of time...The cops came in and took him by surprise...” “I do believe he didn’t do wrong, I say a prayer for someone I care for.”
Evidence how Jefferson is not a cat:
1) How does a cat run with a human?! (how many cats have you seen run with their owners?!)
2) How CAT CANNOT be arrested by the police?
3) Why does someone pray for their pet’s soul? I know we all lose pets, but I’ve never knew anyone who would pray for their dead pet.
4) I’ve listened to this song over and over, probably one of my favorites and I’ve now listening to it: no cat sounds!
Here is how I see the song (of course there are lots of readings we could make...):
1) Classmates/associates (represented by Per and Marie) of a guy who was called Jefferson robbed some shop with his “friends”. Jefferson was in love with a girl named Sally. Jefferson’s ’friends” had sex with her, and Jefferson was so sad at them! The classmates (these classmates were not his “friends”, they were on the outside looking in, and describing what happened) are now honoring their classmate/associate in the song.
Evidence to support theory (1):
”...Sally really stole the show...”/ “Sally (he was surprised by her beauty at the dance, it was love at first sight)
“That night when Sally really gave it all...” (for example “..gave it all...” had sex, surrendered to sex (ironically “surrender,” a song by Roxette!))
“And made us small boys look quite tall...” (for example make us feel older, gave us sex and made us feel like grown men)
“Poor old Jefferson left the ball...”
He didn’t have sex with Sally, was angry that she would be attracted to his friends!
“Jefferson was always out of luck. Jefferson got hit by a westbound truck.....Poor old Jefferson was left in the snow...”
To me this song is saying that he had these so called “friends,” but whenever he found a girl or some success they would always try to take it away from him. I’m sure we’ve known someone like this?
I am assuming Jefferson is dead. It says he was hit by a truck, I’m thinking he committed suicide because he could no longer take what his “friends” did to him (had sex with the one he loved!). Reminds me of the “Kix” video where the girl is standing in front of the truck as Per sings “it’s not that funny is it?”
flower said on May 4, 2004 07:00:
@Roxcyn: I think you’ve captured it right but I like the cat-point if view better. ;P
P-p-p-pelle said on May 4, 2004 08:34:
I know it seems really, really stupid and no one will agree, but I think Jefferson is a pet, more specific a turtle. Turtle are strong animals with a very strong body (cover shield). Significant research proves that turtles can be hit by cars and survive damageless mainly because of their shield. (I guess that didn’t make him look like a million bucks).
There’s more to feed my vision: in winter times when it’s really cold turtles sleep under the ground. When (most of) human beings are having good times listening to (good) music next to the fire place or go out to a cosy restaurant or funny disco, turtles are sleeping in complete loneliness (That night when Sally really stole the show And every boy was captured diggin’ for gold Poor old Jefferson was left in the snow)
Turtles are known as very slow animals and some kinds of turtles are forbidden by law or can only be held with necessary documents (When him and me were runnin’ out of time Jefferson was sure enough left behind The cops came in and took him by surprise)
In general when people are getting angry they blame someone else who can’t defend him/herself. Pets are very often the victims of human anger (Poor old Jefferson got the blame)
The singer prays for Jefferson since Jefferson is old and in bad condition. But at the end of the song Jefferson dies leaving everyone behind in an eternall sadness (That night where Sally really gave it all And made us small boys look quite tall
Poor old Jefferson left the ball)
But Roxcyn’s vision is nice too.
Roxlander said on May 7, 2004 20:51:
Nice theories but... I don’t think so! How can Jefferson be an animal?!
This is one of my favourite Roxsongs, and it’s a really sad story about someone destined to lose (always out of luck). Jefferson was a Per’s good friend when they were younger (I remember when we both grew up/Someone I care for/Him and me ruuning out of time). He was involved in an accident and he was desfigured (Hit by westbound truck/Didn’t make him look like a million bucks). Sally was someone important in his life, maybe someone he was in love with, or even a sister. She was quite the opposite to him, she was successful and probably very beautiful (Stole the show/Showed her game). Maybe she took advantage of him and did something which Jefferson was blamed for (Sally really showed her game, Jefferson got the blame). He went to jail (Cops came in and took him by surprise). Somehow Jefferson died (Pray for Jefferson’s soul) even when he did nothing wrong (I do believe he didn’t do wrong)
For me that’s the story... a poor boy who died for a worthless love :-(
Santi said on May 8, 2004 05:27:
Doesn’t ever occur to any of you that maybe some songs have no point at all and the lyrics are just written because they rhyme?
Because I have read that many songwriters do just that...
MiracleMan said on May 8, 2004 15:45:
Pooooooooooor kitty-turtle. Sexy kitty-turtle Sally just led him on and he couldn’t pay attention to kitty-turtle traffic. Probably removed her shell and showed them what a girl kitty-turtle has underneath. Such a tease.
tinytim said on May 12, 2004 01:35:
I guess you haven’t got another interesting point here:
Is Jefferson’s Sally the same Oasis’s Don’t look back in anger’s Sally?
It seems she’s causing outrage to many men, after all she asks the singer to don’t look back that way...
I believe she came from a big town...she moved to a smaller one and tricked everybody there...she gave chances to many boys and involved all of them in the same dirty drama. I knew a girl like that called Karla.
hehehhee...
Santi said on May 12, 2004 05:01:
She’s “Sally Cinnamon” from Stone Roses’s song :D (who is the same as in Oasis’ DLBIA, btw...) Oasis are also fans of The Stone Roses!
DaminehGessle said on May 12, 2004 08:17:
It’s been a long day, very long day. Just finished an assignment at 1:23AM, decided to check TDR out. This thread cracked me up. HAHAHAHA! You guys are awesome. I laughed!
Roxlander said on May 12, 2004 20:22:
@tinytim, I also got my own Karla b**ch. What a tricky false girl! Definitely Sally must be her alias and Per knows her too ;-)
ditroia said on May 16, 2004 16:00:
Marie: “Jefferson is one of the first songs we recorded, um I really like that song it’s one of my favourites.” “It’s very very sad lyric and you sing it very very well.”
Per: “Thank You Dear.”
Marie: “I really love it, It’s great.” “Maybe you can tell the story about it.”
Per: “Yeah Well I wrote..., [Marie Interupts inaudable] First of all this sort of style is very much, if you wake me up in the middle of the night and ask me to write a song, It’ll probably turn out to be like a Jefferson style song.” “Ah and writing it I had this idea of writing a story of this person, Couldn’t find a name and then I thought... When I was writing the chorus I started singing an old Jefferson airplane song, [Laughs], so I thought oh thats a good name for this guy.. ah Jefferson, because it’s sort of not that common name.” “So thats why it;s called Jefferson.”
“True.”
Dave
Santi said on May 16, 2004 19:04:
“Somebody to love” by Jefferson Airplane sounds like the chorus of this song.
roxcyn said on May 18, 2004 00:53:
to Roxlander, in English classes the teachers say there is no right or wrong reading of a work, so the same goes for a song, one cannot read it right nor wrong, but I like your interpetation of it, and who knows Jefferson could be an animal? :D
Roxlander said on May 18, 2004 22:08:
@roxcyn, thank you. You might be right, I think Per is the only one who one day can answer our question. By now Jefferson will remain in mystery along with Sally, Jane and even Cooper ;-p
tinytim said on May 19, 2004 01:06:
OK, now the cool thing here: how do u imagine they possibly look like?
I imagine Cooper as a long light brown hair woman, 25-27, tall, slim, with 70’s fashion jeans (and jacket), some bag being carried, a tough look on her eyebrows, but a makeup that reveals a certain bitter feeling inside.
I imagine Jefferson a thick glasses guy, 21, not fat, not slim, wearing something between nerdish and ’cool’...the basic, inocent clothing, nothing to wake commentaries...
I imagine Sally as a short girl, 19, green eyes, dark blonde hair, braids, always tight clothing, tenis shoes...but always something on her tight clothing, with the purpose of don’t reveal the view of her shapes - even partial - with a subtle price...well, that’s it...oh yeah, and she loves to drink...the closest drink to what’s soft and refined...no beer.
Santi said on May 1, 2004 22:36:
Jefferson is a cat, obviously. :P