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.
Sunflowers
Everclear Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Why do you want to be broken?
I know where you go when you want to fall
Yes your friends they tell me everything
Yes I know where you go
Yes I know what you do
Yes I know the awful things you say and who you say them to
Yes I know what you do
I know how you feel, you get crazy inside
They say it runs in the family
I know just how you feel when you get crazy inside
Your mom she said that you are just like me
I can see it in your eyes
I can see your shaky hands
Yes I think you think I'm stupid
You don't think I understand
Yes I see you and I see myself when I was a younger man
When you were a child
You were happy and free
You were my reason to live
I would die when you smiled at me
I can still see you
I remember you painting
Sunflowers in your room
I know where you go when you want to fall
Hey don't you want to be happy?
I know where you go when you want to fall
Your useless friends, they tell me everything
Everything
I see you run around in circles
I see you digging your own hole
I see you fight the fights you just can't win
I see you losing self control
What it does to me deep down inside I hope you will never know
When you were a child
You were happy and free
You were my reason to live
I would die when you smiled at me
I can still see you
Painting flowers on the wall
I remember you happy
I remember it all
All I want to remember
Pretty pictures on the wall
I remember you happy
I remember it all
All I want to remember
Sunflowers in your room
The song “Sunflowers” by Everclear talks about the struggles of a friend or perhaps a loved one who seems to always fall apart and finds comfort in self-destruction but in reality, she just wants to be happy. The lyrics assert that the singer knows her very well that even her friends tell him everything about her actions but still he refuses to give up on her. The song is about a person who struggles with addiction and emotional instability, and how the people around her suffer trying to help and support her.
The lyrics show how deeply the singer cares for the person to the point that he understands what she's going through. He understands the moments when she feels like she 'needs' to fall apart and the awful things she says or does, and who she says them to. By telling her what he knows, he's trying to break through the walls she has put up around her, and possibly push back against the people who surround her. At the same time, he is trying to make her see that he’s not stupid and that he gets it because he too, when he was young, had moments of instability.
Overall, "Sunflowers" is a dark and emotional song about the struggle of addiction, emotional instability, and how these struggles can affect the people around us. The song's powerful lyrics and instrumentals perfectly capture the desperation and pain that often come with trying to help someone who is struggling.
Line by Line Meaning
I know where you go when you want to fall
I am aware of the places you visit when you want to fail or give up.
Why do you want to be broken?
I am curious about why you desire to be in a state of despair or distress.
Yes your friends they tell me everything
Your acquaintances divulge every piece of information about you to me.
Yes I know where you go
I have knowledge of the locations you frequently visit.
Yes I know what you do
I am aware of the actions you take while you are there.
Yes I know the awful things you say and who you say them to
I am aware of the things you utter, which may be unpleasant, and to whom you communicate them.
I know how you feel, you get crazy inside
I can comprehend your emotions when you feel uncertain, anxious, or stressed.
They say it runs in the family
People say that it is a common trait among members of your family.
Your mom she said that you are just like me
Your mother informed me that you are similar to me in some ways.
I can see it in your eyes
I can sense it from the expression in your eyes.
I can see your shaky hands
I notice that your hands are trembling.
Yes I think you think I'm stupid
You probably believe that I am foolish.
You don't think I understand
You do not believe that I comprehend your situation.
Yes I see you and I see myself when I was a younger man
I can perceive myself in you during my younger years.
You were my reason to live
You gave me the purpose to exist.
I can still see you painting Sunflowers in your room
I can still picture you creating artwork of sunflowers in your living quarters.
Hey don't you want to be happy?
Hey, don't you desire to be in a state of elation or exuberance?
Your useless friends, they tell me everything
Your unimportant companions relay everything about you to me.
Everything
Absolutely everything.
I see you run around in circles
I observe you frenziedly moving around in circles in an aimless manner.
I see you digging your own hole
I see you creating trouble for yourself or worsening your situation.
I see you fight the fights you just can't win
I see you battling struggles that you are unlikely to succeed at winning.
I see you losing self control
I see you losing command over your actions, emotions, or thoughts.
What it does to me deep down inside I hope you will never know
I hope you never know how it affects me internally.
Painting flowers on the wall
Painting beautiful artwork on the walls.
All I want to remember Sunflowers in your room
All I want to recall is the artwork of sunflowers that you created in your room.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ART ALEXAKIS, CRAIG MONTOYA, GREG EKLUND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind