third eye blind - semi-charmed life

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for a rock song this song is a total masterpiece, its perfectly structured like boston or linkin park tracks are, every element put there to provide the most enjoyable hook

― trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 06:43 (twenty-two years ago)

it seriously makes me want to weep at how great this is, this must have been how peasants in the 1600s felt when they went to venice and saw a michaelangelo or raphael for the first time... i mean, i want to call it the perfect summer song, and it is, but its unbelieavle at any time, its just a perfect song full stop

― trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:21 (twenty-two years ago)

like, i want to put it on a mix cd, as the first song, this wonderful joyous pop anthem to start it off, and the person listening would be smiling and happy, maybe listening to it while driving across a bridge in the sun, but then i cant even think of anything that would go next, its that good... sometimes i miss the late 90s so much and i wish i could go back to then when stuff like this was on the radio and clinton was president and everyone was happy :'('''

― trife (simon_tr), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:47 (twenty-two years ago)

As I remember this song made me want to push broken glass into my eyeballs, in order to make my resultant screaming drown it out.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:51 (twenty-two years ago)

terrible

― ham on rye (ham on rye), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:55 (twenty-two years ago)

it's a great song, a real summer anthem....i love the goodbiiiiiiyye bit round the end. I hated it at first until I heard it over at a friend's place and I musta played it over and over again like 12 times......was there a video with these mods riding around in scooters?

― Michael B, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 07:58 (twenty-two years ago)

it was never a hit here, i found it in my v early days of filesharing. i still really like it.

― mitch lastnamewithheld (mitchlnw), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 08:20 (twenty-two years ago)

my friend got picked out of the crowd (along with a bunch of other hott chix0rs selected by their manager) to 'hang out' on the 3EB tour bus. the drummer wanted to have sex with her but she wouldn't let him, but she gave him her number and he called her dorm room later to prove he was 'sincere'

― Dave M. (rotten03), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 08:20 (twenty-two years ago)

sincerely horny

― JasonD (JasonD), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 08:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I really, really fucking hate this song. It is so fucking banal and over-homogenised - completely lacking of any form of emotional ANYTHING.

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 09:12 (twenty-two years ago)

And don't think that I'm some sort of anti-pop crusader. It's just in this case I don't even think it's even good pop. There's nothing clever, interesting, or even vaguely stimulating about it. (except when it starts to grate on you after you've heard it a billion times)

― Andrew (enneff), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 09:15 (twenty-two years ago)

"And I sing to you like the chorus to the verse/Drop another line like a coda with a curse/Coming like a freak show takes the stage/ You're giving the games away away"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 09:29 (twenty-two years ago)

the lyrics would be perfect but they're like embarassingly hetboy in an indie way (well, pavement-style). it's one of the best song title I can think of, that "I waaaant something else" bit goes right to my heart, & . . . yeah.

― etc, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 09:41 (twenty-two years ago)

"Ovation? What motivation? She comes round and she goes down on me"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 09:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I heart great late alt-rock, esp. when it began to yield the floor to pop, and this is totally in there, reason why 1997 was such a great music year #32107, GREAT SONG. I remember my friend got the album and I told him 'NEVER buy those people's albums' and we listened to it and laughed at how awful every song but 'semi-charmed life' was...and then those songs became big hits also and stephan jenkins was a tool and the bad aftertaste of him and the other hits (aargh - 'how's it gonna be' - aargh) were so bad that anyone who recognized this song's greatness forgot and started hoping rob thomas would be the one to get the career cuz he seemed like a much nicer guy (nevermind him never recording anything nearly this good, it wasn't like stephen jenkins had/has another 'semi-charmed life' anyway). still, GREAT GREAT song - hearing the radio edit of this song prompts mourning in me rivaled only by the chopped up 'sweet child o mine'.

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 11:41 (twenty-two years ago)

dave grohl, spin 97 year end issue (biggie cover), to 'what line in a song do you with you'd written this year': 'doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo' (and this was the year dave grohl actually wrote a great song!)("everlong" - reason #29764)

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 11:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I think it deserves points for making meth addiction sound so darn happy and summery.

― My name is Kenny (My name is Kenny), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 12:17 (twenty-two years ago)

Third Eye Blind had two fantastic songs. One was "Never Let You Go". The other was this one, if only for that MONSTER CHORUS.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 12:22 (twenty-two years ago)

*picturing vast chasm of suck*

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 12:40 (twenty-two years ago)

its perfectly structured like boston or linkin park tracks

There is nothing perfect about Linking Park tracks.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 12:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I remember the summer this song was inescapable and I really never gave it a chance. And then, a couple years later, I realized that the version that'd always been overplayed was the radio edit, and that the full album version of the song is a lot better, builds the perfect amount of momentum in that bridge to the last chorus.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 13:07 (twenty-two years ago)

3EB only have this one song but it's the only one they need. Their other good songs "Never Let You Go" and "Blinded (When I See You)" are just variations on the them but they're so good, hot sweet summer fun.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess "Jumper" isn't so bad either. Oops, variations on the THEME of course.

― teeny (teeny), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:07 (twenty-two years ago)

Somtimes I think Trife is just Geir Hongro in a dress.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:16 (twenty-two years ago)

This and "Jumper" both made the group stand out well in my mind. I definitely prefer the radio edit to the original though - the middle is way too long and doesn't match the quality of the rest of the song.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:38 (twenty-two years ago)

that's why it's great, it kind of stretches out and tests your patience, and then snaps you back into the hook!

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.

― Al (sitcom), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:43 (twenty-two years ago)

I'm with trife, this is a meisterwerk

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:52 (twenty-two years ago)

i dunno, i never really liked this and it's too late to like it now. i can see how it's a good song tho. i like everlong.

― minna (minna), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 14:55 (twenty-two years ago)

it IS a monster chorus. the 'I want something else' line is so excellent everytime. This is what a hit pop song is all about.

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

― derrick (derrick), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Trife, you had me with Harvey Danger; had me with Coldplay... and lost me with 3EB.
Remember the DeRogatis interview with Stephen Jenkins? Hilarious.

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:21 (twenty-two years ago)

Somtimes I think Trife is just Geir Hongro in a dress.

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.

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:23 (twenty-two years ago)

I was thinking about starting a thread on this because they played it at work this morning and then I didn't feel like I was working at all. Brilliant

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:36 (twenty-two years ago)

Every 3EB album is consistently catchy, funky, and immaculately produced. The second record, "Blue" is my personal favorite. The short shiny punk of the opening track "Anything" (which is like Foo Fighters done many times better) dissovles perfectly into the U2-ish grandeur of "Wounded." "Never Let You Go" and "Losing a Whole Year" are classic.
The first time I saw the vain, obnoxious Stephen Jenkins on tv I was immediately repulsed but damn, I came around to realizing that few artists have been making better pop rock songs in the last few years.

― theodore fogelsanger, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:38 (twenty-two years ago)

"funky"

― cinniblount (James Blount), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:41 (twenty-two years ago)

That's right. I enjoy things that are "funky".

― theodore fogelsanger, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:43 (twenty-two years ago)

don't worry about it theodore, i got jumped on for using the word 'funky' when i first came to ilm but who really cares!

― minna (minna), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I came around to realizing that few artists have been making better pop rock songs in the last few years.

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?

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:45 (twenty-two years ago)

Better bands than 3EB? You're probably joking I imagine...but if not, go ahead and give me your list.

― theodore fogelsanger, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Didn't this guy (the singer I mean) write a song for Puff Daddy or something?

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:55 (twenty-two years ago)

I loved that song, it fucking made my Summer of 199whenever.

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 16:56 (twenty-two years ago)

I used to go out with this Japanese girl and one day I was at her house looking through her tapes and someone had recorded her the Third Eye Blind cd except it was spelt 'Third Eye Brind'.

― darren d, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 17:03 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.suck.com/daily/98/10/15/b.gif

― Michael G, Tuesday, 23 September 2003 19:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Is that in reference to the career of Third Eye Blind at present?

― Kate Silver (Kate Silver), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 19:55 (twenty-two years ago)

This song is totally clashtastic! Miles better than their counterpart/rival Matchbox 20. I liked it even on the radio, where the censoring takes the entire crystal-meth irony-level out of it.

― Maxwell von Bismarck (maxwell von bismarck), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 23:28 (twenty-two years ago)

"The Real World" > "Semi-Charmed Life"

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Tuesday, 23 September 2003 23:30 (twenty-two years ago)

I heart 3EB, for real. I have their albums! They are my weakness.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 00:05 (twenty-two years ago)

hey james blount what do you think: inoj - everlong

― minna (minna), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 02:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Theodore's trippin' balls re: 3EB. Though Joel Madden of Good Charlotte has claimed he's listening to them for inspiration for their next album. He says the last three songs on the self-titled album are some of the most romantic songs of all time (they totally rip off "Semi-Charmed Life" on the song "Say Anything," basically the goodbye...goodbye...GOOODBYE!!! part becomes down...down...DOWN!!!).

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."

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 03:03 (twenty-two years ago)

minna you have just describe what I will hear when I enter heaven

― cinniblount (James Blount), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 06:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like 'em more if Jenkins didn't have that undoubtedly Chuck Eddy infurating lisp

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).

― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Wednesday, 24 September 2003 13:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Skipping 49 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Like the love of JESUS?

yeah, or whatever

― bug, Sunday, 16 March 2008 22:49 (seventeen years ago)

Not being entirely serious there, bug.

― Bodrick III, Sunday, 16 March 2008 22:52 (seventeen years ago)

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

― billstevejim, Monday, 17 March 2008 03:58 (seventeen years ago)

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.

― deeznuts, Monday, 17 March 2008 04:08 (seventeen years ago)

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.

― bug, Monday, 17 March 2008 04:31 (seventeen years ago)

stealth christian

― Alex in NYC, Monday, 17 March 2008 11:17 (seventeen years ago)

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

― Savannah Smiles, Monday, 17 March 2008 11:29 (seventeen years ago)

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

― latebloomer, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:15 (seventeen years ago)

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

― braveclub, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:19 (seventeen years ago)

nightmare ear rape otm

― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:20 (seventeen years ago)

"doo doo doo" = forced ear cumshot

― Hurting 2, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:20 (seventeen years ago)

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

― That one guy that hit it and quit it, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:23 (seventeen years ago)

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

― latebloomer, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:23 (seventeen years ago)

x-post

― latebloomer, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:23 (seventeen years ago)

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

― and what, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 00:30 (seventeen years ago)

god, that movie is so great.

― Matt Armstrong, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 22:31 (seventeen years ago)

^^^ this is true

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 22:36 (seventeen years ago)

although I also feel this way about Dishwalla

― Curt1s Stephens, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 22:36 (seventeen years ago)

i draw the line at dishwalla

― latebloomer, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 22:52 (seventeen years ago)

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???"

― Jordan, Tuesday, 18 March 2008 22:57 (seventeen years ago)

three years pass...

revive

― dell (del), Saturday, 14 January 2012 22:48 (thirteen years ago)

I can't tell when the trolling stops.

― billstevejim, Saturday, 14 January 2012 22:52 (thirteen years ago)

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

― dell (del), Saturday, 14 January 2012 22:56 (thirteen years ago)

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

― dell (del), Saturday, 14 January 2012 23:01 (thirteen years ago)

this song and its entire parent album owns, fuiud

― rebecca blah (k3vin k.), Saturday, 14 January 2012 23:20 (thirteen years ago)

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

― billstevejim, Saturday, 14 January 2012 23:31 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Neanderthal, Saturday, 14 January 2012 23:34 (thirteen years ago)

cool bro

― rebecca blah (k3vin k.), Sunday, 15 January 2012 05:28 (thirteen years ago)

this song and its entire parent album owns, fuiud

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Sunday, 15 January 2012 05:46 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Janet Snakehole (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 15 January 2012 09:47 (thirteen years ago)

lol

― dell (del), Sunday, 15 January 2012 18:41 (thirteen years ago)

it's a good song, this song

― henry s, Monday, 16 January 2012 02:19 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Janet Snakehole (VegemiteGrrl), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:26 (thirteen years ago)

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

― some dude, Monday, 16 January 2012 02:33 (thirteen years ago)

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

― tebow gotti (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:47 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:48 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:48 (thirteen years ago)

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

― tebow gotti (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:51 (thirteen years ago)

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

― tebow gotti (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:52 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Monday, 16 January 2012 02:53 (thirteen years ago)

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

― some dude, Monday, 16 January 2012 02:53 (thirteen years ago)

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

― horseshoe, Monday, 16 January 2012 03:06 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Monday, 16 January 2012 03:08 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Whiney vs. (BradNelson), Monday, 16 January 2012 03:09 (thirteen years ago)

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

― tebow gotti (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 January 2012 03:19 (thirteen years ago)

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

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

― river, Monday, 16 January 2012 03:26 (thirteen years ago)

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

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 16 January 2012 08:19 (thirteen years ago)

fav deep cut from first album

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

― tebow gotti (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 January 2012 16:22 (thirteen years ago)

nine years pass...

Didn’t know I needed this pic.twitter.com/g8UQau46s0
— Steve Braband (@stevebraband) February 27, 2021

― ... (Eazy), Sunday, 28 February 2021 23:54 (four years ago)

lol

― honkin' on bobo, honkin' with my feet ten feet off of beale (Doctor Casino), Monday, 1 March 2021 14:35 (four years ago)

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