So, as to the question of the title, since I think the lyrical meaning is well-worn territory, with the all-but-certainly intended meaning rehashed a billion times on these pages...
I'm not sure I buy the assertion someone made that "Play Crack the Sky" is a reference to lightning. I also tend to think there's no way it refers to the rock band named Crack the Sky.
However, there is a song (and album) of that title released in '87 by this guy named Mylon LeFevre. The lyrics run thus:
"Sometimes at night I close my eyes and wish,
Sometimes I wonder if I'd ever be missed if you came for me,
If you came for me.
I've never asked you for a whole lot of things,
I've never begged you for the riches of kings,
But I've one request and I hold it up to you...
Come on and crack the sky for me,
Come on and crack the sky and take me home,
Take me home,
Come on and crack the sky for me,
Come on and crack the sky and take me home,
Take me home tonight.
I know you've got me where you want me to be,
I know you've got a plan to use in me but I long for you,
I long for you.
So, now I'll work until you're ready for me,
I don't know if I can guarantee that I'll never cry, never try to get to you.
Come on and crack the sky for me,
Come on and crack the sky and take me home,
Take me home,
Come on and crack the sky for me,
Come on and crack the sky and take me home,
Take me home tonight."
So, I'm thinking that's what the title alludes to. It kind of applies to the literal level of the narrative given by the lyrics; sailors who are facing their death. All that's left for him is for God to "crack the sky and take me home tonight." "Play 'Crack the Sky'" in particular, to me is sort of like a dying wish, the song he would want played at his funeral, or the song he would like to hear as he dies.
Utmost apologies if all of that has been gone through before, there are so many comments for this that I could never read them all to see. And of course that interpretation of the title is up for debate. But it makes way more sense to me than any other attempts I've seen to nail down what Lacey meant with it.
You're absolutely spot on with the reference to that song, and I have no idea how you managed to stumble across that without the back story.
However it has nothing at all to do with Jesse liking the song, or wanting it at his funeral or anything, actually the title is just intended to be a really obscure in-joke sort of thing. I've got a recording of one of his solo shows where he explains the story behind the title, I'll try and paraphrase it as best I can 'cause he goes off on a huge parallel story about it!
Basically, Jesse...
You're absolutely spot on with the reference to that song, and I have no idea how you managed to stumble across that without the back story.
However it has nothing at all to do with Jesse liking the song, or wanting it at his funeral or anything, actually the title is just intended to be a really obscure in-joke sort of thing. I've got a recording of one of his solo shows where he explains the story behind the title, I'll try and paraphrase it as best I can 'cause he goes off on a huge parallel story about it!
Basically, Jesse and John Nolan (of TBS) both went to christian school together, so John Nolan in particular was into a lot of christian metal. So he knew this Mylon LeFevre guy's band, whos only big 'hit' song was Crack the Sky. Jesse then goes on to say, when him and John had a band together in high school, they had a job working as stage-hands, for a christian group that toured round shopping centres etc and had musical performances and also people doing religious stuff, preaching to people or whatever. And in exchange for helping to set the stage up, they allowed Jesse and John's band to do a half hour set. But Jesse says he found it funny, because of all the 'bible thumpers' (Jesse's words, not mine... ha) nobody ever wanted to go near the stage, so the bands ended up just playing to nobody.
So, one time after they'd finished setting up, Jesse and John went out and just sat in the middle of this empty car park that the stage was in to see how funny it was watching the band playing to no one. And when the guy came on, John realised that he recognised the singer, and it was the Mylon LeFevre dude. Now Jesse explains that this guy had grown up, obviously grown out of his christian metal phase, and was clearly just trying to start over and, like, re-invent himself as a new musician/person even. Trying just to forget about the past stuff.
But John stands up, from the middle of the empty car park and shouts - just as the guy was stepping up to the mic - "Hey, play 'Crack the Sky!' ". Jesse says that you could just see the guy's spirit break, that the only person around in the whole place was someone who recognised him from his old life. Jesse says that for some reason, this was about the funniest thing he had ever witnessed.
So that's the story behind it! Ha. That's taken from one of Jesse Lacey's solo shows, in Jackson MS in 07 . I downloaded it all from somewhere if you want to find it, him telling the story is pretty funny, much better than my far too long written description =p
So, as to the question of the title, since I think the lyrical meaning is well-worn territory, with the all-but-certainly intended meaning rehashed a billion times on these pages...
I'm not sure I buy the assertion someone made that "Play Crack the Sky" is a reference to lightning. I also tend to think there's no way it refers to the rock band named Crack the Sky.
However, there is a song (and album) of that title released in '87 by this guy named Mylon LeFevre. The lyrics run thus:
"Sometimes at night I close my eyes and wish, Sometimes I wonder if I'd ever be missed if you came for me, If you came for me. I've never asked you for a whole lot of things, I've never begged you for the riches of kings, But I've one request and I hold it up to you...
Come on and crack the sky for me, Come on and crack the sky and take me home, Take me home, Come on and crack the sky for me, Come on and crack the sky and take me home, Take me home tonight.
I know you've got me where you want me to be, I know you've got a plan to use in me but I long for you, I long for you. So, now I'll work until you're ready for me, I don't know if I can guarantee that I'll never cry, never try to get to you.
Come on and crack the sky for me, Come on and crack the sky and take me home, Take me home, Come on and crack the sky for me, Come on and crack the sky and take me home, Take me home tonight."
So, I'm thinking that's what the title alludes to. It kind of applies to the literal level of the narrative given by the lyrics; sailors who are facing their death. All that's left for him is for God to "crack the sky and take me home tonight." "Play 'Crack the Sky'" in particular, to me is sort of like a dying wish, the song he would want played at his funeral, or the song he would like to hear as he dies.
Utmost apologies if all of that has been gone through before, there are so many comments for this that I could never read them all to see. And of course that interpretation of the title is up for debate. But it makes way more sense to me than any other attempts I've seen to nail down what Lacey meant with it.
You're absolutely spot on with the reference to that song, and I have no idea how you managed to stumble across that without the back story. However it has nothing at all to do with Jesse liking the song, or wanting it at his funeral or anything, actually the title is just intended to be a really obscure in-joke sort of thing. I've got a recording of one of his solo shows where he explains the story behind the title, I'll try and paraphrase it as best I can 'cause he goes off on a huge parallel story about it! Basically, Jesse...
You're absolutely spot on with the reference to that song, and I have no idea how you managed to stumble across that without the back story. However it has nothing at all to do with Jesse liking the song, or wanting it at his funeral or anything, actually the title is just intended to be a really obscure in-joke sort of thing. I've got a recording of one of his solo shows where he explains the story behind the title, I'll try and paraphrase it as best I can 'cause he goes off on a huge parallel story about it! Basically, Jesse and John Nolan (of TBS) both went to christian school together, so John Nolan in particular was into a lot of christian metal. So he knew this Mylon LeFevre guy's band, whos only big 'hit' song was Crack the Sky. Jesse then goes on to say, when him and John had a band together in high school, they had a job working as stage-hands, for a christian group that toured round shopping centres etc and had musical performances and also people doing religious stuff, preaching to people or whatever. And in exchange for helping to set the stage up, they allowed Jesse and John's band to do a half hour set. But Jesse says he found it funny, because of all the 'bible thumpers' (Jesse's words, not mine... ha) nobody ever wanted to go near the stage, so the bands ended up just playing to nobody.
So, one time after they'd finished setting up, Jesse and John went out and just sat in the middle of this empty car park that the stage was in to see how funny it was watching the band playing to no one. And when the guy came on, John realised that he recognised the singer, and it was the Mylon LeFevre dude. Now Jesse explains that this guy had grown up, obviously grown out of his christian metal phase, and was clearly just trying to start over and, like, re-invent himself as a new musician/person even. Trying just to forget about the past stuff. But John stands up, from the middle of the empty car park and shouts - just as the guy was stepping up to the mic - "Hey, play 'Crack the Sky!' ". Jesse says that you could just see the guy's spirit break, that the only person around in the whole place was someone who recognised him from his old life. Jesse says that for some reason, this was about the funniest thing he had ever witnessed. So that's the story behind it! Ha. That's taken from one of Jesse Lacey's solo shows, in Jackson MS in 07 . I downloaded it all from somewhere if you want to find it, him telling the story is pretty funny, much better than my far too long written description =p