From whense did the band derive their name?

[jrod00]

I'm quite sure this question has been discussed before, but I've not seen such intercourses.  Does anyone know how MMJ came up with their name?

[ycartrob]

I have heard several stories by Jim James himself. I believe none of them.

[peanut butter puddin surprise]

The latest tale du jour involves alien abduction.   Jim was stumbling home drunk one early morning, and the lights in the sky were clearly a UFO.  Since he was already in front of his house, he ran towards the front door, but was too late.  The aliens were about to beam him up, when Jim asked "It's cold, can I get my jacket first?"  To which the aliens replied "What jacket...your morning jacket or your afternoon jacket?"  And Jim replied, "Yes, My Morning Jacket", being drunk and not sure what they meant by the question.  So the aliens let him get his "morning" jacket and beamed him up.

Once inside, with jacket in tow, the aliens quizzed him about why he chose the morning jacket over the afternoon jacket.  
"Well, I guess because it's morning now, and it's the only jacket I really own".  The aliens then commanded him to sing lullabies in his jacket, and his voice vexed the aliens and made them cry so much, that they had to let him go.  "Be free, you beautiful man you, and go get an afternoon jacket!"
So the aliens let him go, and Jim had the words "My Morning Jacket" stuck in his head afterwards, so it seemed like the best name for a band he could think of.  And the aliens flew off, with Jim's voice stuck in their heads forever, and their only revenge is to fly to all MMJ concerts and vex the audience members with their good vibration ray guns from above and make them have his voice stuck in their heads forever too.

yeah.

[sweatboard]

Well, I always figured that aliens were involved somehow so that one sounds pretty good to me.

[Jellyfish]

Jim was messing around in a basement and found a jacket that had MMJ wrote on the name tag....he came up with the My Morning Jacket as what the initials stand for.

[Dee.]

Good tale, John.  I say we put that into the FAQ that Corey suggested.

[MMJ_fanatic]

I heard he saw the letters in a waking dream state...

[ycartrob]

Well, I always figured that aliens were involved somehow so that one sounds pretty good to me.

notice how Brian's ears perk up when there's a remote chance for some alien anal probing...

[sweatboard]

You are the google image search MASTER!!!!

 

[fan75]

Jim explains it a bit in this interview from 2003 (or 04?)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLejnsflaWA&NR

Whatever the story, it's still cool.  8)

[MMJ_fanatic]

HA! I told y'all it was on a robe a long time ago 8).  Amateurs

[rugbird]

I thought it was a beating off reference.   ;)

[primushead]

I thought it was a beating off reference.   ;)

Yeah, I thought I was buying a CD of erotica music when I picked up 'It Still Moves".  I was disappointed at first, but it slowly grew on me.  I still use it as erotica music, by the way.

[Tore]

Great interview. Also a great advice to younger artists trying to break through; "never let anyone tell you that you use too much reverb".  ;D

[rugbird]

At dawn my morning jack it
Helps me catch more Z's

[BH]

At dawn my morning jack it
Helps me catch more Z's

:)