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.
Mrs. Rita
Gin Blossoms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Her response is getting stronger I think she's coming round again
Tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
I've been keeping myself busy with my books and with my tapes
Every day's much better since I've slowed my drinking pace
I lost myself in sorrow lost my confidence in doubt
Is she coming 'round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
Get in the car and drive through town
Down the block and back around
Pretending that she's there with me we drive
Gone forever
My patience keeps me plaintive my high hopes keep me alone
My lover's will is shaken I wish she would just come home
So tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
The Gin Blossoms’ “Mrs. Rita” is a song about a man who is trying to find some sort of solace as he waits for his lost lover to return to him. Most of the song is focused on the man’s internal struggles and inner dialogue as he tries to make sense of his situation. He talks about the letters he’s received from his ex-lover, which he reads intently, trying to discern if she’s considering coming back to him. He asks Mrs. Rita, a tarot reader, what her cards say about the situation and if there is any hope for reconciliation between the two of them.
The chorus reflects the man’s anxiety and hopefulness about the situation. He wonders if his ex-girlfriend will come back to him or if their relationship has come to an end: “Is she coming round for me once again, around, or was that just the end? I just hope she’s coming round again.” Throughout the song, the singer is struggling to keep himself together as he tries to move on from the relationship. He talks about trying to keep busy with hobbies and staying away from drinking too much. Despite his efforts, he’s still consumed by thoughts of his ex-girlfriend.
Overall, the song portrays the feelings of heartbreak and uncertainty that often come with the end of a relationship. It captures the man’s sense of longing and desperation to be reunited with his former love and the internal conflict that arises as he tries to make sense of his emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
You can see it in her letters on the paper with her pen
Her feelings are evident through the words she writes in her letters
Her response is getting stronger I think she's coming round again
She's showing signs of affection and it seems like she's returning to the relationship
Tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
I need some guidance to understand my future with my lover
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Please reveal the reason why relationships sometimes end even when we're in love
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I'm unsure if she's actually coming back to me or if our relationship has ended
I just hope she's coming round again
I'm optimistic about the relationship and I'm hoping she'll come back to me
I've been keeping myself busy with my books and with my tapes
To cope with the loss, I've been distracting myself with reading and music
Every day's much better since I've slowed my drinking pace
I'm trying to overcome my addiction and things are improving gradually
There's no swimming in the bottle it's just someplace we all drown
Alcohol doesn't solve our problems and can actually make things worse
I lost myself in sorrow lost my confidence in doubt
The loss of this relationship has taken a toll on my emotional state and self-esteem
Get in the car and drive through town
I'm trying to simulate our past memories by driving around town
Down the block and back around
Repeating the same route we used to take when we were together
Pretending that she's there with me we drive
I'm trying to relive the moments we spent together by pretending she's with me
Gone forever
She's no longer a part of my life and I need to accept that
My patience keeps me plaintive my high hopes keep me alone
My optimism is keeping me waiting for her to come back, but it's leaving me feeling lonely
My lover's will is shaken I wish she would just come home
My lover is uncertain about the relationship and I wish she would return to me
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: J. SWAFORD, J. VALENZUELA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scott Russell
So many memories associated with this song ...
You can see it in her letters on the paper with her pen
Her response is getting stronger I think she's coming round again
Tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
I've been keeping myself busy with my books and with my tapes
Every day's much better since I've slowed my drinking pace
There's no swimming in the bottle it's just someplace we all drown
I lost myself in sorrow lost my confidence in doubt
Is she coming 'round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
Get in the car and drive through town
Down the block and back around
Pretending that she's there with me we drive
Gone forever...
My patience keeps me plaintive my high hopes keep me alone
My lover's will is shaken I wish she would just come home
So tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
Michael Beasley
New Miserable Experience--one of the great albums of the 90's. This is one of the fetching tracks I'm learing for gigs. Not a bad song on that album. You know an album is good when your favorite songs are the lesser known ones. Love this one, My Hands are Tied, Lost Horizons, and even the Cajun song. Not that their hits weren't good. They were. Just saw these guys again a couple of weeks ago. They still rock.
rmick66
Gin Blossoms with Doug Hopkins, the best pop/rock of the 90's still sounding great today.
AllBobsAllTheTime
These sound like his lyrics even though he is not credited here.
Scott Russell
So many memories associated with this song ...
You can see it in her letters on the paper with her pen
Her response is getting stronger I think she's coming round again
Tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
I've been keeping myself busy with my books and with my tapes
Every day's much better since I've slowed my drinking pace
There's no swimming in the bottle it's just someplace we all drown
I lost myself in sorrow lost my confidence in doubt
Is she coming 'round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
Get in the car and drive through town
Down the block and back around
Pretending that she's there with me we drive
Gone forever...
My patience keeps me plaintive my high hopes keep me alone
My lover's will is shaken I wish she would just come home
So tell me Mrs. Rita what's it say in my tarot
Read my palm and tell me why do lovers come and go
Is she coming round for me once again, around or was that just the end
I just hope she's coming round again
LivingDedGrrl
I love them. I live in Tempe. I listen to them when I travel. It makes me miss the Valley. I sing this song every time I go past Mrs Rita's
Robert Hanson
One of the saddest lost love songs ever made. Beautiful.
cdb8315
We watched the Gin Blossoms play LIVE at Chuy's in Tempe on a regular basis just a
block away from Mrs Rita's. Good times! Yes, we had it good, but had no idea
how popular they were with the rest of the world. Those were the days
and the days were good!
S Perreault
@Dave Lawlis That bar is probably the infamous Long Wong's
Dave Lawlis
I remember Chuy's and Mrs. Rita's! I also saw them in a little corner bar in Tempe (can't remember the name). Also saw some great shows at the Sun Club. I was only out there for a year (91-92) but I had such a blast! This will always be the song I think of whenever I hear someone mention these guys.
Salina Silver
Favorite track on the album.