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.
Horses
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To ride 'em without end
Horses for your lovers
Horses for your friends
You say you want a blanket
To wrap yourself up in
I can burn the money
And besides
You lie
There's nothing to hold onto
And I don't even know you
And besides
Your lies
Are almost always airtight
Today it's always midnight
Behind your eyes
You say you want some horses
To keep me close at heart
A tired man between them
Pull a man apart
You say you want a habit
But you don't know where to start
You don't know why you want it
You don't know who you are
And besides
Your lies
There's nothing to hold onto
And I don't even know you
And besides
Your lies
Are almost always airtight
Today it's always midnight
Behind your eyes
And besides
Your lies
There's nothing to hold onto
And I don't even know you
And besides
Your lies
Are almost always airtight
Today it's always midnight
Behind your eyes
The lyrics of Black Lab's "Horses" convey a sense of deception and confusion within a relationship. The song captures the singer's frustration with someone who they believe is lying to them. The person being addressed in the lyrics is asking for "horses" without an end in order to satisfy their needs, which the singer clearly sees as being insatiable. Furthermore, the singer realizes that this person's requests are not genuine and questions if there is anything tangible about them since they make up things that seem to have no connection to any specific goal or purpose.
The singer also highlights the fact that the person they are talking to struggles to see themselves for who they are. They are not sure what they want and why they want it, which stands in stark contrast to the singer's experience. The singer is more grounded and practical, acknowledging that money is not endless and that they must prioritize their relationship properly. However, the person they are talking to seems to be beyond this level of rational thinking.
In sum, the lyrics of the song speak to the frustration that can come with dealing with a person who is deceitful and self-deceived. The singer of the song struggles to connect with this person and to deal with their seemingly endless and irrational demands.
Line by Line Meaning
You say you want some horses
You desire something that you believe will provide you with fulfillment
To ride 'em without end
Riding these horses would allow you to escape the trials you face in your life
Horses for your lovers
You possess a tendency to use your partner as an object, rather than as an equal human being
Horses for your friends
Your desire to please and impress others often overshadows your own desires and well-being
You say you want a blanket
You desire emotional comfort and security
To wrap yourself up in
You seek to disassociate from the difficulties of life and create a bubble of comfort around yourself
I can burn the money
Material possessions hold no real value or importance to you
There's nothing left to spend
You have exhausted all of your resources and avenues for change
And besides You lie
Your words and actions do not align with the reality of the situations you find yourself in
There's nothing to hold onto
You lack a solid foundation or anchor to provide stability in your life
And I don't even know you
You cloak your true self behind a veil of deception, making it impossible for others to truly know or understand who you are
Are almost always airtight
Your lies are cleverly crafted and difficult to detect
Today it's always midnight
You feel trapped in the dark and hopeless night of your own existence
Behind your eyes
These feelings and struggles are invisible to those around you, hidden behind a facade of normalcy
To keep me close at heart
You cling desperately to others, often smothering them with your need for approval and attention
A tired man between them
You exhaust those you rely on for emotional support and affection, leaving them feeling overwhelmed and drained
Pull a man apart
Your emotional neediness and unrealistic expectations can cause significant strain and damage in your relationships
You say you want a habit
You seek escape and distraction from your problems in unhealthy behaviors and activities
But you don't know where to start
You lack the skills or knowledge necessary to make positive and meaningful changes in your life
You don't know why you want it
Your desires and motivations are often unclear or not fully understood even to yourself
You don't know who you are
You suffer from a fundamental lack of self-awareness and identity
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL DURHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Terra Hottman
I ❤ #Horses and #BlackLab ! 🤘💕🤘💕
Juan Castro
This is one of my favorite songs, has been for a long time.
Ryally00
Hey, Im not too sure why this song is one not available for purchase through itunes, I suggest you go straight to the Black Lab website and get it from there, its really easy, safe and quick. In my opinion some of the best tracks are those not avail on itunes, and are well worth a listen, buy.
S_A_M_M_Y
👌👌👌great ❤️
Nitehorse1
Why isn't this track, among many others available for purchase from iTunes?
Ryally00
@Selerdor10 - yeah its a great song. I had to create this vid (roughly!) myself, so it was on youtube!! -Enjoy!!