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.
Lost Horizons
Gin Blossoms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And in them all we fight to stay awake
Drink enough of anything to make this world look new again
Drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
She had nothing left to say so she said she loved me
I stood there grateful for the lie
Drink enough of anything to make this girl look new again
Drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
Turn insect songs against the night
With words we build and words we break
I'm drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
Drink enough of anything to make myself look new again
Drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
In Gin Blossoms' song Lost Horizons, the lyrics portray a bleak and suffocating view of the world around the singer. The last horizons they can see are filled with bars and factories, indicating a dense and industrialized cityscape. In this setting, people are fighting to stay awake, perhaps signifying the monotony and exhaustion of daily life. The singer seeks to escape this reality by drinking enough of anything to make the world look new again, resorting to alcohol as a means of temporary relief. The repetition of "drunk drunk drunk" in the chorus emphasizes this escapism and numbness.
The second verse introduces a female character who has nothing left to say and resorts to saying she loves the singer, who is grateful for the lie. This implies a sense of emptiness and desperation in relationships, where words may no longer hold meaning or substance. The bridge speaks to the power of words to shape our reality, both positively and negatively, with references to turning summer trees to bones and ice and using insect songs against the night. Overall, the song conveys a sense of disillusionment and the struggle to find meaning and connection in a harsh and stagnant environment.
Line by Line Meaning
The last horizons I can see are filled with bars and factories
All I can see in the distance are establishments where people go to pass time.
And in them all we fight to stay awake
People in these establishments try to stay awake and alert.
Drink enough of anything to make this world look new again
Consuming substances can change how one perceives the world around them.
Drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
Being intoxicated in places of life and death.
She had nothing left to say so she said she loved me
She expressed love to avoid an uncomfortable conversation.
I stood there grateful for the lie
He appreciated the false declaration of love.
Drink enough of anything to make this girl look new again
Consuming substances can change how one sees a person.
Turn summer trees to bones and ice
The transition from summer to winter can be harsh.
Turn insect songs against the night
The sounds of insects can give a sense of dread in the quiet of night.
With words we build and words we break
Language has the power to create and destroy.
I'm drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
The singer is heavily intoxicated in places of life and death.
Drink enough of anything to make myself look new again
Consuming substances can change how one perceives oneself.
Drunk drunk drunk in the gardens and the graves
Being intoxicated in places of life and death.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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