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.
Not Only Numb
Gin Blossoms Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
Changing shades within the evening
In a day then I'll be leaving
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
When the air at home is thin
Getting out then looking in
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
What it's like, my little hell
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
I'm now familiar with the tone I hear in bed when I'm alone
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
In the shade below the eaves
Think I could chain smoke anything
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
When the air at home is thin
Getting out, then looking in
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
It ain't awful hard to tell
What it's like, my little hell
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
She knows, she knows, she knows
She sees all the cars around the parking lots of bars we've played and stayed
Started laughing, looking down upon the bed that we've made
We've made, we've made, we've made
She sees all the cars around the parking lots of bars we've played and stayed
Started laughing, looking falling down across the bed that we've made
We've made, we've made, we've made
The air at home is thin
When getting out, then looking in
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
Changing shades within the evening
In a day, then I'll be leaving
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb.
The Gin Blossoms' song Not Only Numb delves into the mind of someone who is experiencing a sense of emptiness and lack of feeling. The lyrics evoke a feeling of loneliness and detachment, with the singer observing his surroundings, feeling both present and absent at the same time. Looking around the room, he sees clutter and gloom, and although he's physically back, he's still numb. He describes feeling disconnected, changing shades within the evening, and counting down until he can leave in a day.
The chorus suggests that the singer's partner senses something is wrong, however, he is unable to communicate the depth of his pain. He has grown accustomed to the "tone" he hears when he's alone. The singer laments, "what it's like, my little hell," describing his emotional state as something he is trapped within. He finds solace in chain-smoking, evoking a sense of self-destructive behavior. The song ends with the singer's partner looking down upon the bed they've made together, while he observes the cars parked outside the bars they've played at.
Overall, the song's lyrics give insight into someone experiencing emotional numbness and detachment. It speaks to the inability to communicate one's psychological suffering, the destructive coping mechanisms one may turn to, and the juxtaposition of feeling both present and absent in one's environment.
Line by Line Meaning
Looking all around the room I see the clutter in the gloom
I look around and see all the mess in the dimly lit room.
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
I am not just physically here, but emotionally detached as well.
Changing shades within the evening
The colors of the sky are constantly changing as the day transitions into night.
In a day then I'll be leaving
I will be departing in just one more day.
When the air at home is thin
The atmosphere at home is suffocating.
Getting out then looking in
Leaving the situation then observing it from the outside.
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
She understands the situation well.
It ain't awful hard to tell
It's not difficult to see what's happening.
What it's like, my little hell
My life feels like a personal hell.
I'm now familiar with the tone I hear in bed when I'm alone
I've grown used to the sound of silence when I'm in bed alone.
In the shade below the eaves
In the shadow under the roof overhang.
Think I could chain smoke anything
I feel like I could smoke continuously without stopping.
She sees all the cars around the parking lots of bars we've played and stayed
She notices the vehicles parked outside the bars where we've performed and hung out.
Started laughing, looking down upon the bed that we've made
She began laughing while staring at the bed we have created.
We've made, we've made, we've made
We have built something together in our relationship.
The air at home is thin
The atmosphere at home is suffocating.
When getting out, then looking in
When I remove myself from the situation and observe it from the outside.
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
I am not just physically here, but emotionally detached as well.
Changing shades within the evening
The colors of the sky are constantly changing as the day transitions into night.
In a day, then I'll be leaving
I will be departing in just one more day.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: PHILLIP RHODES, ROBIN WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kamoterider5611
Looking all around the room I see the clutter in the gloom
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
Changing shades within the evening
In a day then I'll be leaving
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
When the air at home is thin
Getting out then looking in
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
It ain't awful hard to tell
What it's like, my little hell
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
I'm now familiar with the tone I hear in bed when I'm alone
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
In the shade below the eaves
Think I could chain smoke anything
I'm not only back, I'm not only numb
When the air at home is thin
Getting out, then looking in
Yeah she knows, she knows, she knows
It ain't awful hard to tell
What it's like, my little hell
Yeah she…
@davidkallewaard750
Gin Blossoms. Absolutely the best band of the1990s. Where has all the great music of the 70s and 90s gone to?
@chrisc9720
"Those Forgotten" is working on it.
@mizzoupatriot8814
One of my favorite songs and bands of all time...Love these guys...R.I.P Doug Hopkins.
@kevinboring4337
Extremely underrated band. They speak to me even now.
@GMak220
Love this song. One of the band's most underrated songs ever.
@dck78
A 1990s alternative song, but such a true "instant classic tune" reminds me so much of that era!! Really takes me back to "1996" era!!!🤪👍👏🤘🍻best band in the 1990s in alternative acoustic rock music in my opinion!!! "Doug Hopkins"(R.I.P.) such a talented soul with his guitar and with lyrics, you can hear his personal pain in his lyrics Doug,really is what the heart and soul is of the "original lineup" of "GIN BLOSSOMS"!!!🤯😇😭
@cejannuzi
But he didn't write this song.
@shingothesecond
Beautiful song. Always a classic.
@BrightKelly19
Robin really has one of those voices you can't mistake or forget.
@johncalvo1743
Yes he DOES. Very soothing.