Current members of Blue October include Justin Furstenfeld (lead vocals), Ryan Delahoussaye (violin/viola, mandolin, keyboards, and vocals), Jeremy Furstenfeld (drums, percussion), Matt Noveskey (bass guitar) and Will Knaak (guitar).
Popularized by their platinum-certified album Foiled (2006), which features the hit singles “Hate Me” and “Into the Ocean,” the group has continued to evolve… shifting from a far more pensive sound to one that is more optimistic and reflective of lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Justin Furstenfeld’s transformation—which will also be the focus of his soon-to-be-released documentary film, I Want It.
Once known for their stormy dynamic and self-destructive tendencies, Blue October couldn’t be more distinct from the band it once was, which is why their latest studio album, I Hope You’re Happy, looks to push the envelope even further with a whole new approach. Justin Furstenfeld is quoted as saying "I think Blue October should never be limited to the instruments we have in the band. I’m always about bringing in whoever can play what’s best for the song in. I’m also a huge fan of Peter Gabriel, and if you were to him all you can have is a guitarist a bassist and a drummer, he’d go “what?!” That’s how I feel. We took all the tools we had gotten from working all these kinds of people over the twenty-year span and made a really good album and we’re super proud of it. It’s nice and colorful and positive and universally themed. It’s something you can really sink your teeth into and not get sick of. You can always discover little new secrets about it along the way."
Their latest album, I Hope You're Happy, was released on August 17, 2018 on the band's own Up/Down Records label and was produced by Justin Furstenfeld and engineer Eric Holtz.
Previous band members have included Liz Mulally, Brant Coulter, Dwayne Casey, Piper Dagnino, Julian Mandrake, CB Hudson and Matthew Ostrander.
Blue October has an official site www.blueoctober.com/.
For the British band, please see Blue October UK
Been Down
Blue October Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I dreamt you inspired then rewired what I say
I dreamt you spread your bottom wings and pulled me to the bed
But the I woke up feel nauseous
You danced around my head
Tell me
How long, how long have I been down
How long, how long have I been down
Down
Down
I dreamt you burned my fingers
Yes an automatic sting
I dreamt you called me beautiful then asked to hear me sing
I dreamt your scent invited me to crawl within your space
But then I woke up feeling nauseous
Girl, you danced around my face
Tell me
How long, how long have I been down
How long, how long have I been down
How long, how long have I been down
Down
Down
Why can't we work, when we both try
We try, we try, we try, we try
Why can't this work, when we've both tried
Why can't it work, when we both try
We try, we try, we try
God how we've tried
And how we tried
I mean to sympathize
I mean to be a friend
I know apologizing won't erase the end
But I've learned that moving on is where I must begin
Cause when our colors mixed
We couldn't fix the way the wouldn't blend
So tell me
How long, how long have I been down
How long, how long have I been down
How long, how long have I been down
Down
Down
And I wish that only greatness follow you around
I hope to god you find a way to keep from down
And when you do I hope you share it all with me
Please try to understand
Yeah to understand, me
Just try to understand me
Yeah understand me
How long, how long have we been down
Down
Down
The lyrics of the Blue October song "Been Down" reflect on the pain of a lost love that still haunts the singer in their dreams. The dreams are vivid and contain a mix of pleasure and pain, but ultimately lead to the singer feeling nauseous upon waking up. The lyrics suggest that the relationship was marked by a lack of compatibility, as the colors mixed but wouldn't blend. Despite the pain, the singer hopes that their ex will find greatness and wants to remain friends, even if the relationship cannot be salvaged.
The lyrics of "Been Down" are deeply personal to the band's lead singer, Justin Furstenfeld, who has dealt with many personal struggles throughout his life. In an interview, Furstenfeld revealed that the song was inspired by a past relationship that had ended badly for him, and that the emotions he experienced while writing the song were very raw and real. The song's melancholic melody and raw lyrics have resonated with fans, who have praised the band for their honest and vulnerable approach to songwriting.
Line by Line Meaning
I dreamt you seduced me just to walk away
I had a dream that you lured me in with your charm and then abandoned me
I dreamt you inspired then rewired what I say
I had a dream that you motivated me but also manipulated what I communicated
I dreamt you spread your bottom wings and pulled me to the bed
I had a dream that you seduced me with your sexual allure and pulled me into bed
But the I woke up feel nauseous
But then I woke up feeling sick to my stomach
You danced around my head
Your memory kept replaying in my mind
Tell me
Please answer me
How long, how long have I been down
How much time have I spent feeling low and sad
Down
Depressed
I dreamt you burned my fingers
I had a dream that you hurt me in a painful way
Yes an automatic sting
That sensation hurt immediately and automatically
I dreamt you called me beautiful then asked to hear me sing
I had a dream that you complimented my looks and then requested me to show off my singing voice
I dreamt your scent invited me to crawl within your space
I had a dream that your fragrance tempted me to get closer to you
Girl, you danced around my face
Your memory kept replaying in my mind
Why can't we work, when we both try
We both put effort into our relationship, so why can't it succeed?
We try, we try, we try, we try
We've attempted multiple times
God how we've tried
We tried so hard
I mean to sympathize
I'm trying to understand your feelings
I mean to be a friend
I want to support you and be a friend
I know apologizing won't erase the end
I understand that saying sorry won't undo what happened in the past
But I've learned that moving on is where I must begin
I've realized that I need to let go of the past to start healing
Cause when our colors mixed
When we combined our personalities and traits
We couldn't fix the way they wouldn't blend
We couldn't resolve the incompatibilities between us
And I wish that only greatness follow you around
I hope that good things happen to you
I hope to god you find a way to keep from down
I pray that you find a way to avoid feeling blue
And when you do I hope you share it all with me
And when you find happiness, I hope that you'll share it with me
Please try to understand
Please attempt to comprehend
Yeah to understand, me
Yes, to understand how I feel
Just try to understand me
Please make an effort to comprehend my perspective
How long, how long have we been down
How much time have we spent feeling low and sad
Down
Depressed
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: JUSTIN S FURSTENFELD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
BlizzardBeaches
on Congratulations
Spent many nights in 2006 crying myself to sleep listening to this song from Blue October's Foiled album. Although different than the interpreted mean, It helped me realize that often times a relationship is dead long before it's over.