“Jackie Down the Line” by Fontaines D.C.
To begin with, it should be noted that a “Jackeen” is to a certain degree an offensive word used to refer to someone who comes from Ireland’s capital city of Dublin. The term is very popular in Ireland. In this country, it is mainly used by people from other towns and cities to refer to their fellow Irish from Dublin.
The term can often be shortened to just “Jack”.
The term in question is used very prominently throughout Fontaines D.C.’s 2022 song “Jackie Down the Line” to refer to the song’s main character. The lyrics solely center around the said character who is primarily referred to as “Jackie”.
While the lyrics aren’t the easiest to decipher, it is beyond clear that this song is about “Jackeens”, i.e. people from Dublin. So it can be safe to say this song pays homage to Dubliners (who by the way also use the term “Jackeen” among themselves).
An Autobiographical Song?
Considering Fontaines D.C. themselves are a band that was formed in Dublin, Ireland, this song’s lyrics can be said to be autobiographical.
When was “Jackie Down the Line” released?
Fontaines D.C. released this song on the 11th of January, 2022. It is the first single the band released from their third studio album which goes by the title “Skinty Fia”. The song is a product of the American based independent record label Partisan Records.
A Song and Band Inspired by Icons?
You listen to this song and you instantly get hints of the Britpop era in addition to the following iconic English bands:
- Oasis
- New Order
- Joy Division
- Stone Roses
- The Cure
- The Smiths
- Inspiral Carpets
- The Stranglers
Furthermore, the voice of Fontaines D.C.’s lead singer (Grian Chatten) on this song is reminiscent of or a mix of the following iconic English singers:
- Liam Gallagher of Oasis fame
- Ian Brown of The Stone Roses fame
- Ian Curtis of Joy Division fame
Interesting to note is that while singing, Grian keeps a hand behind his back which is very similar to Liam Gallagher’s iconic singing posture.
Is “Sally” a reference to the Stone Roses’ “Sally Cinnamon”?
It could possibly be a reference to the Stone Roses’ iconic hit “Sally Cinnamon“. And why? The fact that The Stone Roses appears to be one of Fontaines D.C.’s musical inspirations is strong enough for fans of both bands to believe that the “Sally” mentioned in the first verse is a direct reference to “Sally Cinnamon”.
It should be noted that this same “Sally” is believed by some to be referenced in Oasis’ “Don’t Look Back in Anger“.
Notable Live Performances of “Jackie Down the Line”
On the 12th of January, 2022, the band appeared as a musical guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon where they performed this song live. It was actually on this show that they debuted this song.
That same month, they performed it live again on CNN International’s “Amanpour” show hosted by Christiane Amanpour.
Writing Credits
All five members of Fontaines D.C. receive songwriting credits on this song. The full list of writing credits for “Jackie Down the Line” is as follows:
- Tom Coll
- Grian Chatten
- Conor Deegan III
- Conor Curley
- Carlos O’Connell
Speaking to Apple Music, Grian revealed that the writing of this song was very swift. According to him, it actually took the band less than half an hour to compose this song.
Sally Gardens— well known pretty Irish folk song
“ Sally” means a willow tree
It sounds like it was written in half an hour.
It’s a f—ing musical masterpiece of epic proportion. Life ain’t always empty ye know.
We love you, jackeens
Interesting about Sally meaning Willow as the genus name for Willow trees is “Salix.”
That’s a neat bit of trivia! I like it when bon mots like that are woven into conversation. They get my brain activated to see all the connections, small or big, that surround me.
well, I love FTDC, know nothing re Dubliner’s slang so Jackie down the line for me is about Jackie being hero-n (as opposed to Charlie being c-ke) and the chorus speaks for itself… Not a former user of either of these btw. have a good day and enjoy listening.
Why do so many people think so many songs are about drugs in some way. This song seems to be about a person who’s reckless with other people’s hearts for sheer entertainment. Then gets bored and moves on to the next person.
Jackie down the line is about those who are for the Union Jack. Jackies. At least in the 19th century that was the meaning.
To me it’s a dark-side-of-love song about being in a relationship with a narcissist…but like all great songs it can be interpreted in many ways.
The heroin theory sounds plausible yet to me it’s a dark-side-of-love song about being in a relationship with a narcissist…Like all great songs it can be interpreted in many ways.