Best remembered for their 1993 single "No Rain", the group enjoyed critical and commercial success in the early 1990s with their neo-psychedelic take on alternative rock. The 1995 death of lead vocalist Shannon Hoon halted the band's activity, and the members went on hiatus until officially disbanding in 1999. The band reformed with new lead vocalist Travis Warren in 2006, and although Warren departed two years later, he has since resumed performing with the band.
The Duke
Blind Melon Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And there's no one here 'cept these fishes and me
I think I could die here
Then I'm hit, leveled hard by the rising tide
Oh, I'm hit hard by the tide,
I'm just livid,
All alone
Sunny, so funny, not funny to me because,
I'm bearing the scars from it burning on me
But I feel so revived, just sittin', here thinkin'
Then I'm hit hard, really hard by the tide
I'm hit hard by the tide, I'm just livid
And I'm livin'
Yeah, I'm hit hard by the tide
I'm livid, livid
Hard by the tide I'm livin'
Blind Melon's song, "The Duke," is a poignant and introspective ballad, with lyrics focusing on the feeling of being adrift and alone in an empty, vast expanse. The first verse establishes the setting for the song, with the singer feeling totally isolated in a seemingly endless sea, surrounded only by fish. There is a sense of calm resignation to this situation, with the singer believing they could die here without much protest. However, their thoughts are interrupted by the rising tide, which hits them with force and levels them with shock.
The second verse introduces a character named Sunny, who is described as funny, but in a way that is not funny to the singer. It is revealed that Sunny has inflicted some kind of trauma on the singer, which is represented in the text as scars burning on their skin. Despite this, the singer feels a sense of renewal and revival while sitting alone and thinking. However, the rising tide hits them again, this time even harder than before. The repetition of the phrase "hard by the tide" emphasizes the singer's sense of being buffeted and battered by a force they cannot control.
Overall, "The Duke" is a song about the fragility of human life and the feeling of being at the mercy of larger forces, both physical and emotional. The ocean serves as a metaphor for these forces, with the fish representing a kind of companionship that is ultimately fleeting and inconsequential. The song's introspective tone and poetic language make it a haunting and moving exploration of human emotion.
Line by Line Meaning
Out here in nothin' engulfed by the sea
I am stranded in the middle of the ocean surrounded by nothingness.
And there's no one here 'cept these fishes and me
The only living beings here are the fishes and me.
I think I could die here
I feel so alone that I would not mind dying here.
Then I'm hit, leveled hard by the rising tide
Suddenly I am hit hard by the rising tide.
Oh, I'm hit hard by the tide,
I'm just livid,
All alone
I am angry and upset by the sudden hit, feeling even more alone.
Sunny, so funny, not funny to me because,
I'm bearing the scars from it burning on me
The sunny weather is not amusing to me because I have suffered from sunburns.
But I feel so revived, just sittin', here thinkin'
Despite my physical pain, I feel mentally refreshed while sitting and contemplating.
Then I'm hit hard, really hard by the tide
Suddenly I am hit hard by the tide once again.
Yeah, I'm hit hard by the tide
I'm livid, livid
Hard by the tide I'm livin'
I am resentful and offended by the repeated hits of the tide, yet I continue to survive in this situation.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRAD SMITH, CHRISTOPHER THORN, CHRISTOPHER JOHN THORN, GLEN GRAHAM, SHANNON HOON, THOMAS STEVENS, THOMAS ROGERS STEVENS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@supermanchini2849
Out here in nothin' engulfed by the sea
And there's no one here 'cept these fishes and me
I think I could die here
Then I'm hit, leveled hard by the rising tide
Oh, I'm hit hard by the tide,
I'm just livid,
All alone
Sunny, so funny, not funny to me because,
I'm bearing the scars from it burning on me
But I feel so revived, just sittin', here thinkin'
Then I'm hit hard, really hard by the tide
I'm hit hard by the tide, I'm just livid
And I'm livin'
Yeah, I'm hit hard by the tide
I'm livid, livid
Hard by the tide I'm livin'
@CesarIsaacPerezColunga
Aquí afuera, en nada envuelto por el mar
Out here in nothin' engulfed by the sea
Y no hay nadie aquí excepto estos peces y yo
And there's no one here 'cept these fishes and me
Creo que podría morir aquí
I think I could die here
Entonces soy golpeado, nivelado con fuerza por la marea creciente
Then I'm hit, leveled hard by the rising tide
Oh, la marea me golpea fuerte,
Oh, I'm hit hard by the tide,
Estoy furioso,
I'm just livid,
Todo solo
All alone
Sunny, muy gracioso, no me hace gracia porque,
Sunny, so funny, not funny to me because,
Estoy llevando las cicatrices de que me queme
I'm bearing the scars from it burning on me
Pero me siento tan revivido, simplemente sentado, aquí pensando
But I feel so revived, just sittin', here thinkin'
Entonces la marea me golpea fuerte, muy fuerte
Then I'm hit hard, really hard by the tide
Me golpea fuerte la marea, estoy furioso
I'm hit hard by the tide, I'm just livid
Y estoy viviendo
And I'm livin'
Sí, la marea me golpea fuerte
Yeah, I'm hit hard by the tide
Estoy furioso, furioso
I'm livid, livid
Duro por la marea estoy viviendo
Hard by the tide I'm livin'
@tropicwave1
The Duke
Blind Melon
Out here in nothin' engulfed by the sea
And there's no one here 'cept these fishes and me
I think I could die here
Then I'm hit, leveled hard by the rising tide
Oh, I'm hit hard by the tide,
I'm just livid,
All alone
Sunny, so funny, not funny to me because,
I'm bearing the scars from it burning on me
But I feel so revived, just sittin', here thinkin'
Then I'm hit hard, really hard by the tide
I'm hit hard by the tide, I'm just livid
And I'm livin'
Yeah, I'm hit hard by the tide
I'm livid, livid
Hard by the tide I'm livin'
Songwriters: Brad Smith / Christopher Thorn / Christopher John Thorn / Glen Graham / Shannon Hoon / Thomas Stevens / Thomas Rogers Stevens
The Duke lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
@skipdonaghue9451
If I could only have one album, just one. It would be this one.
@cleangoblin2021
Yeah if i get to choose which albumb to be played by a global speaker, itll be Soup for sure. Its not just biased and blind love for this band. They were too unappreciated
@TOOLfanatic924
One of the MOST UNDERRATED singer/song writers EVER!!! IMO...
#LegendsNEVERdie
@samgodfrey194
The Gospel of Blind Melon, I was hit hard really hard by the tide, but I'm living oh yeah! Thank you eternally
@netscape82
20 Glorious Years of Soup!! Rest in Peace Shannon it's been a long twenty years without you.
@americanbritton9827
2019 and still totally blown away by the beauty of Blind Melon. The voice. The music. Its as stirring as ever.
@Pizza-666
Soup album takes me back to a place I can't describe with words, but it feels like the 90's again, if 90's felt like this "weird feeling", idk I was born that year.
@st3v16
"Then im hit hard , really hard by the tide" ..... i saw this band live with GNR and they blew me away , always a fan ,,,, hats off to shannon hoon
@joelmaqueira4851
SO. FUCKING. LUCKY!
@1971SuperLead
When I need to cry, I blast this as loud as I can and sing my brains out with it.