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.
New Prayer
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Wind in my heart
Dust in my head
Dust in my head
I need something like a drug that won’t fuck me up,
Something like pain that won’t go away keeping me awake
I need something like a girl you know making me work but inside not outside
Something that matters, matters more than survival
Something to keep me, hold me broken and lonely that can keep me alive
I need a new prayer
I need a new prayer (to pray)
I need a new word
I need a new word (to say)
Yeah it’s only silence ... only silence
Yeah it’s only silence ... only silence
I need something like sleep like a dream yeah but perfectly real
A sharp blade of grass kick my ass
Something inside and not outside
Something that kills that can bring me back
Something that’s perfectly matched to the place where I come
In the middle of the place where I come
That can pick me off the ground when I’m done
That can hold me to flame and let it burn me down
I need a new prayer
I need a new prayer (to pray)
I need a new word
I need a new word (to say)
?
I need a new word
I need a new word
There's only silence
There's only silence
Another sun
Another sun
Get me in this
I won’t wait for you
When all is fought and won
Can’t believe what I have done
This soul
I need a new prayer
I need a new prayer (to pray)
I need a new word (to say)
I need a new word
I need new...
It’s only silence
Yeah, it's only silence
(perfection)
(completion)
The lyrics to Black Lab's song "New Prayer" depict a narrator who is searching for something to keep them going, to keep them alive. The first two lines set the tone, with "Wind in my heart/Dust in my head," describing the chaos and confusion within them. The singer then describes their need for something that won't harm them, like a drug or pain, but still has an impact. They seek something that matters more than just basic survival, something that can pull them out of their current state.
The singer continues to search for this elusive thing, describing it as "something like sleep like a dream yeah but perfectly real" and "something that kills that can bring me back." They want something that matches the place where they come from, and can hold them to the flame and let them burn down. The repeated phrase "I need a new prayer/I need a new word" emphasizes the singer's desperation for something new that can bring them out of their current state of mind. The final lines "It’s only silence/Yeah, it's only silence" could represent the singer's frustration with their search and the lack of answers they have found.
Overall, "New Prayer" is a powerful depiction of a person's search for something deeper and more meaningful than basic survival. It speaks to the human need for a sense of purpose and fulfillment beyond the material world.
Line by Line Meaning
Wind in my heart
I feel an urge in my heart
Wind in my heart
That urge is strong, like wind
Dust in my head
My mind is filled with confusion
Dust in my head
I can't think clearly due to this confusion
I need something like a drug that won’t f*** me up,
I need something that makes me feel good without any negative side effects, like a drug
Something like pain that won’t go away keeping me awake
I need something that makes me alert and awake, like pain, but without the actual pain
I need something like a girl you know making me work but inside not outside
I need someone to push me to work hard, but in a way that inspires me internally rather than externally
I need a window a way out of these mirrors.
I need an escape from the endless reflections of my life
Something that matters, matters more than survival
I need something to live for that's more important than just getting by day to day
Something to keep me, hold me broken and lonely that can keep me alive
I need something to hold onto and keep me alive, even when I'm broken and feeling lonely
I need a new prayer
I need to find a new way to communicate with a higher power
I need a new prayer (to pray)
It's not just about the words I say, but also how I say them and the meaning behind them
I need a new word
I need a new concept or idea to latch onto
I need a new word (to say)
I need to find a new way to express myself and my thoughts
Yeah it’s only silence ... only silence
Despite all these needs, sometimes all I can hear is silence
I need something like sleep like a dream yeah but perfectly real
I need something that feels just as good and refreshing as sleep, but that actually has a tangible impact on my life
A sharp blade of grass kick my ass
Sometimes, a small and seemingly insignificant event can still have a powerful impact on me
Something inside and not outside
What I really need is something that comes from within, rather than relying on external factors to bring me happiness or satisfaction
Something that kills that can bring me back
Sometimes, what I need is to confront and overcome something difficult, in order to come out the other side stronger and more resilient
Something that’s perfectly matched to the place where I come
What I need is something that fits perfectly into my life and my experiences thus far
In the middle of the place where I come
This thing needs to exist within the context of my life and my surroundings
That can pick me off the ground when I’m done
When I'm at my lowest, I need something to help me back up again
That can hold me to flame and let it burn me down
Sometimes, I need to experience intense pain in order to fully learn and grow from the situation
Another sun
I need a fresh start, like a new sun rising every day
Another sun
I need a new beginning, free from my past baggage
Get me in this
I'm ready to fully commit to whatever comes next
I won’t wait for you
I can't afford to wait around for someone else to save or help me
When all is fought and won
When I've finally overcome everything I've been facing
Can’t believe what I have done
I'll be in disbelief at my own strength and resilience
This soul
All of these needs and desires are coming from deep within my soul
I need new...
All of these needs are building up and I can feel them getting stronger
It’s only silence
Despite everything I'm longing for, sometimes all I can hear is silence
Yeah, it's only silence
It's overwhelming to feel so lost and unheard, despite all my needs and desires
Contributed by Wyatt F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Dadcowe
@HUBBAHHHKKK "labredor" ... "lbrador"... when you actually COULD have typed it right, you remove a letter xD