311 mix rock, rap, reggae and funk into their own unique sound. After years of consistent touring, 311 have developed a reputation as one of the hardest working, most influential and most entertaining live bands in the U.S.
311 have released ten studio albums, one live album, one greatest hits album and three dvd's - and have sold over 8.5 million albums in the U.S. Seven of their albums have reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 Sales Chart...and 9 of their singles have reached the Top 10 on Billboard's Alternative Rock Radio Chart (including the #1 singles Down, Love Song & Don't Tread On Me. Along with Amber, All Mixed Up, Come Original, Creatures For Awhile, Hey You, and Sunset in July).
311’s newest album, Universal Pulse, released in Summer 2011, was produced by Bob Rock, mixed by Chad Sexton and debuted at #7 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Chart.
The band's celebratory live shows & incessant touring schedule have earned them a massive grassroots following nationwide. Since its inception in 2004, 311’s annual summer headlining amphitheatre run, Unity Tour, has become one of the largest modern rock concerts of the summer. Support acts on previous Unity Tours have included Sublime with Rome, The Offspring, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Papa Roach, The Wailers, O.A.R., Matisyahu, and Ziggy Marley. Unity Tour 2012 will feature support from Slightly Stoopid.
311 BIO/HIGHLIGHTS:
* 311 was formed in 1990 in Omaha, Nebraska by vocalist/guitarist Nick Hexum, vocalist/dj SA Martinez, lead guitarist Tim Mahoney, drummer Chad Sexton and bassist P-Nut. The band now resides in Los Angeles.
* 311 has sold over 8.5 million units in the U.S.
* 311 has had 8 albums reach the Top 10 on Billboard’s U.S. Top 200 Sales Chart
* 311 has had 9 singles reach the Top 10 on Billboard’s U.S. Alternative Chart (including the #1 singles “Down”, “Love Song” & “Don’t Tread On Me” along with “Amber”, “All Mixed Up”, “Come Original”, “Creatures (For a While)”, “Hey You” and "Sunset in July")
* 311’s new album, Universal Pulse, debuted at #7 in July 2011 and was produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Aerosmith).
* 311’s new album, due summer of 2011, was produced by Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi, Motley Crue, Aerosmith).
* 311’s sound is a unique hybrid of rock, reggae, hip-hop & funk. A balance of hard rocking anthems and melodic reggae grooves - with an underlying message of unity & positivity.
* After years of incessant touring, 311 has developed a reputation as one of the most influential & most entertaining live bands in the U.S.
* With their celebratory live shows, 311 has earned a massive grassroots following. For the past nine years, 311 has headlined their summer “Unity Tour” in ampitheatres across the U.S.- drawing crowds of 10,000 to 18,000 people in Atlanta, Boston, DC, New Jersey, Los Angeles, St. Louis, West Palm, Charlotte, VA Beach, Denver, etc. The tour is consistently one of the largest modern rock concerts of the summer in the U.S.
* Past 311 tours have included an impressive array of opening acts. Bands such as No Doubt, Korn & Incubus all supported 311 on U.S. tours before they became headliners.
* Support acts on 311’s Unity Tour have included :
Sublime With Rome, The Offspring, Snoop Dogg, The Roots, Papa Roach, The Wailers, O.A.R., Matisyahu and Ziggy Marley.
* 311 has always stayed true to their own approach and their underlying message of unity and positivity. That message still rings true for them today…in their lyrics and at their celebratory live shows. Singer Nick Hexum typically ends each show with the words, “Stay Positive and Love Your Life.”
• Every other year on March 11th (“3-11 Day”), 311 holds a special concert event that attracts thousands of 311 fans from around the world. The show includes an extended setlist (5 hours / 60+ songs) and state of the art production. Last year the band sold-out the Mandalay Bay Arena and tickets were sold to fans in all 50 U.S. states and 13 different countries. 311 fans traveled from around the globe to meet each other and to celebrate 311 Day together.
This Too Shall Pass
311 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cause thats a waste
Waste of space in my frontal lobe and
I just sit, deal with it, dont have a fit
Do you know what Im sayin?
I just get as down as I can
Dont look to relief from a troubled young man
Sometimes it sucks
Oh I'm not too sure if I can do this on my own guys
Like I'm thinking maybe we should form a support group
Or perhaps a church sponsored youth group
Oh and then then I say
I looked the other way
I changed my point of view
And heres what I do
This too shall pass
This too shall pass
This too shall pass
This..
All the good times, all the bad times
Face it bro, they all will pass
Your problems will seem inconsequential and trivial
When you realize one thing
Were just a speck of dirt on this golf ball
Called earth
So get stupid and sing
And then I feel stupid for saying it in the first place
Cause this aint no woosies anonymous, right chad
That's right (Chad)
Chad asays no
So, fuck it up
Oh, and then and then I see
I looked the other way
I changed my point of view
And heres what I do
This song is passed
So put that in your pipe and smoke it
"This Too Shall Pass" is a song by 311 which talks about the law of impermanence. The song primarily tells us that everything around us will eventually pass. It's essentially a motivational song for listeners who have been struggling with the ups and downs of life. The lyrics talk about how the singer doesn't want to hold onto anything that isn't worth the effort or is causing him stress, and instead, he just sits and deals with it until it passes. He becomes as low as he can and doesn't look to a troubled young man for relief because he knows that "this too shall pass".
The song opens with the singer saying that he doesn't crave for anything because it's a waste of space in his frontal lobe. He urges the listener to understand what he is trying to say. He then talks about how he takes a piece of things, even if it sucks. He realizes that he cannot do everything by himself and that he needs a support group or a church-sponsored youth group. But, he feels stupid for saying it in the first place because he knows he has to fight his own battles. The chorus then follows, where the singer repeats, "This Too Shall Pass".
In the second verse, the song talks about how our problems will seem unimportant when we realize that we are just a speck of dirt on this earth. When we acknowledge this reality, we can "get stupid and sing" because we know that everything will pass. The song ends with the singer saying, "This song is passed, so put that in your pipe and smoke it."
Line by Line Meaning
I dont jones for nothing
I don't crave anything because it would just take up unnecessary space in my mind
Cause thats a waste
Craving things is pointless and inefficient
Waste of space in my frontal lobe and
Craving things takes up valuable mental space in my brain
I just sit, deal with it, dont have a fit
When faced with problems, I calmly address them instead of freaking out
Do you know what Im sayin?
Do you understand my perspective?
I just get as down as I can
When things are bad, I let myself feel the emotions of the moment fully
Dont look to relief from a troubled young man
I don't rely on another person to solve my problems, especially if they are also struggling
Just take a piece
Instead of trying to solve the entire problem at once, I take small steps in the right direction
Sometimes it sucks
Sometimes things are difficult and unpleasant
Oh I'm not too sure if I can do this on my own guys
I am unsure if I can handle this situation alone
Like I'm thinking maybe we should form a support group
Perhaps a group of people with similar issues could help each other
Or perhaps a church sponsored youth group
Alternatively, a faith-based group could provide support and guidance
Oh and then then I say
Continuing my previous thought
I looked the other way
I changed my perspective
I changed my point of view
I altered the way I was seeing the world
And heres what I do
This is how I address my problems
This too shall pass
Everything is temporary, both good and bad experiences will eventually end
All the good times, all the bad times
Both positive and negative experiences are fleeting
Face it bro, they all will pass
It's important to acknowledge that nothing lasts forever
Your problems will seem inconsequential and trivial
When you consider humanity's place in the universe, your issues will seem relatively small
When you realize one thing
Once you come to this understanding
Were just a speck of dirt on this golf ball
In the grand scheme of things, we are insignificant in the vastness of the universe
Called earth
The planet on which we live
So get stupid and sing
In light of our smallness, we should stop worrying and enjoy life in the moment
And then I feel stupid for saying it in the first place
I sometimes feel foolish for sharing my thoughts and emotions
Cause this aint no woosies anonymous, right chad
This isn't a group for those who can't handle their problems themselves, right chad?
Chad asays no
Chad confirms that this is not a group for the weak-willed
So, fuck it up
In light of this, we should be strong and face our problems head-on
Oh, and then and then I see
Returning to my previous thought
This song is passed
This song is over
So put that in your pipe and smoke it
This is the final message of the song, so take it to heart
Contributed by Evan F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Malesa Odom
311 is very underrated compared to the garbage out now. This was recorded in the early 90s and NO ONE sounded like this. 311 is Amazing! Definitely kicks Green Days ass!!
Dradfish
Uhhhhh check again, they took this sound from plenty of bands that had already come out in the early 90s
Sergio Guerra
For anyone who doesn't know, one of the special / awesome things about this song is that it has two basses playing at the same time (Nick plays the other one). Also, the guitar player on this track is not Tim Mahoney, but their original guitarist Jim Watson.
Shad Radoo
@Dradfish VERY hot take
dingodongo
I knew there was something about the bass that stuck out!!! Thank you for sharing the information. 311 is my absolute favorite. No one makes me as happy as you do 311, especially when I'm so down. I LOVE YOU GUYS! 💚🎸🎶 Uplifted. Please, don't ever stop.
Anne Frankenstein
Dradfish I like some of the stuff SA brings in terms of sound but a lot of his lyrics are wack... 🌽
Diva Tertia Almira
this song helps me through a lot of my problems :)
8:16 am
Me too
Continuum
That bass part tho! SO good!
Emily Rock
It's actually two basses. Nick plays bass too on this. They are harmonizing the slap part. Its awesome