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Jump, Little Children — Words of Wisdom
Album: Vertigo
Avg rating:
6.3

Your rating:
Total ratings: 670









Released: 2001
Length: 3:52
Plays (last 30 days): 1
All my father's legacy is handed down on angel wings
A bittersweet melody is now mine to sing
Every precious memory
And broken-hearted tragedy
Will walk into eternity
But not fade away

If you will go and not return
Leave me some words of wisdom
If I cannot follow anymore
I promise to teach what I have learned
If you will go and not return

How do years so far away
So suddenly evaporate?
Fourtune smiles with teeth of jade
And the greediest eyesHow I long for that embrace
The strongest arms and troubled face
Smoky air and awkward grace
That made me feel safe

If you will go and not return
Leave me some words of wisdom
If I cannot follow anymore
I promise to teach what I have learned
If you will go and not return

Who was it that said to me
That heroes will live forever?
And where are they now
Now that I'm standing alone?

If you will go and not return
Leave me some words of wisdom
If I cannot follow anymore
I promise to teach what I have learned
If you will go and not return
Comments (73)add comment
Simply beautiful. 
Wish I knew about this song when my father passed, it would have been a great tribute to him. 
Just found this in my playlist.  Utterly delightful with a lovely hook.  More please.
i love almost everything jump, little children does.

also, this is one of my favorite cover art.
 SquiddlyDiddly wrote:

There are times I really don't understand why a track made it to the playlist. This is one of those times. RP should all be about 'outstanding' - all of the time. Sorry, this is very average. . . 



Wouldn't the world be an awfully boring place if we all had the same musical taste?
 SquiddlyDiddly wrote:

There are times I really don't understand why a track made it to the playlist. This is one of those times. RP should all be about 'outstanding' - all of the time. Sorry, this is very average. . . 



Funny, I gave it a 9.  I wonder whose opinion is correct?
 SquiddlyDiddly wrote:
There are times I really don't understand why a track made it to the playlist. This is one of those times. RP should all be about 'outstanding' - all of the time. Sorry, this is very average. . . 
 
Because your average is someone else's outstanding.  Many 6-average songs here I rate much higher. 
There are times I really don't understand why a track made it to the playlist. This is one of those times. RP should all be about 'outstanding' - all of the time. Sorry, this is very average. . . 
I thought it was a cover of A case of you, before he began singing
 On_The_Beach wrote:

James Blunt has edge, innovation and attitude?

 
Sometimes irony doesn't cross the ocean as well as it should... :(

Never really liked this band and I have seen them a couple of times at very festivals and what not.


 fredriley wrote:
... from the soporific Nottingham jury {#Sleep}
 



 
Fred, you've never once put me to sleep.  


 fredriley wrote:
Like James Blunt. Without the edge or innovation or attitude. More than 3 notes in the vocals would be nice. Mute on, iTunes on. 2 from the soporific Nottingham jury {#Sleep}
 

To each his own, I guess. I'd take Jump over James Blunt any day of the week. James's voice doesn't hold a candle to Jay's. To me, Jay's voice compares pretty favorably to Jeff Buckley's (though I agree that the vocal range he has isn't very evident on this track). I'd recommend checking out other songs on this CD (especially "Angel Dust", "Mothers Eyes", and "Come Around"), if you're up for giving them another shot.

For those interested, this song was written as a tribute to the father of two of the band members, as he was dying of cancer. Very touching lyrics, especially when put into that context.

Who was it that said to me
That heroes will live forever?
Where are they now,
Now that I'm standing alone?

If you will go and not return,
Leave me some words of wisdom.
If I cannot follow where you go,
I'll promise to teach what I have heard.


 fredriley wrote:
Like James Blunt. Without the edge or innovation or attitude. More than 3 notes in the vocals would be nice. Mute on, iTunes on. 2 from the soporific Nottingham jury
 
James Blunt has edge, innovation and attitude?

Like James Blunt. Without the edge or innovation or attitude. More than 3 notes in the vocals would be nice. Mute on, iTunes on. 2 from the soporific Nottingham jury {#Sleep}
I thought this read "Jump Little Chikens" -  A way better name for a band
 Danimal174 wrote:


Jay's voice, to me, has always sounded like a cross between Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright.

Absolutely great vocal range, and really something to see in concert, especially if you are able to catch one of his acoustic shows, where it's just him playing guitar and singing.
 
If only he'd have more shows!  I keep missing him.  It's bad enough that I discovered JLC after their end, so I'm dying to see Jay.

 handyrae wrote:
The singer sounds like an improved Rufus Wainwright — quirkly but enjoyable as opposed to annoying.
 
I am hearing The Fray, only with less emo.

 nagsheadlocal wrote:
My daughter turned me on to this band - thanks, Alex!

Having adult children is way more fun than I thought it would be.
 
Sure is, isn't it. My son and daughter are constantly turning me on to new bands. And then there's the phone call: "Hey dad, I've got an extra ticket to Flogging Molly. You busy on Tuesday?" Happens just enough to keep me guessing and rocking.

Then I dig through their CDs and scan their iPods, and find all the stuff that I played when they were growing up. Music cuts across the years.

Not nearly as nasal as RW.

 
meadowwoods wrote:

thought it was Rufus, too.
 


 handyrae wrote:
The singer sounds like an improved Rufus Wainwright — quirkly but enjoyable as opposed to annoying.
 

Jay's voice, to me, has always sounded like a cross between Jeff Buckley and Rufus Wainwright.

Absolutely great vocal range, and really something to see in concert, especially if you are able to catch one of his acoustic shows, where it's just him playing guitar and singing.
 handyrae wrote:
The singer sounds like an improved Rufus Wainwright — quirkly but enjoyable as opposed to annoying.
 
thought it was Rufus, too.


The singer sounds like an improved Rufus Wainwright — quirkly but enjoyable as opposed to annoying.
My daughter turned me on to this band - thanks, Alex!

Having adult children is way more fun than I thought it would be.

For fans of this song & band...Jay Clifford (the lead singer of the, sadly, now defunct Jump, Little Children) now has a new solo CD out, called "Driving Blind". Zach Braff (of "Scrubs" and "Garden State" fame) recently directed a video for the first single, "Know When To Walk Away", which was also recently featured on "Grey's Anatomy".

Overall, the CD is very good. A little more radio-friendly than some of Jump's stuff (reminds me a lot of "Between The Dim & The Dark"). You can purchase it via his MySpace page, CD Baby, CD Universe, BuySwag, and Amazon.com (as mp3's only on Amazon). I'll be adding a few songs from this CD to the LRC page on RP, as I get free slots.


Very nice.
i love this band. both versions. and i love this cd cover...it was a good purchase.
Very nice sound!  I'm susceptible to this kind of well made light pop.  More, please!
I found out about this band right around the time they packed up. At least they left me some words of wisdom.
One of my favorite bands. Great, touching lyrics that were written in honor of the dad of two of the band members, who died of cancer.
sounds influenced by Janis Ian's song Seventeen...
Tana wrote:
When you click on the album link, it says Little Children Jump rather than Jump Little Children.
In my experience they do.
pescivendolo wrote:
It's fantastic. As is its predecessor, Magazine.
Just dusted off the old Licorice Tea Demos a couple weeks ago. Used to listen to that in high school on the way down to Charleston. Miss those days, and I miss seeing Jump down there or here in Columbia.
Wizzuvv_oz wrote:
Is this album any good?
It's fantastic. As is its predecessor, Magazine.
Is this album any good?
When you click on the album link, it says Little Children Jump rather than Jump Little Children.
Sounds like Judd Bolger from Judd and Maggie
la-de-dah-de-dah-de-dah....
Jay Clifford has 10 times better voice than the guy from Fray and this band has 100 times the talent. electronicshaman wrote:
sounds like the guy from The Fray and just as uninspiring
This is beautiful. Thanks for this.
Enjoyable, but not as strong as "Magazine"
sounds like the guy from The Fray and just as uninspiring
wow, this sounds like one of the Wainwrights!
This is just want I need to hear right now A song for every mood on RP!
*sigh* Such a lovely song and a wonderful band.
Sadly, the band is no more.
at first it sounded like ron sexsmith
Just added this CD to my ever growing collection (thanks RP). Great stuff!
Did I detect a skip in the song?
Aaaaah, this thing happens to incoporate the same note sequence as the verses from James K. Polk by They Might Be Giants. Make it go away!
Beautiful. I have ".. Dim and the Dark", but hadn;t heard this one before. What a voice. As Linda Richman says, " It's like Buttah' "
earthbased wrote:
Just like the way that guy sings...
I agree. Very enjoyable to listen to.
Just like the way that guy sings...
JokesandJokesandJokes wrote:
6th snoozer in a row Go Bill!!!
STFU!! Oh wait, you're gone. Ha ha. Man, I can't tell ya how much I dig JLC/Jump. Excellent tune.
Please to play 'IN HERE'.
Joyfulchristine wrote:
I wish I could put the lead singer into Henry Higgins' care for a few days. He really needs to learn to enunciate! Other than his annoying habit of singing with a mouthful of marbles, it's a pretty song.
funny. i love his lack of enunciation, for some weird reason. i usually don't like it, but this guy.. he makes my pants do strange things, sometimes. heh.
6th snoozer in a row Go Bill!!!
ah! i love jump! i also love exclamation points!
This is one of my favorite Jump, Little Children songs. It's so moving and sweet and I wish more people could have heard it when it came out after 9/11. I think it would have been meaningful to so many who lost loved ones that day. See what you think they sound like now - 2004. A new album arrives April 20, 2004. For a preview, check out this tune. (click here) I think they sound like Jump. Just Jump. Nothing else. This album is going to be great.
I hear Rufus Wainwright more than Jeff Buckley.
Joyfulchristine wrote:
I wish I could put the lead singer into Henry Higgins' care for a few days. He really needs to learn to enunciate! Other than his annoying habit of singing with a mouthful of marbles, it's a pretty song.
in their early irish folk rock days, jay actually DID enunciate a lot, and that style really just doesn't suit his voice. he does better hitting notes for a long time and when he enunciates it just makes him sound choppy and doesn't do his voice justice.
parkov wrote:
I saw these guys in concert a few years ago. They seemed more influenced by Jeff Buckley than Radiohead, if I recall correctly.
right on. i completely agree - i heard jeff buckley from the start. good song.
barclayM wrote:
I love this song- one of my favorites
exactly. i wish they'd play more jump, little childen.
I saw these guys in concert a few years ago. They seemed more influenced by Jeff Buckley than Radiohead, if I recall correctly.
Very enjoyable. I like!
I wish I could put the lead singer into Henry Higgins\' care for a few days. He really needs to learn to enunciate! Other than his annoying habit of singing with a mouthful of marbles, it\'s a pretty song.
Mr. Soprano commented \"Radio Head ripoff\" I don\'t think that\'s rightly, though I recognize the connection. This band has got enough to convince on their own terms.
I absolutely love this song - and I had never even heard of this group before RP.