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.
Not Too Late
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never thought I had the right to say it's ok.
cause I don't know when to shut my mouth.
I don't know when I'm too proud to say it's ok.
now I keep falling for you.
I keep falling for you.
so give me the world give me strength.
give me my heart back before it breaks.
give me your word that it's not too late.
I love the way you let down your guard.
if you ever just want to start a fight well it's alright.
I hope you don't get hurt again.
I don't want your innocence to die.
alright.
and I keep falling for you.
I keep falling for you.
so give me the world give me strength.
give me my heart back before it breaks.
you give me your love but I can't take it.
give me your word that it's not too late.
go on my love my love for with you is where I want to be.
go on my love my love for you with you is where I want to be.
ive all my love, my love for you 'cause with you is where I want to be.
give all my love, my love for you 'cause with you is where I want to be.
so give me the world give me strength.
I'm trying to find you before it breaks.
you give me your love but I can't take it.
let me surrender I'll feel no pain.
I fought it as long as this heart could take.
tell me again that it's not too late.
The lyrics to Black Lab's song Not Too Late depict a protagonist who has fallen in love with someone but is struggling to express their feelings in a way that isn't awkward or clumsy. The first verse expresses the internal conflict between wanting to be honest about their emotions while also not wanting to make a fool of themselves. They admit to having trouble knowing when to keep their thoughts to themselves, and being too proud to let their guard down. Despite this, they continue to fall for their love interest.
The chorus is a plea for reassurance, security, and honesty. The singer wants the world, strength, and their heart back before it breaks. They are hesitant to accept their love interest's affection, but they want reassurance that it's not too late to pursue a relationship. They crave a verbal commitment that everything will work out if they take a chance.
The second verse plays into the fear of getting hurt. The singer is wary of past hurt affecting their love interest, and they want to preserve their innocence. They express hope that their love interest won't be hurt again. The chorus repeats, with a slight change, as they implore their love interest to let them surrender and express their feelings freely. The song ends with a plea to reiterate that it's not too late.
Overall, the song is about taking a leap of faith while being honest about your fears and reservations. It's a complicated dance between expressing your emotions and not wanting to be vulnerable. It's a universal experience that many people can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
I made a fool of myself tonight.
I embarrassed myself tonight by saying or doing something foolish.
I never thought I had the right to say it's ok.
I didn't think I had the authority or permission to tell you that everything is fine.
cause I don't know when to shut my mouth.
Because I don't have the self-control to stop talking when I should.
I don't know when I'm too proud to say it's ok.
I'm not good at admitting when I'm wrong or accepting help.
now I keep falling for you.
Now I find myself becoming more and more drawn to you.
so give me the world give me strength.
I want everything and I need the power to handle it all.
give me my heart back before it breaks.
Please return my emotions to me before they shatter and leave me hurt.
you give me your love but I can't take it.
I appreciate your affection, but I don't feel worthy of it or capable of returning it appropriately.
give me your word that it's not too late.
Please promise me that there is still time to make things better between us.
I love the way you let down your guard.
I admire how you are vulnerable and honest with me.
if you ever just want to start a fight well it's alright.
If you need to argue, I'm okay with it because I value open communication.
I hope you don't get hurt again.
I don't want you to experience pain or suffering anymore.
I don't want your innocence to die.
I want you to maintain your pure and genuine qualities.
alright.
Acknowledging understanding or agreement of the previous statement.
and I keep falling for you.
I can't help but feel stronger emotions towards you over time.
go on my love my love for with you is where I want to be.
Let us continue on this journey together because being with you is where I desire to be.
ive all my love, my love for you 'cause with you is where I want to be.
I offer my complete love and devotion to you because being with you is my deepest longing.
give all my love, my love for you 'cause with you is where I want to be.
I give myself and all of my love to you because being with you is where I belong.
I'm trying to find you before it breaks.
I'm attempting to locate you before my heart shatters from the pain or fear of losing you.
let me surrender I'll feel no pain.
If I submit to my feelings for you, I will not experience agony or discomfort.
I fought it as long as this heart could take.
I resisted my desires and emotions as much as I could bear without torture.
tell me again that it's not too late.
Please reassure me and let me know that there is still a possibility for us to work things out.
Contributed by Aaliyah M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Edward Klay
Too bad this never got to an album other than B sides. It's such a great tune.