Narrative in Song: Jesus Christ Taxi Driver
In 2023, the Colorado band Jesus Christ Taxi Driver released their first album, Lick My Soul. The album is filled with silly, rockabilly, and, in their own words, “joyfully irreverent noise.” It is bookended with grief, either in noise or in solace. Without further ado, on with the show!
Ding Dong The Beeves are Dead
Lick My Soul opens with a tribute of mourning for the lead vocalist’s prior band, The Beeves, as such “Ding Dong The Beeves are Dead” is a very fun experience to listen to with the rockabilly guitar, and the almost Beatles-esque vocal layering. “My band had plans, had fans, in demand, deadpanned, got canned, oh man.” are the opening lyrics of the song, of which lead the listener into the mind space of the narrator, of whom is recalling playing their last show, and is mourning their old band.
The hopping rhythm makes it difficult to not want to move, dance, tap your feet. This song has an emotion so deep, regardless of the lyrics, you can feel the music move you. This is truly amazing work, and you just have to listen to understand.
Diabolical Catholic
The narrator faces religion and his own relationship with God within this song. The classic rock feeling lifted straight from 1950s greaser rock is really felt in this song, yet with an essence of early 2000s indie. The bass and guitar bounce against each other as the song begins, “Dreams of heaven follow me around, the weight of sin is pinning me down.” The narrator is followed by Catholicism and idealistic heaven, which he fears he will never be a part of, “I’ll get a little mornin’ sun before life spills out, had my guns in a bunker in Manitou, Angels singing severing sounds” The narrator is implied to have shot somebody, being haunted by what he’s done, and wanting to try to still find salvation; however, Angels are “singing severing sounds” which eludes to rain and thunder. Generally, the idea that an Angel “sings” is usually that nature sounds are actually angels and a severing sound would be something that indicates an end, a doom of sorts, or even a large crash.
With this one line, you can interpret so much of what the band is picturing in front of the audience. The chorus rings out, “In the name of God, what did I do? Bloodied hands pray to you.” The band is using the narrator as a device to critique religion; the narrator has “bloodied hands”, which adds to the implication that he has killed somebody.. Further on, the song begins to critique Christian religion more directly by calling out the narrator's skewed morality and even a little bit of critique of America, “white people of America the beautiful American heart attack.” The implication here is that America as a system is inherently tied to church and God. A “good man” is a man who goes to church, as the song implies. Again, to really understand this song, you have to listen to the album, but just like “Ding Dong The Beeves are Dead,” “Diabolical Catholic” really just makes you want to move.
Roger
“Roger” is slow, it’s upsetting, it’s painful. “Roger dear, your father is here, just keep that hop in your step” The character of Roger clearly has a close relationship to the narrator, one that seems familial, or that of a close relationship, “Won’t be long till we’re all dead and gone, just please don’t leave me like this.” The narrator is worried about death, and specifically the death of Roger. The narrator seems to have a very close relationship with him, saying that there are only the two and nobody else matters. After this, however, the narrator shifts to anguish and exclaims, “You call yourself God, but I say you’re a fraud.” This song is picking up from “Diabolical Catholic” in its representation of Catholicism. The narrator is losing faith in religion after praying repeatedly, yet nothing comes to fruition. The picture is painted clearly that Roger is sick and that there is nothing to do to save him.
After this, an electrifying guitar solo takes center stage, almost wailing as if for a dead friend. The narrator declares, “You’d take him away, of course, and leave me with a sick remorse, so why did I believe you would save him.” Roger has died from sickness, and as such, the narrator has fully lost his belief in God, “You don’t love me, how could you love me.” He screams at the top of his lungs for a God that would not help him, who wouldn’t save the most important person in his life. “But I’ll miss you the most, my friend. You made me believe in the selflessness of mankind, and things would be better in time.” The narrator continues to grieve for Roger, implying that Roger helped him find God, though it is described here as the selflessness of mankind; rather, this idea that everyone is good, and will do things for their community, which the church typically advocates for. The irony is that Roger helped the narrator find God, and Roger’s death is what made him lose it.
Lick My Soul
There it is, a story from start to finish. Starting with the death of a band, and ending with the death of a friend, and the death of faith. Jesus Christ Taxi Driver are one of the best lyricists and storytellers in modern indie rock. Please do all you can to see them or even just listen to them. Their Spotify only has just over a thousand monthly listeners, and they deserve so much more. They are just finished touring this December, they came to Yakima on December the 6th, let’s all catch them live next time they come to the ‘Palm Springs’ of Washington!
