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.
I Am Free
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i can't take it when you let it down
i can't stand it
can't keep my hands off of it
my eyes are like spiders on you
i'm creepin out of my skin
and into yours again
have mercy, have mercy
sleepin in my bed
i know you, i know you
you want me for yourself
but i am free
i know you, i know you
you want me on your shelf
but i am free
you bath me
you know how to torture me
you keep me in my corner
like a boxer who's finger are crushed
from the touch of your lust
i know you, i know you
you want me for yourself
but i am free
i know you, i know you
you want me on your shelf
but i am free
i am free!
if i call, don't waste my time
if i call, don't waste my time
don't waste my time...
don't waste my time...
yeah
i know you, i know you
you want me for yourself
but i am free
i know you, i know you
you want me on your shelf
but i am free
i know you, i know you
you want me on my knees
but i am free
i know you, i know you
you want to take your piece
but i am free
i'm free, i'm free
i'm free, i'm free
The song "I Am Free" by Black Lab is a complex tale of desire and rejection, showcasing the singer's struggle to maintain his independence in the face of a seductive lover. The opening lines set the tone of the song, with the singer torn between his attraction to his partner's hair when it's down, and his desire to keep his distance. He acknowledges the power his partner holds over him, comparing his attraction to her to spiders creeping under his skin, but insists that he is still in control of his own life.
The singer goes on to describe how his partner tries to keep him under her thumb, controlling him like a boxer who has had his fingers crushed by his opponent's blows. Despite this, he remains firm in his conviction that he is free, refusing to be caught like a bird in a cage or kept on a shelf like a trophy. He warns his partner not to waste his time if she tries to hold him back, knowing that he will not be swayed by her advances.
Overall, "I Am Free" is a powerful anthem of self-determination, with the singer refusing to be controlled by anyone else, no matter how tempting their offer may be. It shows that even in the face of seduction and desire, it is still possible to hold onto one's sense of self and maintain personal autonomy.
Line by Line Meaning
put your hair up
I can't resist you when you let your hair down, and I want you to put it up so I can try to control myself.
i can't take it when you let it down
Your beauty when you let your hair down is too much for me to handle, and I lose control.
i can't stand it
I am overwhelmed by my desire for you, and it's starting to drive me crazy.
can't keep my hands off of it
I am irresistibly drawn to touching your hair and being close to you, no matter how hard I try to resist.
my eyes are like spiders on you
I can't stop looking at you, and my desire for you is intense and all-consuming, like a spider's web.
i'm creepin out of my skin
My desire for you is so strong that I feel like I am leaving my own body and becoming a part of you.
and into yours again
I want to be close to you and feel your body against mine, and I can't help returning to you no matter how hard I try to resist.
have mercy, have mercy
I am begging you to go easy on me because my desire for you is so strong that I am struggling to control myself.
there's already somebody
I am already with someone else, and your desire for me is causing problems in my existing relationship.
sleepin in my bed
My existing partner is lying in bed next to me, and your desire for me is interfering with our relationship.
you want me for yourself
You are attracted to me and want to be in a relationship with me, but I am not ready for that kind of commitment.
but i am free
I am not tied down to any one person, and I value my freedom too much to be in a committed relationship right now.
you bath me
You take care of me and give me comfort, but your desires go beyond what I am willing to give.
you know how to torture me
You know how to tempt me and draw me in, but I am not willing to give in to your desires.
you keep me in my corner
You try to control me and keep me in a position where I am unable to resist your advances.
like a boxer who's finger are crushed
You are causing me pain and discomfort with your persistent desires, and it feels like I am trapped in a boxing ring with no way out.
from the touch of your lust
Your attraction to me is so strong that it feels like I am being touched by an all-consuming passion, and I am afraid that I will not be able to resist much longer.
if i call, don't waste my time
I am warning you not to pursue me if I reach out to you because I am not interested in being in a relationship with you.
i know you, i know you
I understand your desires and your attraction to me, but I am not willing to give in to them and enter into a committed relationship.
you want me on your shelf
You want to possess me and keep me for yourself, but I am not interested in being someone's property.
i know you, i know you
I understand that you are attracted to me, but I am not willing to give up my freedom and be in a relationship with you.
you want me on my knees
You want me to submit to your desires and be subservient to you, but I am not willing to give in to your demands.
you want to take your piece
You want to possess me and have me all to yourself, but I am not willing to let anyone control me or my life.
i'm free, i'm free
I value my independence and freedom above all else, and I am not willing to compromise those things for anyone.
Contributed by Adeline S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.