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
Chameleon Boy
Blue October Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I shed my coat with caution.
I lack the beauty you display.
See here they are the bruises.
Some were self inflicted.
Some showed up along the way.
So I nod my head, I'm ready for the world to see.
The secret I kept here inside, the man you thought I'd be.
I slip into coma calm.
The coma where I calm myself down.
Here come excuses.
Why I let you down.
(chorus)
Stand by for another break down.
Sound off the alarm.
Is this the chameleon boy I swore I wouldn't become?
Chameleon boy...
So now we've come upon the hardest thing I've ever done.
It's telling you that I'm a mess.
What sort of mess I mean is self destructive gasoline...
The kind that strips you of your best.
While I play instead...
The way that most would end up dead.
You sleep alone at home and wish that I were in our bed.
With this I'm telling you my color changes back to blue...
How do I ask you this?
Will you help me through?
(chorus) X2
I try to think of all the people I looked up to.
While growing up who would I be?
Now the twisted part...Where did all my idols end up?
They've all past away...
Past away...
(Stand by...
It's the chameleon boy) X2
The song “Chameleon Boy” by Blue October is about the singer's struggle with his self-esteem and identity issues. He changes himself to fit the mold of what everyone else wants him to be but feels like he's losing touch with who he truly is. He compares himself to a chameleon, which is known for changing its color and blending in with its environment to avoid danger. The lyrics “I change my color for you, I shed my coat with caution, I lack the beauty you display” signify the singer's effort to fit in and please others, but at the same time, criticizes himself for not being good enough like others.
Throughout the song, the singer reveals that he has caused harm to himself and others, which may cause the people around him to feel like they can't trust him. He acknowledges that he needs help and that he's not okay. The line "What sort of mess I mean is self-destructive gasoline" suggests that he is struggling with addiction, and the line "You sleep alone at home and wish that I were in our bed" indicates that his problems are affecting his relationship with his partner.
In the chorus of the song, the singer asks for help and admits that he doesn't want to become the "chameleon boy" that he swore he wouldn't become. He fears that he's lost touch with himself and needs someone to guide him back to the right path.
Line by Line Meaning
I change my color for you.
I pretend to be someone else around you.
I shed my coat with caution.
I am careful when I reveal my true self to you.
I lack the beauty you display.
I feel inferior to you.
See here they are the bruises.
I have physical and emotional scars.
Some were self inflicted.
I have hurt myself intentionally.
Some showed up along the way.
I have been hurt by others.
So I nod my head, I'm ready for the world to see.
I am ready to be seen for who I truly am.
The secret I kept here inside, the man you thought I'd be.
I have been hiding my true self from you, and you have an idealized version of me in your mind.
I slip into coma calm.
I enter a state of calmness.
The coma where I calm myself down.
I use this calmness to subdue my emotions.
Here come excuses.
I am about to make excuses for my behavior.
Why I let you down.
I am explaining why I disappointed you.
(chorus)
The beginning of the chorus.
Stand by for another break down.
I am warning you that I am about to have another emotional breakdown.
Sound off the alarm.
I am exaggerating the severity of the situation.
Is this the chameleon boy I swore I wouldn't become?
I am asking myself if I am becoming the person I promised I would never be.
Chameleon boy...
The end of the chorus.
So now we've come upon the hardest thing I've ever done.
I am about to reveal something very difficult for me.
It's telling you that I'm a mess.
I am admitting that I am not mentally stable.
What sort of mess I mean is self destructive gasoline...
The type of mess I am is a destructive force.
The kind that strips you of your best.
It will take away the best parts of you.
While I play instead...
Instead of fixing my issues, I act carefree.
The way that most would end up dead.
The way I am living my life would kill most people.
You sleep alone at home and wish that I were in our bed.
My actions are causing you to feel lonely and unfulfilled in our relationship.
With this I'm telling you my color changes back to blue...
I am saying that I am returning to my natural state.
How do I ask you this?
I am struggling to find the words to ask you for help.
Will you help me through?
I am asking if you will help me overcome my struggles.
(chorus) X2
The chorus is repeated twice.
I try to think of all the people I looked up to.
I am reflecting on my childhood idols.
While growing up who would I be?
I wonder what kind of person I would be if I had followed a different path.
Now the twisted part...
This is the ironic part.
Where did all my idols end up?
I am questioning where my childhood idols are today.
They've all past away...
They have all died.
(Stand by...
The beginning of the chorus.
It's the chameleon boy) X2
The chorus is repeated, ending the song.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
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.