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.
Regarding Steven
Blues Traveler Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'd like to discuss our mutual friend
I can't help but feel that I left him behind
Does he still stay with you or did his pain ever end
I guess
I don't deserve to know
If he ever let go
I don't really need to see
If he wound up with you or did he ever break free
When we were both young, you took us in
And taught us to play survival games
He'd lost so much that you let him win
But I had a home so it just wasn't the same
I had the strength
To look you in the eye
And say goodbye
I was lucky
And I didn't have to play
Does he still stay with you or did he get away
I used what I had and I escaped
I smelled something good and I followed its track
But all he could smell was the world that you shaped
It took all my strength and I just couldn't look back
I remember him
Calling after me
I keep that memory
The last thing he screamed out aloud
Was "Hey don't you leave me alone!"
Yeah he might live with you but he called me his home
I guessed your name and some day so will he
Cause one of these ides he's gonna break free
Cause one of these ides he's gonna break free
Cause one of these ides he's gonna break...
The song Regarding Steven by Blues Traveler is a deep and emotional reflection on the power and transformative nature of friendship. The singer addresses Steven's current friend, who once took both of them in and taught them survival games when they were young. The singer expresses his concern for Steven, wondering if he ever truly let go of the pain he had experienced and if he was still living with his current friend or if he had ever broken free from the hold she had on him.
The lyrics suggest that the singer had a different experience than Steven did. While Steven had lost so much and was able to win when playing the survival games, the singer had a home and did not have to engage in that way. The singer was able to leave and escape, while Steven was unable to do so. The singer expresses guilt for leaving Steven behind and not being able to help him break free, but acknowledges that Steven's journey is his own and he may have to find his own way out.
The song is a powerful commentary on the complexities of friendship and how it can both help and harm us. It also speaks to the struggle of breaking free from toxic relationships, and how it can be a difficult and painful process. The lyrics are filled with emotion and introspection, making the song a poignant and thought-provoking piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
Well I've guessed your name and I'm sure you know mine
The singer knows the name of the person they are addressing and assumes they know the singer's name too.
I'd like to discuss our mutual friend
The singer wants to talk about a mutual friend they share with the person they're addressing.
I can't help but feel that I left him behind
The singer feels guilty for leaving their friend behind in a difficult situation.
Does he still stay with you or did his pain ever end
The artist is asking if their friend is still living with or in contact with the person they're addressing, and if their friend's emotional pain has subsided.
I guess
I don't deserve to know
If he ever let go
The artist acknowledges that they may not have a right to know if their friend has moved on from their difficult situation.
I guess
I don't really need to see
If he wound up with you or did he ever break free
The singer is stating that regardless of whether their friend is still living with the person they're addressing or if they've moved on, it doesn't matter to them.
When we were both young, you took us in
And taught us to play survival games
The person being addressed provided a home environment for the singer and their friend when they were young, teaching them how to survive.
He'd lost so much that you let him win
But I had a home so it just wasn't the same
While the person being addressed was more accommodating to the friend who had lost a lot in life, the artist didn't have the same emotional attachment because they had a stable home of their own.
I had the strength
To look you in the eye
And say goodbye
I was lucky
And I didn't have to play
The artist was able to leave the environment provided by the person being addressed without having to endure as much emotional turmoil as their friend.
Does he still stay with you or did he get away
The artist is asking if their friend has managed to escape from the environment provided by the person being addressed.
I used what I had and I escaped
I smelled something good and I followed its track
But all he could smell was the world that you shaped
It took all my strength and I just couldn't look back
The singer was able to use their resources to leave the environment, but their friend was still trapped by the negative influences of the environment and couldn't leave.
I remember him
Calling after me
I keep that memory
The last thing he screamed out aloud
Was "Hey don't you leave me alone!"
Yeah he might live with you but he called me his home
The artist recalls their friend calling out to them when they left, and considers their own home as the place where their friend felt most comfortable.
I guessed your name and some day so will he
Cause one of these ides he's gonna break free
Cause one of these ides he's gonna break free
Cause one of these ides he's gonna break...
The singer believes that their friend will eventually realize the negative influence of the person being addressed and escape from the environment on their own accord.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing, THE BICYCLE MUSIC COMPANY
Written by: JOHN C. POPPER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind