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.
Wash It Away
Black Lab Lyrics
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Let it soak all night
Wash it in the sea
Let the saltwater wash it away
Soak it in bleach
till it's white on white
soak it in bleach
hang it in the wind
let it blow all night
hang it up high
let the high wind blow it away
hang it in the wind
let the sun burn bright
hang it in the wind
till the blood just washes away
i have waited wasted years for the child that's come and gone today
say what about this wasted fear?
how can i just turn and wash it away?
If I can then I will wash it away
if she can then she will wash it away.
If I can then I will, wash it away
if she can then she will, wash it away.
Forty years spent one by one
Forty years of life just slipping away.
What I'd give for a firstborn son.
Forty years of blood just washing away.
I have waited wasted lives
I have waited long enough I'd say
Say what about this wasted child?
How can I just turn and wash it away?
If I can then I will, wash it away.
If she can then she will wash it away
I I can then I will, wash it away
If she can then she will
Wash it away
Send me an angel.
Send me the ghost that i was
Send me an angel
Send me the ghost that i was
That I was
That I am
I will wash it away
She will wash it away
If I can then I will, wash it away
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Uh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
The lyrics of Black Lab's song "Wash it Away" speak of trying to rid oneself of painful memories and past experiences. The repetition of phrases and actions such as "wash it in the sea" and "let it soak all night" convey a sense of urgency and persistence in the desire to forget. The use of vivid imagery such as "till it's white on white" and "let the saltwater wash it away" suggest a need for both physical and emotional cleansing. The line "i have waited wasted years for the child that's come and gone today" reveals a significant loss, perhaps of a child, and the desperation to move on. The verses also reflect a struggle with guilt and regret, as the singer asks "Say what about this wasted fear? How can I just turn and wash it away?" and "Say what about this wasted child? How can I just turn and wash it away?"
The chorus, with its repetitions of "If I can then I will, wash it away" and "If she can then she will, wash it away" suggests a need for support and companionship in overcoming the past. The last verse reveals the passage of time, and the singer's acknowledgment that it may be too late to start over. "Forty years of life just slipping away. What I'd give for a firstborn son. Forty years of blood just washing away" speaks to a sense of loss and regret, as well as an awareness of the inevitability of time passing. The final lines "Send me an angel. Send me the ghost that I was" suggest a hope for transcendence, for a way to move beyond the pain and suffering of the past.
Line by Line Meaning
Wash it in the sea
Let the sea help cleanse whatever is being washed away.
Let it soak all night
Let it sit submerged for long enough to do the job.
Let the saltwater wash it away
The power of the ocean will free what needs to be freed.
Soak it in bleach
Use the power of bleach to free what needs to be freed.
till it's white on white
Bleach until what was once stained is now pristine.
till the blood just washes away
Use bleach until the stains are completely gone.
hang it in the wind
Let the wind help refresh and cleanse what is hanging.
let it blow all night
Allow enough time for the wind to blow away what needs to be removed.
hang it up high
Make sure that what is hanging gets the full benefit of the wind.
let the high wind blow it away
The high wind is powerful enough to remove whatever needs to be removed.
let the sun burn bright
The power of the sun will help to refresh and cleanse what is hanging.
till the blood just washes away
Allow enough time in the sun for the stains to be bleached out.
i have waited wasted years for the child that's come and gone today
The singer has grieved and mourned for a long time for something that is gone now.
say what about this wasted fear?
What about all the time and emotional energy that has been wasted in the name of fear?
how can i just turn and wash it away?
How can one simply move on from something that has caused so much pain and suffering?
If I can then I will wash it away
If it's within one's power, they will do what it takes to move forward from the past.
if she can then she will wash it away.
If it's within someone else's power to move forward, they will take that action themselves.
Forty years spent one by one
Time has passed one moment at a time, adding up to 40 years.
Forty years of life just slipping away.
40 years of existence feeling like it has disappeared with hardly anything to show for it.
What I'd give for a firstborn son.
The artist longs for something that they have never had, but want desperately.
Forty years of blood just washing away.
It will take a long time to recover from the numerous past struggles and losses, but it's still possible.
I have waited wasted lives
The artist has spent too much time waiting for things that never came to fruition.
I have waited long enough I'd say
The singer is tired of waiting and wants to take action to make things happen.
Send me an angel.
The artist hopes for divine intervention to help them move forward.
Send me the ghost that i was
The singer wishes they could go back to a time when things seemed easier and more manageable.
That I was, That I am
The singer wants to be that version of themselves again, but as they are in the present.
She will wash it away
Someone else has the power to move past the difficulties of the past and start anew.
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Repetitive phrase to emphasize a sense of hope or urgency.
Uh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Continuation of repetitive phrase to further emphasize the message of the song.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: PAUL DURHAM
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind