Hootie & the Blowfish formed in 1986. The quartet met when they were freshmen at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. Bryan heard Rucker singing in the showers of the dorm they shared and was impressed by his vocal ability. They began playing cover tunes as The Wolf Brothers; eventually they collaborated with Felber, a former high school bandmate of Bryan's, and Jim "Soni" Sonefeld as Hootie & the Blowfish.
Brantley Smith was the original drummer for the band. He left the group to pursue music ministry, but he has made scattered guest appearances with the band (he played cello on their MTV Unplugged performance in 1996, and played drums at Gruene Hall in Gruene, Texas, on June 27, 2008).
The group independently released two cassette demo EPs in 1991 and 1992. In 1993, they pressed 50,000 copies of a self-released EP, Kootchypop. Their mainstream debut album was Cracked Rear View (1994). It was an instant success, ultimately going platinum 16 times in the U.S. and becoming the best-selling album of 1995. The album was propelled by four hits, "Hold My Hand" (U.S. #10), "Let Her Cry" (U.S. #9), "Only Wanna Be with You" (U.S. #6), and "Time" (U.S. #14). Miami Dolphins' Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino appeared in the band's video for the song "Only Wanna Be with You", along with several other athletes.
The band won the "Best New Artist" award at the 1996 Grammy Awards. Hootie & the Blowfish appeared on MTV Unplugged on the eve of the release of their second album, 1996's Fairweather Johnson. Though sales began promisingly, and it contained the hit single "Old Man and Me" (U.S. #13), the album sold four million copies in the U.S.
In 1995, Hootie & the Blowfish contributed the song "Hey Hey What Can I Do" to the Encomium tribute album to Led Zeppelin. Their cover of Canadian group 54-40's "I Go Blind", originally released on the soundtrack to the TV series Friends in 1995, did not appear on Cracked Rear View or Fairweather Johnson, but nevertheless became a hit at radio in 1996 after three singles from Fairweather Johnson had been released. Both "Hey Hey What Can I Do" and "I Go Blind" were later released on the collection Scattered, Smothered and Covered.
Hootie and the Blowfish started their own record label, Breaking Records, in 1996 as a subsidiary of Atlantic. They had planned to focus on signing local Carolina acts. Edwin McCain and Cravin' Melon were both associated with the label at one point, but did not release any material on it. Meat Puppets, Jump, Little Children, Treadmill Trackstar and Treehouse released one album each on Breaking Records. The label folded in 2000.
In 1998, they performed on Frank Wildhorn's concept album of the musical The Civil War.
In 200, the band released a B-sides and rarities compilation in 2000 entitled Scattered, Smothered and Covered.
The band covered the 1968 Orpheus hit "Can't Find the Time" in 2001 for the soundtrack of the Jim Carrey movie, Me, Myself and Irene. Orpheus leader Bruce Arnold performed the song with the band during several concerts on the West Coast of the United States in 2001.
In 2009, Hootie and the Blowfish performed live in a ballet which chronicled their rise and success in the 1990s.
In 2008, Rucker announced in an AOL Sessions interview that Hootie and the Blowfish would be going on hiatus so Rucker could pursue his solo career as a country music performer. Although the band will no longer be recording or touring, Rucker confirmed that they will still perform their scheduled charity concerts, stating, "We have four charity gigs every year and we will still do them, but we will not do a record or tour." Rucker also said that the split will last "for five or six years, or until I record three or four country albums". He later amended his statement, saying, "To be honest with you, we're not even split up right now, and we're not really thinking about splitting up."
Hannah Jane
Hootie & The Blowfish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now you've got your young one too
Wondering if some day
I could have them
The way I once had you
I remember your crazy remarks
We'd get drunk and go out after dark
Searching for someone we could take home
You don't wanna be alone
You don't want to see the sun go down
You don't wanna open the door
And see her go
One step and tomorrow comes
Two steps and she's off with someone
Three steps and it's all you know
You'll be gone, she'll be gone
So what are you gonna do about me
I'll be there when you have no one else
Spotted the old man in the south
Hold it in, I'll be there, be your friend
Hold on strong, don't let go
There will never be no one to take your place
So don't you want to reach out and take my hand
You don't wanna be alone
You don't want to see the sun go down
You don't wanna open the door and see her go
One step and tomorrow comes
Two steps and she's off with someone
Three steps and it's all you know
You'll be gone, she'll be gone
You don't wanna be alone
You don't want to see the sun go down
You don't wanna open the door
And see her go, see her go
One step and tomorrow comes
Two steps and she's off with someone
Three steps and it's all you know
You'll be gone, she'll be gone
One step and tomorrow comes
Two steps and she's off with someone
Three steps and it's all you know
You'll be gone, she'll be gone
Hootie & The Blowfish's song "Hannah Jane" is a story about a man who once had a woman called Hannah Jane, but now she's moved on and is with someone else. The singer of the song wonders if he could have Hannah Jane and her new baby someday just as he once had her. The lyrics paint a picture of two people who used to have fun together, but now one of them has moved on, leaving the other feeling lost and alone. The man wants to be there for Hannah Jane when she has no one else, but ultimately he knows that she will be gone, and it's just a matter of time.
The song is filled with vivid imagery and specific details that make the story come to life. The line "We'd get drunk and go out after dark searching for someone we could take home" shows how the two of them used to look for love together. The repetition of the lines "You don't wanna be alone, You don't want to see the sun go down" drives home the theme of loneliness and fear of being alone. The chorus illustrates the inevitability of Hannah Jane moving on with someone else and how that will affect the singer.
Overall, "Hannah Jane" is a poignant and heartfelt song about lost love and the longing for what once was. It captures the pain and sadness of a breakup and the difficulty of moving on. The singer's desire to hold on to the memories of his past relationship with Hannah Jane is relatable and touching, making this song a classic in the band's discography.
Line by Line Meaning
You got your big girl
You have moved on with someone more mature.
Now you've got your young one too
You are now with someone younger.
Wondering if some day
Contemplating the possibility that someday,
I could have them
They might want to be with me again;
The way I once had you
like you were once mine.
I remember your crazy remarks
I recall your quirky comments.
We'd get drunk and go out after dark
We used to drink and search for someone to take home at night.
Searching for someone we could take home
We were seeking someone to say home with us.
You don't want to be alone
You don't wish to be by yourself.
You don't want to see the sun go down
You don't want the day to go by without being with someone you love.
You don't want to open the door
You don't want to see your partner leave.
And see her go
To watch her leave.
One step and tomorrow comes
One step is all it takes, and tomorrow she is with someone else.
Two steps and she's off with someone
The second step, and she's already left you for someone else.
Three steps and it's all you know
Three steps, and you realize that she has gone and it's all over.
You'll be gone, she'll be gone
You and she will be no more.
So what are you gonna do about me
What do you plan to do about our past and the feelings we once shared?
I'll be there when you have no one else
I will be there for you when you're alone.
Spotted the old man in the south
Not sure how to relate this line to the song and storyline.
Hold it in, I'll be there, be your friend
Hold your emotions, and I will remain your friend and companion.
Hold on strong, don't let go
Hang in there and don't give up.
There will never be no one to take your place
No one can replace you in my life.
So don't you want to reach out and take my hand
Why not take my hand and start a new chapter of our story together?
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DARIUS RUCKER, DEAN FELBER, JIM SONEFELD, MARK BRYAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind