Formed in 1994, Limp Bizkit became popular playing in the Jacksonville underground music scene in the late 1990s, and signed with Flip Records, a subsidiary of Interscope, which released their debut album, Three Dollar Bill, Y'all$ (1997). The band achieved mainstream success with their second and third studio albums, Significant Other (1999) and Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water (2000), although this success was marred by a series of controversies surrounding their performances at Woodstock '99 and the 2001 Big Day Out festival.
Borland left the group in 2001, but Durst, Rivers, Otto and Lethal continued to record and tour with guitarist Mike Smith. Following the release of their album, Results May Vary (2003), Borland rejoined the band and recorded The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1) (2005) with Durst, Rivers, Lethal and drummer Sammy Siegler before entering a hiatus. In 2009, the band reunited with Borland playing guitar and began touring, culminating with the recording of the album Gold Cobra (2011), after which they left Interscope and later signed with Cash Money Records. In 2014, a sixth studio album, Stampede of the Disco Elephants, was to be released but remained in development hell. Eventually, a new album called STILL SUCKS was recorded with all of the original band members and released digitally only in October 2021.
Fred Durst grew up in Jacksonville, where he took an interest in breakdancing, hip hop, punk rock and heavy metal. He began to rap, skate, beatbox and deejay. While mowing lawns and working as a tattoo artist, he developed an idea for a band that combined elements of rock and hip hop. Durst played with three other bands, Split 26, Malachi Sage, which were unsuccessful, and 10 Foot Shindig, which Durst left to form a new band. Durst told Sam Rivers, the bassist for Malachi Sage, "You need to quit this band and start a band with me that's like this: rappin' and rockin'." Rivers suggested that his cousin, John Otto, who was studying jazz drumming at the Douglas Anderson School of the Arts and playing in local avant garde bands, become their drummer. Durst, Rivers and Otto jammed and wrote three songs together, and Wes Borland later joined as a guitarist.
Durst named the band Limp Bizkit because he wanted a name that would repel listeners. According to Durst, "The name is there to turn people's heads away. A lot of people pick up the disc and go, 'Limp Bizkit. Oh, they must suck.' Those are the people that we don't even want listening to our music." Other names that were considered by Durst included Gimp Disco, Split Dickslit, Bitch Piglet, and Blood Fart. Every record label that showed an interest in the band pressured its members to change its name. Limp Bizkit developed a cult following in the underground music scene, particularly at the Milk Bar, an underground punk club in Jacksonville. The band's local popularity was such that Sugar Ray, who had a major label contract, opened for a then-unsigned Limp Bizkit at Velocity with hip hop group Funkdoobiest. Milkbar owner, Danny Wimmer, stated that Limp Bizkit "had the biggest draw for a local band. They went from playing [for] ten people to eight hundred within months. Fred ... was always marketing the band. He would go to record stores and get people involved, he was in touch with high schools." However, the band knew that to achieve national success, they would have to distinguish themselves in their live performances. Attracting crowds by word of mouth, the band gave energetic live performances, covering George Michael's "Faith" and Paula Abdul's "Straight Up", and featuring Borland in bizarre costumes. Borland's theatrical rock style was the primary attraction for many concert attendees.
Behind Blue Eyes
Limp Bizkit Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning | Line by Line Meaning
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated to telling only lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
(Discover)
(L.I.M.P.)
(Say it)
(Discover)
(L.I.M.P.)
(Say it)
(Discover)
(L.I.M.P.)
(Say it)
(Discover)
(L.I.M.P.)
(Say it)
(Discover)
No one knows what its like
To be mistreated, to be defeated
Behind blue eyes
An no one know how to say
That they're sorry and don't worry
I'm not telling lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
Limp Bizkit's "Behind Blue Eyes" is a cover of The Who's classic song about a man with a dark and troubled past. The lyrics describe the struggles of being misunderstood and mistreated, expressing the hopelessness of this man's situation. The phrase "behind blue eyes" is used to represent the pain and sadness that is hidden beneath the surface.
The narrator describes himself as the "bad man" and "sad man" who is "fated to telling only lies". He feels like no one understands him and that he is constantly judged and hated. The dreams he has are the only place he can express himself fully, without anyone judging him for what he is. He acknowledges that his love is vengeful and that it will never be free. The repetition of the refrain: "No one knows what it's like to be the bad man, to be the sad man behind blue eyes." reinforces the feelings of isolation and despair that the protagonist is feeling.
Throughout the song, the protagonist blames the person who caused him the pain and misery he is feeling, admitting that he has feelings of anger and revenge against them. The song ends with the admission that no one knows what it's like to be mistreated or defeated behind blue eyes, and that the protagonist is not telling lies when he describes his struggles.
Overall, the lyrics are powerful and haunting, with a melancholy melody that perfectly captures the mood of the song.
Line by Line Meaning
No one knows what it's like
The speaker is explaining how nobody truly understands how they feel
To be the bad man
The speaker is someone who is viewed as a bad person
To be the sad man
The speaker is feeling a great deal of sadness within themselves
Behind blue eyes
The speaker is hiding their emotions from others
And no one knows what it's like
The speaker reiterates that nobody truly understands how they feel
To be hated
The speaker is hated by others for what they have done
To be fated to telling only lies
The speaker is expected to lie and keep secrets in their line of work
But my dreams they aren't as empty
The speaker's dreams give them hope and purpose
As my conscience seems to be
The speaker feels guilty for their actions
I have hours, only lonely
The speaker spends a lot of time alone with their thoughts
My love is vengeance
The speaker seeks revenge for the wrongs done to them or their loved ones
That's never free
Seeking revenge always comes at a cost
To feel these feelings
The speaker experiences a range of intense emotions like no one else
Like I do
Nobody understands the emotions the speaker feels in the same way
And I blame you
The speaker holds someone else responsible for their current situation
No one bites back as hard
Other people don't respond to anger in the same way the speaker does
On their anger
The speaker's anger is intense and strong
None of my pain and woe
The speaker's pain and sadness can't be fully understood by others
Can show through
The speaker is good at hiding their true feelings
To be mistreated, to be defeated
The speaker has been wronged and feels defeated as a result
And no one knows how to say
People are unsure of how to apologize or make amends with the speaker
That they're sorry and don't worry
People should apologize to the speaker and not worry about their reaction
I'm not telling lies
The speaker is being truthful in expressing their feelings
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Pete Townshend
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jesús Adrian Bravo Rivera
No one knows what it's like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
And no one knows what it's like
To be hated
To be fated to telling only lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To feel these feelings
Like I do
And I blame you
No one bites back as hard
On their anger
None of my pain and woe
Can show through
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To be mistreated, to be defeated
Behind blue eyes
An no one know how to say
That they're sorry and don't worry
I'm not telling lies
But my dreams they aren't as empty
As my conscience seems to be
I have hours, only lonely
My love is vengeance
That's never free
No one knows what its like
To be the bad man
To be the sad man
Behind blue eyes
Rexy Cullen
Today is the 16th anniversary of my teenage son's suicide, this was played at his funeral, so apt & it still cuts to the bone.
4EVRBOSS
RIP
Chris Devarro
Sorry for your loss.
Carol Combs
I'm so sorry , I truly believe we keep there spirit alive by talking about them, still celebrating each celebration, each anniversary,,, it never stops hurting when you loose a child, I get to be with my loved ones that have parted this world, every time I close my eyes and remember 😢😢😢😢😢😢❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤💔💔💔💔💔💔💔💗💗💗💗💗💗💗🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏 god bless you for sharing something so painful,,,, love to you and your family
Cher
Aw, hope your okay
Bigtuna dude
You see here You have people who are here for you.
Stay strong!
Ashish Latthe
This song hits hard to me being a 90's kid and still trying to make my own identity. Many times I thought og giving up but my responsibilities keep me going. It's difficult.
Doug Sullivan
Be strong and don’t give up. Every day provides a new opportunity and a chance to find meaning for our lives ❤.
Rachel Saphire Correlli
Well said! That’s what it’s like. I was born 1989. Very prevalent song.
Grabble
Better just listen to the original.