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.
Felicia
Blues Traveler Lyrics
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Tripping over myself in every way that I know how
Perhaps in time I could surpass my coy façade of vast indifference
But I've already reached the maximum of what my law allows
You tell me to relax you tell me
Not to try so hard
But in the end it only makes me want to more
To figure out some way to play some major part
So I watch her move and I watch her work
Satisfy my voyeuristic quirk
Old habits they are hard to break
Just harder than it is to take
And when she looks away I tap my feet
I try my best to be discreet
Careful so she won't find out
How much I want to shout
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
I suppose the thing that gets me most is that if I'd bothered ever
I wouldn't feel so much like Casey who never got to bat
You cannot help but laugh at me singing better late than never
And more and more I realize I have no argument for that
I can almost work up the nerve for a declaration
I can almost hear me speak the words as I gain resolve
But then you move and you twirl and you smile at me
And my inhibition and my courage both dissolve
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
In spite of her momentous groove
And for a moment I can barely see
A glimpse of how good it could be
And then I must admit that I want to try
To look Felicia in the eye
And when the music starts to play
To smile at her and say
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
In spite of her momentous groove
And for a moment I can barely see
A glimpse of how good it could be
And then I must admit that I want to try
To look Felicia in the eye
And when the music starts to play
To smile at her and say
Come on and dance with me Felicia
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
You always move so gracefully
And I was never any good
But maybe if you'll dance with me
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
Come on Felicia set me free
And when you start to close your eyes
You know you move so beautifully
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
Dance with me I want to dance with you Felicia
The lyrics of Blues Traveler's song Felicia seem to be addressing one person, Felicia, and the singer's desire to dance with her. The first verse conveys a sense of insecurity and self-doubt as the singer declares his clumsiness and inability to overcome it. He seems to be comparing himself to Felicia, who seems to dance effortlessly, while he is tripping over himself. However, instead of giving up, he is only more determined to figure out how to dance. He wants to play a significant role in the dance and feels that he will never be able to attain that level without Felicia's help.
The second verse of the song shows the singer's growing confidence and willingness to declare his feelings for Felicia. However, his inhibitions and fear of rejection keep him from actually making a move. He admires Felicia's dancing style and how gracefully she moves. He wants to dance with her and be as nimble as a cheetah, soaring like an eagle. The singer's state of mind is caught between hope and despair, as he expresses his desire to dance with Felicia but does not have the courage to ask her directly.
In conclusion, the lyrics of Felicia are about the singer's desire to learn to dance and the fear of rejection that keeps him from asking Felicia to dance. His self-doubt is contrasted with Felicia's grace and skill, which only makes him want to try harder. The song seems to be a tale of overcoming fear and insecurity and taking a chance.
Line by Line Meaning
And if my two left feet could settle down and split the difference
If only I could find my balance and stop tripping
Tripping over myself in every way that I know how
I keep messing up in every way possible
Perhaps in time I could surpass my coy façade of vast indifference
Maybe I can get over my nervousness and shyness
But I've already reached the maximum of what my law allows
But I'm limited by what I'm comfortable with
You tell me to relax you tell me
You keep telling me to calm down
Not to try so hard
To not overthink things
But in the end it only makes me want to more
But it only makes me want to try harder
To figure out some way to play some major part
To find a way to make a significant impact
So I watch her move and I watch her work
I can't help but watch her every move
Satisfy my voyeuristic quirk
It's a weird desire, but I can't help it
Old habits they are hard to break
It's tough to get rid of old habits
Just harder than it is to take
It's easier said than done
And when she looks away I tap my feet
I'm trying to keep my anxiety in check
I try my best to be discreet
I'm attempting to not draw attention to myself
Careful so she won't find out
Being cautious so she doesn't notice me
How much I want to shout
How badly I want to express myself
Come on and dance with me Felicia
Please dance with me
And show me how to do that step I never thought I could
Teach me how to dance in a way I never thought I was capable of
You always move so gracefully
You are an amazing dancer
And I was never any good
I'm not the best dancer in the world
But maybe if you'll dance with me
Perhaps I can be as good as you
I'd feel as nimble as a cheetah Felicia
I'll feel as agile as an animal
The momentary soaring of an eagle would be me
I'll feel like I'm flying
Come on Felicia set me free
Dancing with you will be a freeing experience
And when you start to close your eyes
I can see how much you enjoy it
You know you move so beautifully
Your dance is beautiful
I want to dance with you come on and dance with me Felicia
Please dance with me, Felicia
I suppose the thing that gets me most is that if I'd bothered ever
I'm regretful that I didn't try harder before
I wouldn't feel so much like Casey who never got to bat
I feel like I missed an opportunity
You cannot help but laugh at me singing better late than never
It's embarrassing to admit that I'm late to the game
And more and more I realize I have no argument for that
I'm running out of excuses
I can almost work up the nerve for a declaration
I'm getting closer to confessing my feelings
I can almost hear me speak the words as I gain resolve
I can almost imagine saying it out loud
But then you move and you twirl and you smile at me
I'm distracted by how amazing you look when you dance
And my inhibition and my courage both dissolve
My fears and hesitations disappear
And so I'm standing there and I do not move
I'm frozen in awe
In spite of her momentous groove
Despite her impressive dancing
And for a moment I can barely see
I'm overwhelmed by the moment
A glimpse of how good it could be
I can imagine how amazing it would feel to dance with you
And then I must admit that I want to try
I'm hit by a sudden surge of confidence
To look Felicia in the eye
To make a connection with you
And when the music starts to play
It's time to make a move
To smile at her and say
To express my desire to dance with you
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: JOHN C. POPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind