Released on August 4, 1992, 'New Miserable Experience' proved a sonic contrast to the grunge and aggressive hard rock inspired music in vogue at the time. It became a strong commercial success, reaching the #1 spot on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Aforementioned hits "Found Out About You" and "Hey Jealousy" were top 40 smashes on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, still getting consistent radio airplay as the years went on.
Though blessed with songwriting talent, Hopkins struggled both with addiction and with major depression. Sadly, Hopkins committed suicide in December of 1993. The band continued without him and achieved more major success, their power pop inspired, emotional lyrics becoming a precursor to later adult alternative groups of the late 90s and 00s. Still, they experienced more line-up changes, as Rhodes left the band shortly after their 2002 reunion (returning for a brief period in 2005). Currently the band does not have a permanent drummer.
They took their name from a photo of W.C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms," referring to the actor's gin-ravaged nose. The band, who were musically weaned on rock artists such as The Byrds and Tom Petty, released three albums and had several hits in the mid-90s before breaking up in 1997. Five years later in 2002, the band reunited, released a DVD, resumed touring, and promised a fourth album.
Titled 'Major Lodge Victory', the Gin Blossoms' first album in ten years was released on August 8, 2006 on the Hybrid Recordings label. They have done much well-received touring since then. For example, the group joined Everclear, Sugar Ray, Lit and Marcy Playground on the 'Summerland Tour 2012', a 31-date nationwide tour that began on June 28, 2012, in Saratoga, California, and ended on August 11, 2012, in Laughlin, Nevada. The band later released 'No Chocolate Cake' on September 28, 2010; and 'Mixed Reality' on June 15, 2018.
Cheatin'
Gin Blossoms Lyrics
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And the streetlights shone in my blue room
I was thinking about the nights we spent
Back in Galveston beneath the Georgia moon
It was early and I'd had my share
I was countin' change for a cab ride back to bed
She looked to me through the cold night air
And thoughts of you kicked off inside my head
She had a way just like you do
To make me feel just like a woman should
You can't call it cheatin'
'Cause she reminds me of you
Though I loved you and the trust we shared
Lord don't tell me that I've thrown it all away
A moment's weakness shouldn't change the fact
That I need you and there's nothing more to say
Lord she was tall hair dark as midnight
She had a way just like you do
To make me feel just like a woman should
You can't call it cheatin'
'Cause she reminds me of you
The Gin Blossoms' song Cheatin' tells the story of a man who finds himself in New York City feeling homesick for a girl he used to be with back in Galveston. He's been out drinking and is counting change for a cab ride back to his room when he sees a woman who reminds him of his past love. She's tall with hair as dark as midnight and has a way of making him feel the way his old flame did. Although he knows he loves his first love and the trust they share, he feels weak and vulnerable to the feelings this other woman stirs up in him. Despite this, he tries to justify his actions by saying that it's not cheating, as the woman merely reminds him of his true love. He ends the song by admitting that he needs his old flame and that there's nothing more to say.
The song speaks to the universal feeling of nostalgia and the pull of former loves. The singer acknowledges that he has made a mistake but tries to justify it through the lens of the woman reminding him of his old flames. This shows that even after a break-up or separation, the memories of past loves can linger and create a sense of disloyalty or confusion in new relationships.
The Gin Blossoms originally formed as a band in Tempe, Arizona, in 1987. They achieved mainstream success in the mid-'90s with hits such as Hey Jealousy and Found Out About You. Cheatin' was released on their 1996 album, Congratulations I'm Sorry. The album, which addresses the band's break-up and eventual reunion, was critically acclaimed and further established their position in the alternative rock scene.
Line by Line Meaning
New york city where it's cold as hell
The singer is in New York City where it's very cold.
And the streetlights shone in my blue room
The streetlights outside his room were illuminating it.
I was thinking about the nights we spent
The singer was reminiscing about the past with their significant other.
Back in Galveston beneath the Georgia moon
The memories were from a time spent in Galveston under the moonlight.
It was early and I'd had my share
The story takes place early in the morning and the artist had already consumed alcohol.
I was countin' change for a cab ride back to bed
The singer was trying to gather enough money for a taxi to take him back home.
She looked to me through the cold night air
The other woman looked at the singer in the chilly night atmosphere.
And thoughts of you kicked off inside my head
Seeing the other woman triggered thoughts of the artist's significant other.
Well she was tall hair dark as midnight
The other woman was tall and had dark hair like nighttime.
She had a way just like you do
The way the other woman acted reminded the artist of their significant other.
To make me feel just like a woman should
The other woman made the singer feel the way they wanted to feel.
You can't call it cheatin'
The artist doesn't consider what they did as cheating.
'Cause she reminds me of you
The reason it's not cheating is because the other woman reminded the singer of their significant other.
Though I loved you and the trust we shared
The singer still loved their significant other and valued the trust they had between them.
Lord don't tell me that I've thrown it all away
The singer doesn't want to believe that they've destroyed their relationship.
A moment's weakness shouldn't change the fact
The artist believes that one weak moment shouldn't alter their relationship.
That I need you and there's nothing more to say
The artist acknowledges their need for their significant other and feels there's nothing else to be said.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DOUG HOPKINS, JESSE M. VALENZUELA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind