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.
Ecstasy
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 lyrics of "Ecstasy" by Black Lab are a powerful and emotive exploration of the inner turmoil and confusion that can come with relationships and intimacy. The song opens with a vivid and visceral image of pain, as the singer describes themselves as having a mind like a switchblade and a heart doubled over in agony. The use of the metaphor of a switchblade suggests a sharp and dangerous edge to their thoughts, and sets the tone for the rest of the song as one of intense emotion and vulnerability.
The chorus of the song reflects a sense of disconnection and alienation from the world around the singer, as they describe everyone as being in ecstasy but still lonely and disconnected. The use of the phrase "underneath it all" suggests that there is something deeper going on beneath the surface, and that the joy and excitement the world projects may be hiding a deeper sense of pain and confusion. The repeated refrain of "I don't know" reflects the singer's sense of uncertainty and confusion, as they struggle to make sense of their own feelings and the world around them.
The second verse of the song introduces a further layer of complexity, with the singer reflecting on the loss of their sisters and the sense of weight and responsibility that can come with family and relationships. The lines "each song leads to one more song / the future on your back" suggest a sense of inevitability and progression, as the singer carries the weight of their past and the expectations of their future. The final lines of the song, with their references to the world coming down and the singer being pulled down, suggest a sense of resignation and defeat in the face of these pressures and struggles.
Line by Line Meaning
Picture yourself
Imagine yourself
Mind like a switchblade
Your mind is sharp, quick and restless.
Heart doubled over in pain
You are in a lot of emotional pain, and it affects you physically.
You let your body overflow
You let your emotions take over and overwhelm you.
Hide your instinct good and deep
You keep your natural impulses hidden and buried deep.
As the world just goes to hell
As everything around you falls apart.
Throw my clothes out in the street
You want to get rid of your past and start fresh.
And hang me on your wall
You want to keep a reminder of your past mistakes so you don't repeat them.
Cause everyone's in ecstasy
Everyone appears happy and content.
Underneath it all
But deep down, people are still lonely and unfulfilled.
And everybody's lonely
People feel isolated and disconnected from each other.
No one there at all
Despite being surrounded by people, you still feel alone.
But is anybody happy
People may seem happy, but are they really?
Or is it just the alcohol?
Maybe people are just using alcohol to mask their sadness and loneliness.
I don't know, I don't know
The singer is unsure.
All I really know is
The only thing that the artist is sure of is...
now your sisters have gone, one by one
The people closest to you have left one by one.
One took jesus, one took the gun
Your loved ones have found different ways to cope with their problems, one turned to religion, while another to violence.
And each song leads to one more song
One problem leads to another, and another.
The future on your back
You feel the weight of the future bearing down on you.
I guess I should feel lucky just to
I should consider myself fortunate just to...
Get to be your past
Have the opportunity to leave the past behind and move on.
and I never saw your world come down,
The singer never expected to see the other person's life fall apart.
That familiar sound.
The sound of something breaking or falling apart is familiar to the artist.
And I never thought you would pull me down,
The singer never expected the other person to bring them down as well.
That the world would pull me down.
The world around the singer is so chaotic and depressing that it's pulling them down as well.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: DANIEL BLACK
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind