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.
Ten Million Years
Black Lab Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I never feel this way
I have nightmares, I have dreams of you gone
There is something in you, I want today
So hide the bones away
Beneath the yellow lines
you're scared of what you lose or
[Chorus:]
I love you more than I should
I would wrap my heart in bands of rosewood
I love you more than I should
I would stay beside you here ten million years
You see yourself in the mirror, yeah
You see yourself at night
You see yourself in the gutter, baby
Baby, you see yourself like a star shining bright, but I
[Chorus]
Every minute, every hour
Every second you take me over
Every night, every day I wait, I take, I know I take but
[Chorus]
Ten million years
Ten million years
The lyrics to Black Lab's song "Ten Million Years" are filled with emotions of love and fear of losing someone dear. The singer expresses their strong love for someone, more than they should, and is willing to do anything to stay by their side for ten million years. The lyrics portray the singer's desire to have the person they love close to them, as they have nightmares and dreams of the person being gone. They see something in the person that they want today and are willing to hide the bones away just to keep them close.
The lyrics further explain that the person is scared of losing what they have, or what they might gain if they stay with the singer. The chorus repeats the line "I love you more than I should," signifying the depth of the singer's emotions for the person they love. They would wrap their heart in bands of rosewood and stay by their side for ten million years if they could. The second verse reiterates that the person sees themselves in different ways, including in the mirror, at night, in the gutter, and as a star shining bright. The singer sees the person as the star, shining and bright.
The chorus again repeats, highlighting the singer's love, and the outro simply repeats the phrase "Ten million years" emphasizing the subject's desire to stay close to the one they love indefinitely.
Line by Line Meaning
It's such a simple thing
What I feel for you is so easy and uncomplicated
I never feel this way
This is a unique and special feeling that I haven't experienced before
I have nightmares, I have dreams of you gone
I have intense emotions towards you, both positive and negative
There is something in you, I want today
I am attracted to something specific about you right now
So hide the bones away
Let's keep our secrets hidden from others
Beneath the yellow lines
Let's conceal our secrets beneath the surface
You're scared of what you lose or / What you might gain this time
You are afraid to take risks for fear of losing what you have or not gaining what you desire
[Chorus:] I love you more than I should / I would wrap my heart in bands of rosewood / I love you more than I should / I would stay beside you here ten million years
My love for you is so strong that it goes beyond what is reasonable or expected
You see yourself in the mirror, yeah / You see yourself at night / You see yourself in the gutter, baby / Baby, you see yourself like a star shining bright, but I
You have multiple versions of yourself that you project to the world and I am aware of them all
Every minute, every hour / Every second you take me over / Every night, every day I wait, I take, I know I take but
You have a strong hold over me and I am constantly thinking about you
[Chorus]
My love for you is all-consuming and beyond what is rational
Ten million years
My love for you is eternal and will last forever
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL DURHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind