"Crazy" - which was their first single - debuted at #1 on the British pop charts on April 2, 2006. It was the first #1 UK single to be obtained solely through Internet downloads. The success of the single in the UK was due largely to its use in a promotional trailer for Radio 1 across all of the BBC TV channels prior to the single's release. 'Crazy' stayed at #1 for almost 9 weeks.
The buzz for "Crazy" helped generate a lot of press coverage of their debut album, St. Elsewhere, which was released on May 9, 2006.
The album is seen as a cross-over between hip-hop, rock and soul. Both artists have previously been known to have a quirky experimental side, moving between different genres of music.
Producer DJ Danger Mouse began his career doing remixes of indie rock artists like Neutral Milk Hotel and downbeat instrumental music under the 'Pelican City' alias. He later went on to emphasize more hip-hop production: most notably his The Grey Album, a remix of Black Album, with samples exclusively from The White Album; 2005's Dangerdoom collaboration with MF Doom; and, most recently, the double platinum Demon Days.
Gnarls Barkley singer Cee Lo Green started out in the classic Southern rap group Goodie Mob, but later developed a unique funk-inspired soulful style of singing which developed on his solo albums.
Their new album The Odd Couple was released March 18, 2008.
Just a Thought
Gnarls Barkley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
As in the small act of affection
Why is this my life?
Is almost everybody's question
And I've tried,
Everything but suicide,
But it's crossed my mind
I prefer peace,
Wouldn't have to have one worldy possesion,
But essentially I'm an animal,
So just what do I do with all the aggresion?
Well I've tried,
Everything but suicide,
But it's crossed my mind
Life is a one way street and,
If you could paint it,
I'd draw myself going in the right direction,
So I go all the way,
Like I really, really know but the truth is,
I'm only guessing
And I've tried,
Everything but suicide,
Ooh but it's crossed my mind
Just a thought
It's even dark in the day time,
It's not just good, it's great depression
When I was lost I even found myself,
Looking in the gun's direction
And so I've tried
Everything but suicide
But yes, it's crossed my mind
But I'm fine
The lyrics to Gnarls Barkley's Just A Thought reflect the universal struggle many people face in their lives. The first two lines of the song, "All I want is your understanding, As in the small act of affection," sets the tone for the rest of the song. The singer is looking for someone to understand him, to validate his existence in some way. He then goes on to ask the question that many people ask themselves at some point in their lives: "Why is this my life? Is almost everybody's question." This is a question that speaks to the human experience; we all wonder at some point if there is something more significant out there for us.
The singer goes on to say that he has tried everything to feel better, except for suicide. He then questions his own nature, wondering how he can contain so much aggression when he would prefer peace. This is a struggle that many people can relate to, as we all have an innate animalistic side that we must learn to control. The ultimately hopeful chorus of the song, "Just a thought," leaves the listener with a sense of understanding and empathy for the singer's plight.
Line by Line Meaning
All I want is your understanding,
I desire your empathy and comprehension, just the small gesture of love and care.
Why is this my life?
Almost everyone has questioned the purpose of their existence.
Is almost everybody's question
People ponder why they have been given life and what they should do with it.
And I've tried, Everything but suicide, But it's crossed my mind
I have attempted everything to overcome my difficulties apart from killing myself, but I have thought about it before.
I prefer peace, Wouldn't have to have one worldly possession, But essentially I'm an animal, So just what do I do with all the aggression?
I would like to have peaceful surroundings and not care about materialistic possessions in life. However, being an animal, I have innate aggression, which makes me question what I should do with it.
Life is a one-way street and, If you could paint it, I'd draw myself going in the right direction, So I go all the way, Like I really, really know but the truth is, I'm only guessing
Life is a journey with no U-turns, and if it were ever possible to visualize it, I would want to see myself heading in the correct direction. I go on this journey with the intention of knowing what I am doing, but in reality, I am uncertain and just estimating.
Ooh but it's crossed my mind
Although I have tried everything else, killing myself has been a thought that has come across my mind.
Just a thought
This is just a mere idea, not a firm plan or resolution.
It's even dark in the daytime, It's not just good, it's great depression
The bleakness of life is not only limited to the night; it can persist in the daytime as well, resulting in severe hopelessness.
When I was lost I even found myself, Looking in the gun's direction
During my phase of confusion, I have even reached a point where I was gazing at a gun, contemplating suicide.
But yes, it's crossed my mind
Even though I have attempted everything else, ending my life, at some point, has been an idea or consideration of mine.
But I'm fine
However, I am okay and managing to hold on, despite everything that is going on in my life.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Cloud9, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRIAN JOSEPH BURTON, KEVIN JAMES PEEK, THOMAS CALLAWAY, THOMAS DECARLO CALLAWAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wildlands
This album came out in a really dark time of my life I was Around 10 years old. I had already been sexually abused for many years about point it didn't stop for many years after that.
Crazy and Just a Thought were two of the songs that I related to most in the world back then, nobody wanted to hear what I had to say nobody understood me and I felt crazy I was invisible and wasn't even allowed out the house most of the time. I didn't get to go to school I didn't get to have a normal life at all.
I'm lucky I'm alive now is an adult most people from that type of abuse and back then people that I knew will be dead all still being abused.
All I ever wanted was with someone to care someone to love me so want to listen to anything I thought, felt or wanted to say. That never happened.
I tried so hard to be so pretty and so thin and so good and so intelligent and so accepting of all the horrendous abuses. I just wanted my dad's and the rest of my family and anyone to care or just not hate me not be angry at me, I always felt if they had to abuse me currently at least not embarrass me humiliate me and just make everything outside of the abuse hell too. Is child porn and prostitution and drug addiction and just the rest of it... Is that not enough do they have to do more? They thought so.
Just the sound of the opening of this song straight back to being a young child and feeling so alone and so misunderstood all I had was music I had nothing I had no friends nothing to do, I was denied health care I was denied hobbies I was denied having an opinion of my own really. My rebellion was all trapped inside waiting escape and I got it all from music.
This song is one of the many that kept me alive. I don't talk to my parents anymore but the pain is there forever and so the scars on my body both from them, and from the self harm I've done because of them.
I get this is probably nothing like what the song is about but I felt like I knew more than other people I knew how evil people could be, I felt like an outsider then and I feel like an outsider now. people live in their happy bubbles, unaware or ignoring how much abuse, trafficking, silencing, pain, there is. and.how unnatural it all is, how competitive society is for no reason.
The way we live is almost entirely against our genetic predispositions, so isolated and segregated by age, social groups that are purely invented to sell more shit (from shoes, to cars, to guns and drugs and humans and perfume and clothes made on sweatshops.
Society is a disease, Hans should be a communal, social, sharing species
Just look at R Kelly and him trafficking, poor Britney spears and her awful dad (who encouraged her sexualization as a teen to make him money), hate crime in the UK has risen over 400% on a handful of years.
There's a reason. A portion of humans are truly evil and abhorrent and have no ability to love or care for anyone but themselves. And they run the show.
I'd rather be an outsider with a heart but it's agony.
This song makes me feel heard even now.
Wildlands
This album came out in a really dark time of my life I was Around 10 years old. I had already been sexually abused for many years about point it didn't stop for many years after that.
Crazy and Just a Thought were two of the songs that I related to most in the world back then, nobody wanted to hear what I had to say nobody understood me and I felt crazy I was invisible and wasn't even allowed out the house most of the time. I didn't get to go to school I didn't get to have a normal life at all.
I'm lucky I'm alive now is an adult most people from that type of abuse and back then people that I knew will be dead all still being abused.
All I ever wanted was with someone to care someone to love me so want to listen to anything I thought, felt or wanted to say. That never happened.
I tried so hard to be so pretty and so thin and so good and so intelligent and so accepting of all the horrendous abuses. I just wanted my dad's and the rest of my family and anyone to care or just not hate me not be angry at me, I always felt if they had to abuse me currently at least not embarrass me humiliate me and just make everything outside of the abuse hell too. Is child porn and prostitution and drug addiction and just the rest of it... Is that not enough do they have to do more? They thought so.
Just the sound of the opening of this song straight back to being a young child and feeling so alone and so misunderstood all I had was music I had nothing I had no friends nothing to do, I was denied health care I was denied hobbies I was denied having an opinion of my own really. My rebellion was all trapped inside waiting escape and I got it all from music.
This song is one of the many that kept me alive. I don't talk to my parents anymore but the pain is there forever and so the scars on my body both from them, and from the self harm I've done because of them.
I get this is probably nothing like what the song is about but I felt like I knew more than other people I knew how evil people could be, I felt like an outsider then and I feel like an outsider now. people live in their happy bubbles, unaware or ignoring how much abuse, trafficking, silencing, pain, there is. and.how unnatural it all is, how competitive society is for no reason.
The way we live is almost entirely against our genetic predispositions, so isolated and segregated by age, social groups that are purely invented to sell more shit (from shoes, to cars, to guns and drugs and humans and perfume and clothes made on sweatshops.
Society is a disease, Hans should be a communal, social, sharing species
Just look at R Kelly and him trafficking, poor Britney spears and her awful dad (who encouraged her sexualization as a teen to make him money), hate crime in the UK has risen over 400% on a handful of years.
There's a reason. A portion of humans are truly evil and abhorrent and have no ability to love or care for anyone but themselves. And they run the show.
I'd rather be an outsider with a heart but it's agony.
This song makes me feel heard even now.
Tony Himlin
I hope you’re ok. The world needs us.
Wildlands
@Tony Himlin I've made it out the lies!!!! Yes it does, thank you 🖤
Joseph Wilson
Glad you are still with us, standing strong.
I was in your shoes, every single step.
Marilyn Beidler
I am so sorry. You're amazing that you kept going.
Marilyn Beidler
I have not gone through you have gone though. I had a lot of mental illness in my family and ended up with PTSD. Well, I kept going. For long spells I was so depressed it was hard to go through the day. I am extremely sorry to learn what you dealt with.
Havoc
"Do not pray for an easy life, pray for the strength to endure a difficult one." -Bruce Lee That quote kept me going through hard times. Hope it resonates through you like it did through me.
jessica gray
1
Havoc
@jessica gray 2
Joshua Kelley
Well said