In 1998, Paul Durham and his rock band, Black Lab, released their Geffen Records debut Your Body Above Me to critical acclaim. The album yielded the top 10 rock and alternative single "Wash it Away," and the top 40 ac and pop track "Time Ago."
Paul Durham grew up in Twin Falls, Idaho before moving to San Francisco to pursue his passion for musical invention. He recorded and toured with a group of friends under the moniker “Durham,” and made an acoustic-based singer/songwriter record with celebrated jazz producer Lee Townsend. (now available at blacklabworld.com under the title Ten Million Years: songs from the nineteen nineties).
“Durham” split, but a deal with Geffen Records followed, a new band was built, and Black Lab's debut was tagged as "one of this year's breakout records" (Billboard). Hollywood called, and the band contributed songs to the soundtracks for Can't Hardly Wait, Varsity Blues, Permanent Midnight, and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. After a year of touring, Black Lab was poised to fulfill their destiny as "the American U2" (San Francisco Chronicle) when their record label was quickly shuttered. Over the next two years, Durham left his band, fired his manager and moved to LA. "In the end, all I had were my guitars and the songs I was writing." Durham wanted to control the sound around his voice, so he bought a computer and learned to use it. "I had to get back to how it was in high school -- just me and my four-track."
The resulting demos got Durham a new deal with Epic Records. "The first thing I did was buy a giant ProTools system." The only problem was, he didn't know how to install the software. On advice from a friend, Durham hired Andy Ellis to set up his studio. "So, we're sitting around waiting for the computer to reboot," remembers Durham, "And this guy picks up my guitar, without asking. I was cringing inside, afraid of what he would play. But he was great. I wanted to sing over the top of everything he played. Pretty soon, we were writing together."
At 23, Ellis was already an accomplished guitarist, keyboard player and programmer. He had been working as an assistant to some of the best engineers in the business and knew how to twiddle some serious knobs. Durham had found the missing link between what he heard in his head and what came out of the speakers. "Working with Andy is the first time collaboration has ever been easy," says Durham. "Instead of the whole hell-is-other-people thing, we have a blast just making sounds.
See the Sun has a depth and emotional range that broadens with each listen. Much of the album was mixed by Tom Lord-Alge (Live, Blink 182, Avril Lavigne). What shines brightest is the band's pop sensibility – the liquid swirl of "Remember," the epic sweep of "See the Sun," the raging loss of "Without You," and the open-armed surrender of "Lonely Boy."
“Learn to Crawl” was tapped as the fourth track on the platinum Spider-Man soundtrack. Produced by Durham and veteran mixer/producer Tom Lord-Alge, the song wraps an aggressive guitar riff around what Rolling Stone calls "Black Lab's tightly spun, highly melodic rock."
The title of "Ecstasy," a pulsing shadow that wakes to full rock glory, was inspired by Durham's experience recording: "The freedom to do what I wanted – in the studio across the hall from my bedroom – was amazing. I would get up late, go to the beach, then work until four or five in the morning. I got to record this album the same way I wrote it."
While See the Sun represents a zenith in Black Lab’s songwriting and production, the band continues to push and expand its sound into uncharted territory, contributing a vicious techno track called “This Blood” to the worldwide hit movie Blade : Trinity. Black Lab also continues to produce music for television (MTV’s Real World, “What I Like About You,” “The Days”) as well as the upcoming film Lovewrecked.
The third Black Lab album, entitled "Passion Leaves A Trace" was released on January 16th, 2007. Highlights include the majestic "Mine Again", the jet-black remorse of "This Night" (featured in the trailer for The Shield Season 6, and on the episode "Out of the Chute" of House), the hook-laden driving force that is "The Real You", and the achingly beautiful "Ghost In Your Mind".
All things Black Lab, including streaming and free downloads from the new and past albums, can be found at blacklabworld.com.
Ecstacy
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
mind like a switchblade
heart doubled over in pain
you let your body overflow
hide your instinct good and deep
as the world just goes to hell
throw my clothes out in the street
and hang me on your wall
cause everyone's in ecstasy
underneath it all
and everybody's lonely
no one there at all
but is anybody happy
or is it just the alcohol?
i don't know, i don't know
all i really know is
i don't know, i don't know
now your sisters have gone, one by one
one took jesus, one took the gun
and each song leads to one more song
the future on your back
i guess i should feel lucky just to
get to be your past
and i never saw your world come down,
that familiar sound.
and i never thought you would pull me down,
that the world would pull me down.
The opening lines of Black Lab's song "Ecstasy" evoke a sense of pain and confusion. The singer is struggling with his emotions, with his mind "like a switchblade" and his heart "doubled over in pain." He tries to hide his feelings, but the world around him seems to be falling apart. He feels disconnected from the people around him, as if everyone were in a state of "ecstasy" but still alone. The mention of alcohol raises the question of whether happiness is real or just a temporary escape from reality. The chorus repeats the phrase "I don't know" as if there are no easy answers to life's deepest questions.
The second verse shifts the focus to the singer's relationships. His sisters have left, one for a religious calling and one for a violent path. Each song seems to lead him deeper into his own emotions, but the future is always on his back. He feels lucky just to have been part of the singer's past. The final lines of the song suggest that the singer has been pulled down by the world around him. He was not able to save the singer from her problems, and he too has been affected by them.
Line by Line Meaning
picture yourself
Imagine yourself
mind like a switchblade
Your thoughts are sharp and powerful
heart doubled over in pain
Feeling intense emotional pain
you let your body overflow
Embracing your emotions fully
hide your instinct good and deep
Suppressing your natural instincts
as the world just goes to hell
As everything falls apart
throw my clothes out in the street
Discarding material possessions
and hang me on your wall
Making me an object of your desire
cause everyone's in ecstasy
Everyone appears to be ecstatic
underneath it all
Despite what is shown on the surface
and everybody's lonely
Everyone is feeling alone
no one there at all
Despite being surrounded by people
but is anybody happy
Questioning if anyone is truly happy
or is it just the alcohol?
Wondering if happiness is just an illusion brought on by alcohol
i don't know, i don't know
Admitting uncertainty
all i really know is
The only thing I am certain of is
now your sisters have gone, one by one
Your siblings have passed away, one after another
one took jesus, one took the gun
One found solace in religion, while the other resorted to violence
and each song leads to one more song
Each experience leads to another, perpetuating the cycle
the future on your back
Carrying the weight of the future on your shoulders
i guess i should feel lucky just to
I should be grateful for
get to be your past
Being a part of your history
and i never saw your world come down,
I never witnessed your downfall
that familiar sound.
The sound of your world falling apart was familiar to you
and i never thought you would pull me down,
I never expected you to bring me down with you
that the world would pull me down.
But in reality, it was the world that dragged me down
Contributed by Henry D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ryan Holman
Thank You, great song from a great band that should have made it big.
James Fizerl
such a good song, why so under rated :/
joleene2
One of my favorite songs! :)
Edwin Arias
me too
velvetashthugz1
Awesome song