Lead vocalist Santilla and lead guitarist Campbell met multi-instrumentalist Louis Macklin at a school camp, and he became the band's keyboardist and percussionist. Progress of the band stalled for some time, until 2001 when Santilla and Campbell found each other again in Melbourne and began writing again.
Soon, drummer Ben Dexter joined after coming to know the group through his brother, and bass guitarist Bryan Dochstader joined the group after noticing the group unloading gear in a supermarket car-park and asking them, "Do you guys need a bass player?"
The band couldn't decide on a name for several months until Dexter rang Santilla and asked him, "What's the model of your car?" "HR," Santilla replied. "What year?" "'67." "67 Special?" "Yeah."
67 Special did a six-month residency at the Esplanade Hotel in St Kilda to critical acclaim, and in 2003 signed with Festival Mushroom Records.
5 Degrees
67 Special Lyrics
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Well it's near on five degrees
And I'm freezing in my sheets
What I wouldn't give for you next to me
It's near on five degrees
I gotta wear three pairs of jeans
What I wouldn't give for you next to me
And every time I close my eyes
Oh the things that I see, yeah that I see
Pretend the smoke gets in my eyes
People they gonna see me crying no
All this talk of getting sold is kinda boring
And I've got better place to be
"Like at the Public Bar!"
Just plug me in and turn it up
Bring the bottle and fill the cup
With something other than the truth
And every time I close my eyes
Oh the things that I see, yeah that I see
Pretend the smoke gets in my eyes
People they gonna see me crying no
Well it's near on five degrees
And I'm freezing in my sheets
What I wouldn't give for you next to me
It's near on five degrees
I gotta wear three pairs of jeans
What I wouldn't give for you next to me
Oh my darlin'
Near on five degrees
And I'm freezing in my sheets
'round five degrees
And I'm freezing in my, oh oh in my head
The opening lines of 67 Special's song "5 Degrees" set the scene for a cold and lonely night. The singer is lying in bed, shivering in the icy temperature, and wishing for someone special to hold close. The coldness is emphasized with the repeated line "it's near on five degrees," which adds a sense of desperation to the song. Despite wearing three pairs of jeans, the singer still feels cold and longs for a warmer presence.
The next verse introduces a sense of escape from the cold reality. The singer talks about getting "plugged in" and "turning it up" at a public bar. The lyrics suggest that the singer wants to drown out their loneliness and the coldness with alcohol and music. The line "with something other than the truth" implies that the singer is trying to hide from their reality and maybe even themselves.
The chorus repeats the earlier lines, reiterating the singer's feelings of coldness and loneliness. The use of the phrase "pretend the smoke gets in my eyes" suggests that the singer is trying to mask their emotions and keep themselves detached. The final lines add to the sense of bleakness, with the repeated "in my head" suggesting that these thoughts are hard to shake off.
Line by Line Meaning
Get the dog away from the porch... 1, 2, a 1, 2, 3, 4
Introducing the song with a count-in and unimportant line about removing a dog from the porch
Well it's near on five degrees
It's close to five degrees Celsius which is extremely cold
And I'm freezing in my sheets
The singer is shivering under his sheets due to the cold temperature
What I wouldn't give for you next to me
The singer longs for the warmth of another person's body next to him
I gotta wear three pairs of jeans
The singer is wearing multiple layers of pants to keep warm in the freezing temperature
And every time I close my eyes
When the singer closes his eyes, his mind wanders
Oh the things that I see, yeah that I see
He experiences vivid thoughts and visions
Pretend the smoke gets in my eyes
The singer pretends to cry due to the visual and emotional nature of his thoughts
People they gonna see me crying no
He doesn't want others to see him being vulnerable and emotional
All this talk of getting sold is kinda boring
The singer is disinterested in the discussion of commercial success
And I've got better place to be
The singer has other more fulfilling and enjoyable experiences elsewhere
"Like at the Public Bar!"
The singer cites the Public Bar as a fun and enjoyable place to be
Just plug me in and turn it up
The singer wants to increase the volume of music to enjoy himself
Bring the bottle and fill the cup
He wants to drink alcohol to enhance the experience
With something other than the truth
The singer doesn't want to confront reality through drinking and music
Oh my darlin'
The singer addresses a loved one affectionately
'round five degrees
The temperature is still hovering around five degrees Celsius
And I'm freezing in my, oh oh in my head
The singer's mental state is affected by the cold, making him feel uncomfortable
Contributed by Alexandra R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.