After a solo tour in the fall of 2003, Alexakis decided to continue with Everclear, organizing a new band that made its debut in March of 2004. The new lineup consisted of bass player Sam Hudson, guitarist Dave French, and drummer Eric Bretl. In the summer of 2004, the band added keyboard player Josh Crawley, and swapped Bretl for former Everclear drum tech Brett Snyder. The new lineup released its first recording, a cover of Woody Guthrie's This Land Is Your Land, that summer. A self-released EP of performances recorded for XM Satellite Radio called Closure was given out at shows in the fall of 2004.
Free of a major label, Alexakis spent the ensuing year and half slowly recording material for a new Everclear release. He admitted that the time after the breakup of the original lineup served as a "wake up call", during which he suffered his third divorce and a filing for bankruptcy. Alexakis announced the completion of the album in early 2006,titled Welcome To The Drama Club. The new band is now on Eleven Seven Music.
In August of 2008, drummer Brett Snyder left the band after four years. He was then replaced by Tommy Stewart, who previously played in bands Fuel and Godsmack.
Kicks
Everclear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On that magic carpet ride last night
When you wake up in the morning
The world still gets you uptight
Theres nothing that you ain't tried
To fill the emptiness inside
But when you come back down, girl
You think you're gonna find yourself
A little bit of paradise
Well, it ain't happened yet
So, girl you better think twice
Cant you see no matter what you do
You'll never run away from you
And if you keep on running
You'll still have to pay the price
And you dont know that,
[Chorus: x2]
Kicks just keep getting harder to find?
And all your kicks ain't bringing you peace of mind
Before you find out its too late, girl
You better get straight
Nobody told me
No, you don't need to help
You face the world each day
That road goes nowhere
I'm going to help you, help you
Help you, help you, help you find yourself another way
[Chorus: x2]
The lyrics in Everclear's song "Kicks" describe the cycle of empty, temporary fixes that people often use to distract themselves from their problems. The singer acknowledges that the singer of the song has tried various methods to fill the emptiness inside, including drugs ("magic carpet ride"), but even after these fleeting moments of pleasure, the world still gets them "uptight" and they're left feeling unfulfilled. The singer believes that finding paradise will solve their problems, but the singer warns them that they will never be able to "run away from" themselves and that they will still have to pay the price for their actions. The chorus asks whether the temporary fixes (the "kicks") are really bringing peace of mind and suggests that the singer needs to "get straight" and find another way to deal with their problems.
Overall, the song promotes the idea of facing one's problems head-on rather than continuously trying to escape them through distractions.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you thought you found your answer
You believed you discovered the solution
On that magic carpet ride last night
During the experience of being high or drunk
When you wake up in the morning
After you sober up or come down
The world still gets you uptight
You feel anxious or stressed about life
Theres nothing that you ain't tried
You attempted every possible option
To fill the emptiness inside
To alleviate the feeling of loneliness or lack of purpose
But when you come back down, girl
When the effects of the substance wear off
You still ain't feeling right
You still feel unhappy or unfulfilled
You think you're gonna find yourself
You believe you will discover your true identity
A little bit of paradise
A perfect and satisfying life
Well, it ain't happened yet
You have not accomplished it yet
So, girl you better think twice
You should reconsider your choices
Cant you see no matter what you do
You are not acknowledging that regardless of your actions
You'll never run away from you
You cannot escape your emotions and inner self
And if you keep on running
If you continue to avoid facing your problems
You'll still have to pay the price
You will suffer the consequences
And you dont know that,
You are unaware that
[Chorus: x2] Kicks just keep getting harder to find?
It is becoming increasingly difficult to find pleasure or escape
And all your kicks ain't bringing you peace of mind
Your efforts to find happiness or relief are unsuccessful
Before you find out its too late, girl
Before it is too late to change your ways
You better get straight
You should focus on improving yourself
Nobody told me
I was not warned
No, you don't need to help
No, you do not have to seek assistance
You face the world each day
You confront reality and deal with the struggles
That road goes nowhere
That path will not lead to a solution
I'm going to help you, help you
I will try to assist you
Help you, help you, help you find yourself another way
Guide you towards a different path of self-discovery
[Chorus: x2]
Repetition of the chorus
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEIL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind