"Jumper" is a song by American
rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
Third Eye Blind
Third Eye Blind is an American rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1993. After years of lineup changes in the early and mid-1990s, the songwriting duo of Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan signed the band's first major-label reco ...
from their
eponymous debut studio album (1997). The song was written and produced by frontman
Stephan Jenkins, with additional production by
Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets ...
.
Elektra Records
Elektra Records (or Elektra Entertainment) is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group, founded in 1950 by Jac Holzman and Paul Rickolt. It played an important role in the development of contemporary folk and rock music between the ...
released it as the fifth and final single from the album on August 4, 1998. An
alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
and
acoustic power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
song, "Jumper"'s lyrics concern an act of
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death.
Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
, as Jenkins urges for a greater amount of human compassion.
Music critics found the lyrics of "Jumper" to tread familiar territory, but some of them praised the track's overall composition. In the United States, the song peaked at number five on the
''Billboard'' Hot 100 in addition to peaking in the top ten for several genre-specific charts. It also reached the top ten in Canada. The song was recorded and mixed in and around San Francisco at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch, H.O.S., and The Site by Valentine. "Jumper" is a
lament
A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...
centrally inspired by the suicide of a bullied
gay teenager. However, Jenkins also was inspired by his own dysfunctional experiences when growing up. The instrumentation used in the song includes
guitar
The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...
s, and a
piano
A piano is a keyboard instrument that produces sound when its keys are depressed, activating an Action (music), action mechanism where hammers strike String (music), strings. Modern pianos have a row of 88 black and white keys, tuned to a c ...
.
Writing and inspiration
"Jumper" was written solely by frontman
Stephan Jenkins. Jenkins intended to write a song about the perils of bullying, with the song's narrative focusing on a "friend who’s gay jumping off a bridge and killing themselves."
This narrative was inspired by a friend of band manager Eric Godtland who committed suicide in high school due to bullying he endured for his sexuality.
In an interview with
SongFacts, Jenkins said that the concept of the song was further developed through his own
alienating childhood experiences.
Despite being written as a
lament
A lament or lamentation is a passionate expression of grief, often in music, poetry, or song form. The grief is most often born of regret, or mourning. Laments can also be expressed in a verbal manner in which participants lament about something ...
, Jenkins expressed that a broader message of "Jumper" is to have an understanding and compassion for one another.
He further explained the meaning of the song:
"Jumper" is about a guy who jumped off the Coronado Bridge and killed himself. It's kind of a noir-inspired story, and the point was if we have more understanding for each other, then we might give each other credit. And if you don’t want to see me again, I'd understand. Sometimes when you really help people and you make yourself vulnerable and they can’t really see you fterwards I had a friend who was raped and she needed money for medical care. d she was ashamed and couldn’t talk to her parents about it... basically, after I helped her she didn’t want to see me. She gave a bit too much of herself. I understood that.
Since the release of "Jumper," Jenkins has identified that the meaning of the song has changed for many listeners. He felt that the song's meaning was not entirely understood upon release, although "
w it has this real levity. It's this huge moment of release for the audience."
[ Lyndsey Parker from Yahoo! Entertainment designated the song as an "anti-bullying anthem," which prompted Jenkins to acknowledge that he believes "Jumper" has resonated among many ]LGBT
LGBTQ people are individuals who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, or questioning. Many variants of the initialism are used; LGBTQIA+ people incorporates intersex, asexual, aromantic, agender, and other individuals. The gro ...
listeners.
Recording and mixing
Speaking on the recording of "Jumper", Jenkins commented: "I was looking for a real thud in the drums… I wanted a thickness in midrange, so we put the drums in a smaller room and opened the doors so it had a sense of breathing. For 'Jumper,' I gave Brad — who uses these big sticks — I gave him some small sticks, and put the riser in the middle of the room and did it with no reverb, like a Beatles
The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
thing." Eric Valentine was responsible for the mixing of the track, which was made at The Site, H.O.S, and Toast Studios. Ted Jensen
Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''.
Early life ...
mastered the track at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City.
Composition
"Jumper" is an alternative rock
Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...
and acoustic power pop
Power pop (also typeset as powerpop) is a subgenre of rock music and form of pop rock based on the early music of bands such as the Who, the Beatles, the Beach Boys, and the Byrds. It typically incorporates melodic hooks, vocal harmonies, ...
song. According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred Publishing
Alfred may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*''Alfred J. Kwak'', Dutch-German-Japanese anime television series
* ''Alfred'' (Arne opera), a 1740 masque by Thomas Arne
* ''Alfred'' (Dvořák), an 1870 opera by Antonín Dvořák
*"Alfred (Interlu ...
, the song is written in the key of C major
C major is a major scale based on C, consisting of the pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. C major is one of the most common keys used in music. Its key signature has no flats or sharps. Its relative minor is A minor and its parallel min ...
and is set in time signature
A time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, and measure signature) is an indication in music notation that specifies how many note values of a particular type fit into each measure ( bar). The time signature indicates th ...
of common time with a tempo
In musical terminology, tempo (Italian for 'time'; plural 'tempos', or from the Italian plural), measured in beats per minute, is the speed or pace of a given musical composition, composition, and is often also an indication of the composition ...
of 88 beats per minute
Beat, beats, or beating may refer to:
Common uses
* Assault, inflicting physical harm or unwanted physical contact
* Battery (crime), a criminal offense involving unlawful physical contact
* Battery (tort), a civil wrong in common law of in ...
. Jenkins' vocal range spans one octave, from C4 to A5.
Critical reception
Justin Joffe of Observer
An observer is one who engages in observation or in watching an experiment.
Observer may also refer to:
Fiction
* ''Observer'' (novel), a 2023 science fiction novel by Robert Lanza and Nancy Kress
* ''Observer'' (video game), a cyberpunk horr ...
referred to the song as a "catchy acoustic jangle" that addresses suicide. Mark Jenkins of ''The Washington Post
''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...
'' believed the song's lyrical content of "potential suicide" treaded familiar territory.
Chart performance
In the United States, "Jumper" debuted at number 16 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart for the issue dated December 5, 1998. The song spent a total of 20 weeks on the chart, peaking at number five for the issue dated January 30, 1999.
Music video
Background
The music video was directed by Yariv Gaber. As a friend of drummer Brad Hargreaves, American model Anna Nicole Smith
Vickie Lynn Marshall (née Hogan; November 28, 1967 – February 8, 2007), known professionally as Anna Nicole Smith, was an American model, actress, and television personality. Smith started her career as a ''Playboy'' magazine centerfold in M ...
visited the set on the day of shooting, which led to her making an appearance in the video.
Synopsis
The video primarily takes place in a crowded club and focuses on a young man who wanders in and around the surrounding area of the city; interacting with various people. Stephan Jenkins primarily sings while Kevin Cadogan is seen making out with various women, some of whom are implied to be escorts. A pregnant street walker, a promiscuous and flirtatious hustler, and a free spirited partier are those shown frequently throughout the video. Eventually, Jenkins sings directly to the young man who seems empowered by the message. As the video ends, Jenkins briefly transforms into a little boy playing a snare drum to match with the ending of the song.
Live performances
In September 2015, Jenkins joined Demi Lovato
Demetria Devonne "Demi" Lovato ( ; born August 20, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. After appearing on the children's television series ''Barney & Friends'' (2002–2004), she starred in the Disney Channel short series ...
on their iHeartRadio Music Festival set for a performance of "Jumper". The song was performed at a charity concert at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), also simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and the ...
to a crowd of 2016 Republican National Convention
The 2016 Republican National Convention, in which delegates of the United States Republican Party (United States), Republican Party chose the party's nominees for President of the United States, president and Vice President of the United Sta ...
attendees. The band performed "Jumper" and "Non-Dairy Creamer" in protest of the Republican Party's party platform, with Jenkins speaking out in support of LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, Gay men, gay, Bisexuality, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the Capital punishmen ...
and science
Science is a systematic discipline that builds and organises knowledge in the form of testable hypotheses and predictions about the universe. Modern science is typically divided into twoor threemajor branches: the natural sciences, which stu ...
.
Track listings and formats
* 7-inch and cassette single
# "Jumper" (radio edit) – 4:06
# " Graduate" (remix) – 3:26
* US and Australian CD single
# "Jumper" (radio edit)
# "Graduate" (remix)
# "Jumper" (video)
Credits and personnel
Credits and personnel are adapted from the ''Third Eye Blind'' album liner notes.
* Kevin Cadogan – guitar, vocals
* Brad Hargreaves – drums
* Stephan Jenkins – writer, vocals, guitars, percussion, keyboard arrangements, producer
* Arion Salazar – bass, vocals, piano
* Eric Valentine
Eric Dodd, known professionally as Eric Valentine, is an American record producer who began his career as drummer and producer in the heavy metal band T-Ride.
He subsequently produced albums for artists such as Good Charlotte, Lostprophets ...
– engineering, producer, mixing
* Ted Jensen
Ted Jensen (born September 19, 1954) is an American mastering engineer, known for having mastered many recordings, including the Eagles' '' Hotel California'', Green Day's '' American Idiot'' and Norah Jones' ''Come Away with Me''.
Early life ...
– mastering
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
* List of Radio & Records number-one singles of 1998
References
{{Authority control
1997 songs
1998 singles
American power pop songs
Elektra Records singles
LGBTQ-related songs
Song recordings produced by Eric Valentine
Songs about suicide
Songs written by Stephan Jenkins
Third Eye Blind songs