Spring Break
Jack's Mannequin Come Alive
Jennifer Barrows
Issue date: 8/31/05 Section: Focus
The bonus track "Into the Airwaves" sums up the album, the story and McMahon's intentions behind Jack's Mannequin. In lines like "As I deconstruct my thoughts at this piano," McMahon describes his songs as his reality. Later in the song he explains how the girl he had cared so much for had ceased to be a reality. "And this is nothing new, you are slipping through/My fingers and into the airwaves/Into the airwaves." Finally, he sums up the album and the song with the realization that all days are different and some are more difficult to deal with then others. "It's gonna be a hard day/So hang on, now/Don't panic, don't panic/There simply is no need."
Ironically, it was after this song was written and recorded that McMahon began to experience his hardest days. Soon after recording wrapped, McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia. He under went chemotherapy for two months and the release of "Everything in Transit" was postponed to late August. The day of the album's release, McMahon underwent bone marrow surgery. Wirt could not have spoken truer words when he called Aug. 23 "definitely the most important day of his life" on the Jack's Mannequin web site.
When asked why he did not postpone the release date until he was healthier and better able to promote the album, McMahon simply said, "There is no certainty to the next couple of years."
Ironically, it was after this song was written and recorded that McMahon began to experience his hardest days. Soon after recording wrapped, McMahon was diagnosed with acute lymphatic leukemia. He under went chemotherapy for two months and the release of "Everything in Transit" was postponed to late August. The day of the album's release, McMahon underwent bone marrow surgery. Wirt could not have spoken truer words when he called Aug. 23 "definitely the most important day of his life" on the Jack's Mannequin web site.
When asked why he did not postpone the release date until he was healthier and better able to promote the album, McMahon simply said, "There is no certainty to the next couple of years."