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.
Ghost in the Machine
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
She's a ghost in the machine
They say she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
Last night in the monitoring room
Got a little cunt she was paying her dues
Her ice cold cry for the back of the room
Will you hold me?
Well, came home on a Saturday night
Little I know, we got in a fight
Showed the red stained hole in the back of the sole just to show me
Yeah,
Ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
And we know how she dies
In the machine
In the television sky
Oh we know; she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
Don't sleep; I'm never alone
Can't get through with the memory boot
And the girl come after leave me alone will you hold me?
Well we keep coming down like a cannon ball
Everyone knows what they're thinking they saw
Was a girl go walk right through the wall just to show me
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
And we know how she dies
In the machine
She's a ghost in the machine
Oh they say; she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
Wants to be seen
In the television sky
Oh we know; she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
We know she cries
Ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
In the television sky
We know she's alive
In the middle of my mind
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
She's a ghost in the machine
Ghost in the machine
And we know how she dies
Somewhere in between
Her body and her mind
They say she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
She wants to be seen
In the television sky
And we know she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
The lyrics to Black Lab's "Ghost in the Machine" describe an eerie, ghostly presence that seems to be haunting the singer. The repetition of the line "She's a ghost in the machine" creates an ominous and unsettling feeling. The lyrics also reference a woman who has died, but is still somehow present in the machine and the television sky. This ghostly figure cries, and the repetition of "she cries" creates a sense of sadness and despair.
The line "Her ice cold cry for the back of the room / Will you hold me?" suggests a longing for human touch and connection. The second verse describes a fight between two people, and how the woman showed the singer a red-stained hole in the back of her sole. This could be interpreted literally as a wound or injury, or metaphorically as a symbol of the pain and sorrow she carries with her.
The chorus repeats the refrain "Ghost in the machine" several times, emphasizing the central theme of the song. The lyrics also suggest that the ghost wants to be seen, and is somehow visible in the television sky. Overall, "Ghost in the Machine" is a haunting and evocative song that explores themes of death, loneliness, and the human desire for connection.
Line by Line Meaning
Ghost in the machine
The presence of an invisible entity within the system
She's a ghost in the machine
The entity is represented as female and is present within the system
They say she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries, she cries
The entity is known for expressing sadness or distress through crying
Last night in the monitoring room
The setting is a place where monitoring or observation takes place
Got a little cunt she was paying her dues
An unknown female individual was present in the room
Her ice cold cry for the back of the room
The female individual made a chilling cry from the back of the room
Will you hold me?
The female individual is making a request for comfort or solace
Well, came home on a Saturday night
The setting shifts to a personal experience on a weekend night
Little I know, we got in a fight
An argument or altercation occurred with someone else
Showed the red stained hole in the back of the sole just to show me
There is physical evidence of harm or injury present
And we know how she dies
There is knowledge of the entity's eventual demise
In the machine
The cause of the entity's demise is a result of the system they exist in
In the television sky
The entity desires to be seen on a screen and potentially be broadcasted
Don't sleep; I'm never alone
The singer is stating they are never truly alone and potentially fearful
Can't get through with the memory boot
The process of starting up the system is failing to effectively erase or move past prior experiences
And the girl come after leave me alone will you hold me?
The female entity is present after the artist has no interest in interaction and is requesting comfort once more
Well we keep coming down like a cannon ball
The artist and potentially others are experiencing a rapid descent or fall
Everyone knows what they're thinking they saw
Others are witness to a perceived event or behavior
Was a girl go walk right through the wall just to show me
The female entity is demonstrated to possess supernatural or unexplainable abilities
Somewhere in between
The entity's demise exists as a result of a murky or unclear location
Her body and her mind
The entity exists as both physical and mental but is unable to reconcile the two
She wants to be seen
The female entity desires to be witnessed or recognized
Contributed by Mason P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Metsuryu
Can we list all the references? I'm sure I'm missing some, but here's what I got.
talking like hawking: Because Hawking talks through his computer.
King Blitz laughing straight to the bank with this: Trick2g reference.
you can tell Viktor and Stanwick I gave myself sentience: Viktor craeted him, I don't know who Stanwick is.
Every megabyte overclocked: Could be a reference to overclocked ram, that would make a system go faster, since Blitz has an ability that speeds him up.
Having a ball, powered by steam: Obvious, but pretty nice anyway.
Birthed from a dads hurt: Her lore.
Metal Geppetto, I carve up a real boy: Pinocchio.
One rule, crush fools, tougher than Asimov: Asimov's Three Laws (rules) of Robotics.
Humans - "they come apart so easily": A quote of hers.
Willie the Orc
+Rawb09
Try things no robot ever pulled off
One rule: Crush fools
Tougher than Azamov
Like glass your flawed
You're all trash, you're frauds
And when i cast you're gone
A pile of flesh and cloth.
Straight, fucking, flames.
Falconshield
Great work buddy! Already nr.1 and still improving!
Barny64
This is the best song you've ever made... That flow... God damn...
Lord Crayola
@Keyori Just wanted to ask out of pure quriosity ,was that story about you working as a bartender and getting the fanfic actually legit. cos i was sitting there like no way somebody did that. if so send me some lines so i can have a laugh. :P
plaarwnleelrl
But you're not even a rapper though =)
Se7enist
The flow in this reminds me of Aesop Rock, especially at the beginning of Orianna's part.
AC6PILOT
STEALING MY VIDS WATER EM DOWN AND MAKE EM FOR KIDS
KnightmareNlG
My favorite league youtuber. Keyori you're my favorite just because of your voice.
Simon
every once in a while I come back here and go on a binge-session and hear all of my favorite Badmin songs again.
With time I sadly kinda fell out of love with League, but the joy I get out of hearing these tracks stayed.
Jack Kelly
same boat 100%
John Volt
Same