Jackie Down the Line

"Jackie Down the Line" is a song by Irish band, Fontaines D.C. The song is the lead single off of their third studio album, Skinty Fia and was released on 12 January 2022.

"Jackie Down the Line"
Single by Fontaines D.C.
from the album Skinty Fia
Released	12 January 2022
Recorded	2021
Length	4:01
Label	Partisan
Songwriter(s)	Carlos O'Connell Conor Curley Conor Deegan III Grian Chatten Tom Coll
Producer(s)	Dan Carey
Fontaines D.C. singles chronology
"A Lucid Dream" (2020) "Jackie Down the Line" (2022) "I Love You" (2022)
Music video
"Jackie Down the Line" on YouTube

"Jackie Down the Line" is the band's first song to chart in the United States, reaching number 40 in the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay.

Music and lyrics

The song is performed in a G major key and has a tempo of 135 beats per minute.^[1] It has a standard tuning.^[2]

Background and release

The song was released on 12 January 2022 in both physical, digital, and streaming content.^[3] It jointly announced as the lead single off of Skinty Fia, the third studio album by the band.^[4]

Critical reception

"Jackie Down the Line" received positive critical reception. Joe Taysom, writing for Far Out Magazine described "Jackie Down the Line" as a track that fits more in the darker sound of the band. Specifically, Taysom said: "Rather than being a dancefloor filler, the heartfelt track retains that sense of gloom associated with frontman Grian Chatten thanks to his confessional, self-loathing brand of lyricism which has made him emerge as one of the great modern-day songwriters."^[4]

In an interview with Pitchfork, the song was described as "remorseless misanthrope at the center of mesmeric" single.^[5]

Music video

The music video for "Jackie Down the Line" premiered on the band's YouTube channel on 11 January 2022. The music video was directed by Hugh Mulhern and produced by Alexander Handschuh, Kate Brady, and Laura Clayton. The music video features choreography from Blackhaine.

Live performance

Fontaines D.C. first performed the song live on 14 January 2022 on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.^[6] Sam Moore with the New Musical Express described the performance as "surreal". Moore described the video and the performance as a "seemingly one-take video performing the track on stage, a strange set of events takes place around them which involves people dressed in pointed red hats, a bride and a crucifixion."^[6]

Credits and personnel

Song

Fontaines D.C.

• Grian Chatten – vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar, tambourine
• Carlos O'Connell – guitar, art direction
• Conor Curley – guitar
• Tom Coll – drums, percussion
• Conor Deegan III – bass guitar

Additional personnel

• Dan Carey – production, mixing, sonic manipulation, synthesizer
• Christian Wright – mastering
• Alexis Smith – engineering
• Aidan Cochrane – art direction, design
• Rory Dewar – design
• Ashley Willerton – lettering

Music video

Director – Hugh Mulhern Producer – Alexander Handschuh Executive producer – Kate Brady and Laura Clayton Production company – Riff Raff Films DP – Eoin McLoughlin 1st AC – Karl Hui 2nd AC – Nina Mangold DIT – Ewan MacFarlan Key grip – Johnny Donne 2nd grip – Simon Ward Choreography – Blackhaine 1st AD – Daniel Castro Garcia

Production assistant – Angela Mulhern Floor runner – Nicolay Milev Stylist – Celestine Cooney Stylist assistant – Honor Dangerfield Make-up – Alice Dodds Make-up assistant – Nik Paskauskas Production designer – Andy Hillman Designer co-ordinator – Saskia Wickins Design assistants – Rosie Gore, Laurel Sumner, Killian Fallon and Tonomi Kishimoto-Eley Editor – John Cutler Grade – Peter Oppersdorff at MPC Cast – Blackhaine, Gina Campone, Luca Bakos, Kaivalya Brewerton and Bianca Scout

Charts

Chart performance for "Jackie Down the Line"

Chart (2022)	Peak position
Ireland (IRMA)^[7]	66
US Adult Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[8]	40

References

1. "Key, tempo of Jackie Down The Line". Musicstax. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
2. "Jackie Down The Line Intro Tab by Fontaines D.C." Ultimate Guitar. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
3. "Fontains D.C. - Jackie Down the Line". fontainesdc.link.to. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
4. Taysom, Jay (12 January 2022). "Fontaines D.C. return with new single 'Jackie Down The Line'". Far Out Magazine. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
5. "Fontaines D.C. Discuss How Kinship Informs New Album Skinty Fia and Share Jameson Connects Session of "Jackie Down the Line"". Pitchfork. 11 March 2022. Retrieved 26 September 2022.
6. Moore, Sam (14 January 2022). "Watch Fontaines D.C.'s surreal performance of 'Jackie Down The Line' on 'Fallon'". NME. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
7. "IRMA – Irish Charts" (To access, select the year "2022" and select the date "22-APR-22"). Irish Recorded Music Association. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
8. "Fontaines D.C. Chart History (Adult Alternative Songs)". Billboard.