Taken To The Wild

Album: Foundering (2022)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Jay Clifford, lead singer of the alt-rock band Jump, Little Children, told Songfacts that this thought-provoking track is about the trappings of social media. "I have kids and I watch what social media has done, especially to younger girls - it has this tendency to make you hate yourself, which is never good. And it does it to a series of attention captures so it sort of robs you of the beautiful world you live in. The idea of 'they've taken the picture but left you the frame.' You have this frame in your hand that you're focused on the whole time but the picture of yourself is gone," he explained in a 2022 interview.

    Although he thinks social media has been a mostly bad influence on people, he sees potential for it to be a positive force in the future. "I wouldn't categorize myself as a Luddite or that I'm being grumpy about the modern world because I love the modern world," he continued. "We live in some amazing times and I'm excited about the future. I'm an optimist at heart. Social media, like any other technology, it's sort of like nuclear power. You can power a city with it, or it can destroy us. I think we'll get this whole game dialed in so it's good for us as a whole. The last 10 years though, it's been largely negative for the world. I think it needs some restructuring."
  • This is included on the band's sixth and final studio album, Foundering, which was recorded after Matt and Evan Bivins left the band. Matt - who played several instruments in the band, including accordion, harmonica, and mandolin - was an original member, who co-founded the group with Clifford, cellist Ward Williams, and guitarist Christopher Pollen (whose own departure inspired their early single "Cathedrals") at the North Carolina School of the Arts in Winston-Salem in 1991. His brother Evan became their new drummer the following year after the group returned from a trip to Ireland.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)

Jason Newsted (ex-Metallica)Songwriter Interviews

The former Metallica bassist talks about his first time writing a song with James Hetfield, and how a hand-me-down iPad has changed his songwriting.

History Of Rock

History Of RockSong Writing

An interview with Dr. John Covach, music professor at the University of Rochester whose free online courses have become wildly popular.

Gilby Clarke

Gilby ClarkeSongwriter Interviews

The Guns N' Roses rhythm guitarist in the early '90s, Gilby talks about the band's implosion and the side projects it spawned.

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & Fire

Verdine White of Earth, Wind & FireSongwriter Interviews

The longtime bassist of Earth, Wind & Fire discusses how his band came to do a holiday album, and offers insight into some of the greatest dance/soul tunes of all-time.

Julian Lennon

Julian LennonSongwriter Interviews

Julian tells the stories behind his hits "Valotte" and "Too Late for Goodbyes," and fills us in on his many non-musical pursuits. Also: what MTV meant to his career.

Tom Keifer of Cinderella

Tom Keifer of CinderellaSongwriter Interviews

Tom talks about the evolution of Cinderella's songs through their first three albums, and how he writes as a solo artist.