All songs and videos on this site © Jonathan Ochshorn
Jaywalking, in this song, is a metaphor for revolution, or — according to my extemporaneous chatter at the start of this performance — for breaking rules. It's a kind of blues, but with a non-typical rhythmic structure. It's also one of my first songs, written way back in 1979. This is a live version, performed at the Tianjin University School of International Education New Year's Party on Dec. 30, 2016, in Tianjin, China. I was teaching there, in the School of Architecture, as a U.S. Fulbright Scholar for the fall 2016 semester. My GarageBand "studio" version, recorded in 2008, can be found here.
Jaywalking
Words and music © 1979 J. Ochshorn
1. Some people wait at the corner for the light to change
Wait for the signal to tell them to go ahead
Some people stand in the shadows as the cars go by
Stand when they could be running the show instead
[Chorus] Well they'll tell you it's wrong and that you really should wait
But this life isn't long and so before it's too late
I'm jaywalking — i'm jaywalking — I'm jaywalking — jaywalking to you
2. Sometimes the light is on red for a long long time
Seems like i might not get to the other side
I've seen a whole lot of people givin' up the fight
No one is gonna say that I never tried [Chorus]
[Instrumental break][Repeat verse 2]
Production notes:
I have no idea how this song was recorded; it sounds like a mic was placed in the room, so that there is quite a bit of background noise. There is also an unexplained explosive buzz near the end of the performance.
First posted 25 January 2017. Last updated: 25 January 2017