Three Sheets to Kishkiyya · Track 90 · middle
Jim-Jams
VOLUME IV — the HUNGOVER morning after. The idiom and the song's title hook: "Jim-Jams". Its true history: England, 19-20th c. — the jitters, shakes and nervous discomfort the morning after. Render this beat of the night as the band's affectionate, funny, celebratory tribute — the idiom itself is the chorus hook.
Lyrics
[Intro] Wake up! Look at your hands! [Verse 1] The sun is up and it's far too loud The blankets are a twisted cloud I reach an arm for the water cup But the skeleton keeps on rattling up It’s a 19th-century parlor game When London gave the fear a name Back in 1890 they wrote it down The shivers that conquer a sleeping town [Chorus] You got the jim-jams! The morning-after shakes Every little fiber wakes You got the jim-jams! A frantic little drum Look at the machine you have become! A trembling, rattling, nervous fright From a truly spectacular Friday night [Verse 2] The coffee mug is a deadly threat You haven't managed to grip it yet You’re a buzzing wire, a telegraph line Sending a frantic distress sign The English gave it a bouncing ring To soften the edge of a jagged thing It’s a jittery waltz in the morning glare And you're vibrating right out of the chair [Chorus] You got the jim-jams! The morning-after shakes Every little fiber wakes You got the jim-jams! A frantic little drum Look at the machine you have become! A trembling, rattling, nervous fright From a truly spectacular Friday night [Bridge] Hold it steady! Try to stand Look at the blur of your own right hand It’s a beautiful panic, a high-speed thrill The glorious proof you are breathing still! [Outro] Shake it off, shake it out That's what the jim-jams are all about Just a frantic, rattling, glorious mess We wouldn't ask for a fraction less So rattle the saucer and spill the tea The whole room is jumping, not just me It's all jumping... the walls and the floor.