My Name Is Jonas
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Promotional CD - USA - 1st edition. |
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My Name Is Jonas is an alternative rock song by Weezer. A demo of the song was recorded in August of 1992 and placed as track 2 on the 1992 The Kitchen Tape demo and track 6 the Opposite Sides of the Same Good Ol' Fence demo which was released on 1992-09-04. The final album version was recorded in the summer of 1993 and released as track 1 on the album Weezer (Blue Album) on 1994-05-10. Three different promotional albums were released to advertise the band: there was a CD with just the song, a cassette with the song repeated three times on both sides, and a second cassette which had My Name Is Jonas once on the A-side and No One Else on the B-side.
Rivers Cuomo has explained that the song is about how "The Plan" is reaming everyone and how companies take advantage of ordinary people. "Jonas" comes from the Lois Lowry novel The Giver, and the "Wepeel" is a reference to a sled Cuomo had as a child.
The song was composed by Rivers, Patrick Wilson, and Jason Cropper. Rivers wrote the lyrics, melodies, and solos. Wilson wrote the main instrumentation, and Cropper wrote the acoustic guitar ditty used in the intro and outro. Strangely, Wilson and Cropper are not credited. On the recording, Rivers sings lead vocals, plays both lead and rhythm guitar (including Cropper's acoustic ditty), and harmonica. Patrick play drums, Brian Bell plays some guitar and sings backing vocals, and Matt Sharp plays bass and sings backing vocals. The song was produced by Ric Ocasek and the recording was engineered by Chris Shaw.
Contents
Personal
I first heard this song in middle school not too long after the album was released when a friend of mine bought the blue album. Later, I bought the album myself and listened to it a lot, giving this song a lot of play since it's the first track. The album doesn't include lyrics and Rivers vocals aren't especially clear, so I didn't really understand what the song was about, but I really loved the sound. Even after finding the lyrics on the Internet, I found them to be quite odd, and so poorly enunciated by Rivers, I still don't hear the words properly even when I know what they're supposed to be. I still don't fully understand the meaning behind the lyrics, but I continue to love the song. In particular, I enjoy how such a heavy sound is buttressed between Jason's melodious acoustic guitar, I like the driving distorted guitar throughout the song, the feedback between the first and second verse, the lead guitar between the "workers are going home" part at the end, the harmonica at the end.
Lyrics
My name is Jonas I'm carrying the wheel Thanks for all you've shown us This is how we feel Come sit next to me Pour yourself some tea Just like grandma made When we couldn't find sleep Things were better then Once, but never again We've all left the den Let me tell you 'bout it Choo-choo train left right on time Ticket costs only your mind Driver said, "Hey man, we go all the way" Of course we were willing to pay My name is Wepeel Gotta box full of your toys Fresh out of batteries But still makin' noise, makin' noise Tell me what to do Now the tank is dry Now this wheel is flat And you know what else? Guess what I received In the mail today Words of deep concern From my little brother Building's not going as he planned Foreman has injured his hand The dozer will not clear a path The driver swears he learned his math The workers are going home Workers are going home The workers are going home The workers are going home Yeah! The workers are going home The workers are going home The workers are going home Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! My name is Jonas
Media
Album Art
The promo CD is all blue, like the album. It does not have a cover.
The back of the CD tray lists some of the song's credits.
Videos
Links
