third eye blind - semi-charmed life

There is nothing perfect about Linking Park tracks.

forget those ballads, though, their real jams were "Losing A Whole Year" and "Graduate", which is in itself a classic simply for 3EB's performance on the American Music Awards, where they changed the chorus to "can I masturbate?", I shit you not.

It gets mixed up with the Spin Doctors' 'Two Princes' a little too easily though, you must admit.

Is Trife female? Or a transvestite?

The first Third Eye Blind album is perfectly fine (and a favorite of my wife's, which means it gets played more often than I'd necessarily endorse). A little samey in spots, but nothing to be ashamed of. Always thought "Semi-Charmed Life" sounded like an Americanized version of the Wonder Stuff.

We do own the second album, but I don't believe it's been played more than three times.

I'm sure every ILM contributor here could name a list as long as their arm of inarguably superior artists. 3EB were perfectly competent....but let's not get carried away now, shall we?

I'd like 'em more if Jenkins didn't have that undoubtedly Chuck Eddy infurating lisp. Plus the album tracks have arrangements that strike me as being kind random. This song is fine though, as is "Losing A Whole Year."

He has a lisp? Must listen again. Personally, I'd like them more if Jenkins didn't have that undoubtedly Alex in NYC infuriating hubris.

I could never listen to Amplified Heart by Everything But the Girl the same way after someone pointed out Tracey Thorn's lisp (more evident in their videos than on record).

argh, yes.

The interplay between the first three posts and the fourth one is so beautiful.

DROP ANOTHER LINE LIKE A CODA WITH A CURSE

Briliant song.

My relationship with this song is weird. I'm pretty sure I was annoyed by it at first, but then I saw them on VH1 Music Awards or some such awards show, and they came out to do a live performance of it and were so full of infectious energy that I was really taken with the song for the first time- especially the "doo-doo-doo" business along with the stupid (in the best way) stabby guitar riff. Like, they were all jumping up and down as I recall, rather than slouching over their guitars trying to look "cool". Unfortunately towards the end of the song SJ started "toasting", and then my genuine enthusiasm turned to embarrassment for them. The crowd went wild during that part, too...ouch.

I still like it, though...between the undeniable catchiness, the subject matter of the lyrics, and late-nineties plus other kinds of personal nostalgia, the song wields a strange power over me, despite any misgivings that I may have.

I wish I could see that awards show performance again, but I guess Viacom or whoever is pretty quick to strike when it comes to removing stuff from YouTube and the like...

This song might quite possibly be one of the worst songs ever written.

A generic overused chord progression, but strummed in an ever so CLEVER fashion, with a stupid chorus, and an awful vocalist.

I would rather be raped by circus clowns than listen to them again.

I'm pretty sure I despised every other "alt-rock" band of the time, but in a few years I will probably confess to having finally gotten how beautiful Good Charlotte, Matchbox 20, Blink 183, Maroon 5 are...

And maybe it's all just some function of how much I have come to hate most things falling under the label of "indie rock"; whether it be the folkish side or more the dancey side (whatever that means, I'm playing fast and loose with descriptors, but I guess I mean endlessly blog-celebrated stuff (that isn't folky stuff) along the lines of LCD Soundsystem or the Rapture or whatever).

Basically it's gotten to the point where I would like to transport myself back to 1997, and move to L.A. and start a "rock" band and become wealthy.

But god please let no soulpatch ever mark my face.

I'm blasting it right now and it sounds great, so "suck my dick", Overdrive.

is that my nickname now?

is what your nickname now?

"Overdrive"?

usually i'm totally with tim and ethan re: token pop alternative rock single but i never really liked this at all

xpost
I just put suck my dick in quotes b/c that was the retort that got you thrown out of here, or whatever.

I know, hence my comment :)

Oh. Yeah, I'm just being an ass or whatever.

nah I thought it was funny

"How's It Gonna Be" and "Never Let You Go" are superior.

That song "Jumper" is the whiniest, crappiest song ever. Well, not really, but it's a contender.

The wikipedia entries on this song and the band are fucking with my head.

In 1996, the band landed an opening gig for Oasis, prior to which performance, so the legend goes, Third Eye Blind was warned that the crowd might throw Funyons at them. As it turned out, however, they were invited out for an encore, even after Oasis had already played, bringing Liam Gallagher to tears and sparking the friendly rivalry that would form between the two bands.

Whaaa? "bringing Liam Gallagher to tears"?

To say nothing of the Funyons or friendly rivalry (news to me) bits.

And why the fuck did radio stations censor the words "crystal meth"??? That's insane

love this song...

I never knew what this song was called until reading this thread -- it was just "doot doot doot song occasionally heard on the radio in the late '90s, each hearing prompting me to try to remember to find out what it was, since it sounded much better than what surrounded it, but I never did." And now I know. Classique.

I remember it as being very much like "Steal My Sunshine" but listening to both now, I think "Semi-charmed life" stands up better.

I part ways w/you there. Steal My Sunshine>>>>>>>>>>Semi-Charmed Life!

This song might quite possibly be one of the worst songs ever written.

A generic overused chord progression, but strummed in an ever so CLEVER fashion, with a stupid chorus, and an awful vocalist.

I would rather be raped by circus clowns than listen to them again.

who let GZeus back on ILX

Howcum all those '90s bands had to throw in some irrelevent number into their name? Either a number that signified nothing or a girl's name or both.

Howcum

Dunno...the numbers thing always struck me as weird.

"Steal My Sunshine" is better, but then it's better than almost everything.

took me years to figure out that "Steal My Sunshine" sampled the Andrea True Connection...(no trainspotter, me)...

Tim F OTFM.

accepting that semicharmed life is good was not easy for me but its true

What stores sell the version of the song that doesn't suck?

The only time I think about this song is when this thread is revived. And I think a second, remember how it went and remember why I don't think about it any other time. It's like accident amnesia protecting me.

And I think a second, remember how it went and remember why I don't think about it any other time. It's like accident amnesia protecting me.

Is this a line from "Semi-Charmed Life"?

There are words in that song??

lauren o-t said...
thrid eye blind is one of the most underrated album of the nineties. I think I burned a hoel in my CD on that one.

10:00 PM

i wish there was a video on youtube of someone uppercutting the lead singer as hard as they could.

this song ruled

really awesome song fuck haterz

this song sounds like christian rock.

I like this despite my better judgement.

Sounds like it was written to soundtrack a montage in an Alicia Silverstone teen romcom.

this song sounds like christian rock.

"I want something else/ to get me through this life."

Like the love of JESUS?

i wish there was a video on youtube of someone uppercutting the lead singer as hard as they could.

-- Lingbert, Wednesday, 9 January 2008 06:19

this song sounds like christian rock.

-- bug, Sunday, 16 March 2008 22:22 (22 minutes ago) Bookmark Link

Those little red panties they pass the test/Slide them up your belly face down on the mattress/One

Like the love of JESUS?

yeah, or whatever

Not being entirely serious there, bug.

Yeah man, christian rock songs that glorify crystal meth.. they're a dime a dozen these days.

being as generous as possible, i can see why ppl might hate this song in that exemplifies that awful era of late 90s pop-rock; but it only exemplifies that era because it takes all of its qualities & yet stands head & shoulders above it all. truly a great song.

i mean it SOUNDS like christian rock. i could never make out the lyrics apart from the chorus, which always struck me as kinda stealth christian anyway. it just has this sheen to it and this just-THIS-shy-of-edgy quality that sets my alarms off whenever i'm surfing through a radio and come across a song i don't know and wait a few seconds to see if anybody drops the j-bomb.

stealth christian

This song remains one of my most hated pieces of music of all time.

I've grown to love so much stuff that I dismissed in my cynical youth, but this remains a huge slice of nightmare ear rape

I've grown to love so much stuff that I dismissed in my cynical youth, but this remains a huge slice of nightmare ear rape

^

it's perfectly structured like boston or linkin park tracks are

nightmare ear rape otm

"doo doo doo" = forced ear cumshot

it's a pop song guys, i'm sure you'll get over it.

i do like that song "never let you go" by third eye blind though, somewhat ironically

x-post

http://www.hulu.com/watch/12706/dirty-work

god, that movie is so great.

being as generous as possible, i can see why ppl might hate this song in that exemplifies that awful era of late 90s pop-rock; but it only exemplifies that era because it takes all of its qualities & yet stands head & shoulders above it all. truly a great song.

^^^ this is true

although I also feel this way about Dishwalla

i draw the line at dishwalla

i tried watching an episode of "Carpoolers" a few weeks ago (just to give Bruce McCullough the benefit of the doubt) and was all "that sounds familiar...is that...Spacehog???"

revive

I can't tell when the trolling stops.

i genuinely like this song and always have, despite my better instincts

over-earnest corny lyrics to be sure

but most great lyrics commit those sins?

when the book is written, ppl will be rapturous over van morrison and not pavement

the song works so well for what i think it's trying to do. magnetic riff and vocal hook, which are expertly reprised at the end of song

plus i think it's a legitimately poignant meditation on being fixated with someone who is engulfed by substance abuse problems

this song and its entire parent album owns, fuiud

comin like a freakshow takes the stage we give in to games they play she say

hateeeeeeeeeeee this fucking song ugh. and this band. bleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeech.

cool bro

this song and its entire parent album owns, fuiud

I don't know if I could hate a song more

lol

it's a good song, this song

I've been thinking about this, and the best analogy I can think of is fruit-flavored cough syrup.

The song is basically about getting your end wet while being fucked up on meth or whatever, so that's the cough syrup part...so they mask the meth fucking with the catchy doot-doot-doot hook, and imo it just adds insult to injury. It's a trick delivery system for a fucked up pervy song and that singer-dude SKEEVES me out which is probably my bigger problem than the song itself.

but I'm tired and not thinking straight so if that makes no sense, pretend I didn't say anything

anyway I hate it

this song is great, the closest thing anyone got to "Born To Run" in the '90s, which isn't very close but still it works in a similar way

have you ever listened to the whole album dude? as far as underrated uncool 90s bands go i feel like you could like them if you're willing to go to bat for limp biskit

last three songs on that record are one of my favorite closing sequences

i also think blue is just as good but i am the only person with that opinion

that wasn't a diss i just mean i think you might dig it, the whole album's not much different in style than that song

xp blue's very good too, not on the s/t level but very solid. i like the third too, lol

i like the third one too. it's so uneven but it contains this song, which has a chorus that comes out of a volcano or something:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLM7Tl0Rsb4

yeah i like the whole album, have only heard it a couple times but they definitely have some good non-singles

this song is undeniable. i put it on a party mix this past summer and people went nuts.

sang it at karaoke last month but they cut out the bridge, i was pissed

this song is not quite itself without "those little red panties they pass the test"

this song is undeniable. i put it on a party mix this past summer and people went nuts.

― horseshoe, Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:06 PM (11 minutes ago)

yeah there are few better party songs on some "remember this?!" shit. always gets people going

1st album is v good, loaded with should've-been-singles

I go to the same dentist as 3eb's guitarist

sang it at karaoke last month but they cut out the bridge, i was pissed

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Sunday, January 15, 2012 10:08 PM Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

This always happens and you can always see whoever's performing getting kind of taken aback, like they clearly expect it to be there. It's not just the bridge too, like, in my experience this entire section is gone:

AND WHEN THE PLANE CAME IN!
she said she was craSHIN
The velvet it rips in the city,
we tripped on the urge to feel a-live
Now-I'm-strugglin'-to-survive, those days you were wearing that velvet dress
You're the priestess, I must confess
Those little red panties they pass the test
Slide up around the belly,
face down on the mattress
One:
And you hold me,
and we're broken
STILL IT'S ALL THAT! I WANNA DO!
JUST A LITTLE NOW!
Feel myself, heavy on the ground
I'm scared! I'm not coming down!
No, no
And I won't run for my life!!
She's got her jaws now, locked down in a smile
But nothing is all right
Aw wiiight

I always think of some dude's "Born to Run" comparison after this thread: #1 modern rock hits of 1997

Also important: ITS TIME

fav deep cut from first album

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RZ8wVKPUN_g

Didn’t know I needed this pic.twitter.com/g8UQau46s0

— Steve Braband (@stevebraband) February 27, 2021

lol