Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1992. For most… Read Full Bio ↴Everclear is a rock band formed in Portland, Oregon, USA, in 1992. For most of its existence, Everclear consisted of Art Alexakis (b. 12 April 1962, Los Angeles, California, USA; vocals, guitar), Craig Montoya (b. 14 September 1970; bass, vocals) and Greg Eklund (b. 18 April 1970; drums). Eklund replaced original drummer Scott Cuthbert in 1994. Montoya and Eklund departed the band in 2003, but Alexakis has continued performing as Everclear with a new lineup.

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.

Nehalem
Everclear Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is this rumor about
They say you're leaving Nehalem
Ever since our baby died

You've been seen with another guy
The whole damn town is talking now
They say you're leaving Nehalem
Hey don't you want me to go?

Hey don't you want me?

They say you're losing your mind
They say you're leaving Nehalem
You know how the bad words get around
Big noise in a hard small town

Tell me if you want me to go
Just tell me if you want me
They say you're leaving Nehalem
They say you're leaving me

Yeah, I know you need to break away
I don't give a fuck about what those people say
I hope you find everywhere you go
All the good things that you need to know
They say you're losing your mind

They say you're leaving Nehalem
There is this rumor out

They say you're leaving Nehalem
They say you're leaving me

Overall Meaning

The song Nehalem by Everclear is a narrative about a man whose significant other is allegedly abandoning the town of Nehalem, possibly to escape the grief of losing their child. The singer confronts their partner about the rumors of infidelity which have appeared due to their being spotted with someone else in public. The small community is buzzing with the news regarding their relationship, and it seems like they might have lost their minds amidst the stress of their personal tragedy. The singer insists that if their partner wants to leave, they should tell him directly, although he seems hesitant to let them go.

The song reflects the frustration and anger of a person who has been affected by rumor and gossip, and the way events in small towns can spiral out of control quickly, with everyone knowing everyone else's business. The singer is fiercely protective of his partner, who appears to be the victim of a cruel and unforgiving society. Although the song's themes are heavy, the melodic guitar and the singer's raspy voice create a soothing effect that makes the narrative bittersweet.

Line by Line Meaning

There is this rumor about
There is a rumor going around

They say you're leaving Nehalem
The rumor is that you are going to leave Nehalem

Ever since our baby died
You have been seen with another guy since we lost our baby

You've been seen with another guy
People have seen you with another man

The whole damn town is talking now
The entire town is gossiping about the situation

Hey don't you want me to go?
Do you want me to leave?

Hey don't you want me?
Do you still want me?

They say you're losing your mind
People are saying that you are crazy

You know how the bad words get around
You know how rumors spread

Big noise in a hard small town
There is a lot of drama in this small town

Tell me if you want me to go
Let me know if you want me to leave