Never much been into Jimmy Eat World, I’ve got to say. You’ve probably noticed yourself through the obvious lack of the band’s material on this website. The last time I wrote about a song of the band’s was in July 2013. I can’t remember the last time I listened to ‘Big Casino’, it has definitely been years. And funnily enough, looking at the post as I link it, I started it with the same sentiment as I started this one. That wasn’t meant to happen, I swear. So, yeah, their music videos played quite frequently on those music television channels. And young me thought the songs all sounded cool in their own respective ways. Never got round to listening to that full album though. And I probably should, I don’t think there’d be any harm in doing so. But which one, though… Well, ‘Sweetness’ is on Bleed American, so maybe I’ll go for that one first.

‘Sweetness’ is another tune of Jimmy Eat World’s that I got to really know through seeing its video on TV. But I feel like I would have heard it before. In an advert, in a movie. I’m not sure. But the first “Are you listening / WHOOA OH OH” lyric sounded familiar on that first time I saw the video, whenever that would have been. Out of all the Jimmy Eat World songs I became accustomed to through their videos, ‘Sweetness’ is the one that’s had the longest staying power with me. Once singer/guitarist Jimmy Adkins blurts out that first line, the song doesn’t let up in its driving energy until the final chord is struck. Sure, there are the moments when the guitars and drums drop out so Adkins can sing certain lines here and there, but even then you still feel that momentum running. The instruments come back in and hit emphatically each time. Then when the band are properly allowed to play together for a length of time beginning with the “I was spinning free…” section, it brings about a feeling of wanting to run without stopping. It’s a good song.

I don’t know if there’s an agreed consensus on what the track’s about. Having had to think about an interpretation in preparation for this, I see it as an actual address from Adkins to Jimmy Eat World fans. Particularly for the people who go to their shows. The opening lines are self-explanatory. The unwinding tether might refer to that feeling of letting your inhibitions go when at at a live show and dancing, doing whatever you like. And the “spinning free with a sweet and simple numbing me” refers to Adkins letting go himself when he’s performing live and losing control of his limbs when playing the guitar. “Tell me what do I need when words lose their meaning”… I don’t know, I guess referring to those who hear the music and sing along without really considering the lyrics? And then the rest is lost on me. But that’s at least my take. Not so much a love letter to fans, but one that’s saying have fun with us but also don’t try and get too close. Am I wrong? Maybe. But I gave it a go. I still think the music matters the most. And I like the music a lot.