Currently, the group comprises singer and harmonica player John Popper, guitarist Chan Kinchla, drummer Brendan Hill, bassist Tad Kinchla and keyboardist Ben Wilson. Tad Kinchla and Ben Wilson joined the band following the death of original bassist Bobby Sheehan in 1999.
While Blues Traveler is best known among fans for their improvisational live shows, the general public is most familiar with the group from their Top 40 singles "Run-Around" and "Hook". They gained mainstream popularity after their fourth studio album four, released in 1994. Sheehan's death and Popper's struggle with obesity put a damper on the group's success, and A&M dropped the band in 2002.
After What
Blues Traveler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Well then forgive me if the long way round
Confuses up the point until you're numb enough to hear
That you're using the anointing oil like it's sacramental beer
And don't blame heaven or hell
You have to look to yourself
And nobody else will lift a light to make you see
Part of being free
And I realize
When I buck my place
It's my feet but it's their race
And I don't run unless you try to chase me
And I don't leave unless you offer me a stay
And I won't fight unless I'm cornered or if I'm after what I want
What that is I wish that I could say
So forgive me or forget you
If you think you cannot bear
Believe me life won't let you
If you blink you shall not fare
But should you get the chance
Try to make for the fence
It's a subtle dance we do
To stay in from the cold
And the cleverest ones
Get to be real old
I may struggle
I may complain
But I'm just trying to grab at the reins
And I don't run unless you try to chase me
And I don't leave until you offer me a stay
And I don't fight unless I'm cornered or if I'm after what I want
What that is I wish that I could say
I don't run unless you try to chase me
And I don't leave until you offer me a stay
And I don't fight unless I'm cornered or if I'm after what I want
What that is I wish that I could say
And if I'm wondering where to go well then forgive me if I don't know
Blues Traveler's song "After What" is a reflective and introspective piece about struggling to find one's place in the world and figuring out what it is that one wants. The lyrics begin by acknowledging that taking a different approach to something may be confusing and may cause others to misunderstand one's intentions. The message here is that sometimes, taking the long way around may help one understand things better. The lines "Confuses up the point until you're numb enough to hear / That you're using the anointing oil like it's sacramental beer" suggest that people may use sacred things (like sacramental oil) for their own purposes without understanding the true significance of those things.
The song then shifts to a more general message about taking responsibility for one's own life. The lines "And don't blame heaven or hell / You have to look to yourself / And nobody else will lift a light to make you see / Don't got to learn a damn thing / Part of being free" make it clear that there are no easy answers or shortcuts in life. One must take ownership of one's own choices and mistakes and learn from them.
Later in the song, the lyrics become more personal, with lines like "And I don't run unless you try to chase me / And I don't leave unless you offer me a stay / And I won't fight unless I'm cornered or if I'm after what I want / What that is I wish that I could say." The singer is expressing a certain independence and stubbornness, unwilling to be pushed around by others. But at the same time, there is a sense of uncertainty, of not knowing exactly what it is that one wants. This sets up the final lines of the song, "And if I'm wondering where to go well then forgive me if I don't know." The message here is that it's okay not to have all the answers, and that sometimes the best way forward is to simply keep moving and exploring.
Line by Line Meaning
And if I take a different tack
If I change my approach
Well then forgive me if the long way round
I'm sorry if my new approach takes longer
Confuses up the point until you're numb enough to hear
It may be hard to understand at first, but you'll eventually get it
That you're using the anointing oil like it's sacramental beer
You're taking something important for granted
And don't blame heaven or hell
You can't blame external forces for your problems
You have to look to yourself
You need to take responsibility for your own actions
And nobody else will lift a light to make you see
You have to figure things out on your own
Don't got to learn a damn thing
You don't have to learn anything if you don't want to
Part of being free
Freedom means you have a choice
And I realize
I understand now
When I buck my place
When I challenge my role/position
It's my feet but it's their race
I'm doing things my way, but I'm still competing with others
And I don't run unless you try to chase me
I won't run away unless someone tries to force me
And I don't leave unless you offer me a stay
I won't leave unless someone asks me to stay
And I won't fight unless I'm cornered or if I'm after what I want
I won't start a fight unless I have no other options, or if it's something worth fighting for
What that is I wish that I could say
I don't know what that is yet
So forgive me or forget you
Either forgive me or forget about me
If you think you cannot bear
If you think you can't handle it
Believe me life won't let you
Life won't let you avoid difficult situations
If you blink you shall not fare
If you lose focus, you will not do well
But should you get the chance
If you have the opportunity
Try to make for the fence
Try to find a way out of a bad situation
It's a subtle dance we do
Dealing with difficult situations requires a delicate balance
To stay in from the cold
To avoid getting hurt
And the cleverest ones
The smartest people
Get to be real old
Live long and prosper
I may struggle
I may have difficulties
I may complain
I may express frustration
But I'm just trying to grab at the reins
I'm doing my best to take control
And if I'm wondering where to go well then forgive me if I don't know
If I'm unsure of where to go next, please excuse my uncertainty
Lyrics Ā© CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: BEN WILSON, JOHN C. POPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@indiegamelab3441
I'm not sure its saying any of that. It's saying that he/they can write a song that is absolute gibberish, but if the song has a good hook, you will listen to it over and over. The lyrics say over and over the song is just him saying random stuff, but he knows that it is the song's hook that matters, not the lyrics.
I will go on all day
Hear what I say
I have a prayer to pray
That's really all this was
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck
I don't rely on luck
Because the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook
On that you can rely
@jcnz84
ā@bryank971 go back a bit further
There is something amiss
I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this
Still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer
To familiar heroes from long ago
He's warning you he's trolling with the Peter Pan line
@steezyfawkes4459
Anyone here in 2024 listening to this?!
@user-jo8vl5zv5i
Yeah
@melissam5491
I mean He ain't lyin. I'm here too.
@Famousapparatus
Hell's yes
@ThePriceisRightB
Yeah buddy!!
@ikust007
Yupš
@whatever
Crazy to think this came out over 20 years ago...
@poketube4200
Did not expect to see you here
@murrothbro195
+whatever People with 3 million subscribers make comments that go completely unnoticed too?
@805Goodland
+Ginger Fitzgerald 2 likes only? Lmao