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."
I Go Blind
Hootie & The Blowfish Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Every time I look at you, I go blind
In the mornin' I get up
And I try to feel alive, but I can't
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Something in me just won't give me a chance
I think it's that I feel
More confused by the deal
Love has shown me
Little child, did you know that there's a light
And it's gonna shine right through your eyes
What do you think that life is like?
Every time I look at you, I go blind
I go blind
Well, somewhere over there
There's a purpose, there's a care for free
In me, there's no body
No one plan, no one stand to be free
I think it's that because
I have seen all the fuss
And it's no big deal
No big deal
Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Higher than
Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Higher than
Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Higher than
Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Higher than life
The lyrics of "I Go Blind" by Hootie & The Blowfish speak of the overwhelming feeling of being blinded by someone's love. The repetition of the line "Every time I look at you, I go blind" emphasizes the intense nature of these emotions. Despite the singer's attempts to feel alive, their love for this person seems to hinder them from doing so. They feel confused by the nature of love, unsure of what it is or why it affects them so deeply.
The latter half of the song takes on a more optimistic tone with the lyrics, "Little child, did you know that there's a light / And it's gonna shine right through your eyes." The singer asks what the child thinks life is like, perhaps reflecting on their own journey of self-discovery. They realize that somewhere out there, there is a purpose and care for them to find. The repeated phrase "Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher" could speak to their desire to be lifted up by this love and find that purpose.
Overall, the lyrics of "I Go Blind" explore the overwhelming nature of romantic love and the singer's struggle to understand and navigate these emotions.
Line by Line Meaning
Every time I look at you, I go blind
You have such a powerful presence that it's overwhelming and blinding to me.
In the mornin' I get up
And I try to feel alive, but I can't
Even though I try to wake up energized and ready to start the day, I'm still consumed by thoughts of you.
I don't know what it is
Something in me just won't give me a chance
I can't explain why, but when I'm with you my thoughts and emotions are so intense that I can't focus or be productive.
I think it's that I feel
More confused by the deal
Love has shown me
I'm confused about how love works and what it means for me and my life. It's overwhelming and I don't know how to navigate it.
Little child, did you know that there's a light
And it's gonna shine right through your eyes
What do you think that life is like?
I see potential and innocence in you that reminds me of a child. I wonder what your experiences with love and life have been like.
Well, somewhere over there
There's a purpose, there's a care for free
In me, there's no body
No one plan, no one stand to be free
I believe there is a higher purpose and meaning to life, but I struggle to find it within myself. I feel unanchored and unsure of what I want.
I think it's that because
I have seen all the fuss
And it's no big deal
No big deal
I've witnessed other people's experiences with love and relationships, and it doesn't seem as big of a deal as people make it out to be. Yet, I'm still struggling with my own emotions.
Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Higher than
I want to hold onto you and experience the intense emotions you bring out in me, even though it's overwhelming and blinding. It's a rush that makes me feel alive and takes me higher than anything else.
Hold me, hold me 'cause I wanna get higher and higher
Every time I look at you, I go blind
Higher than life
Being with you takes me to levels of emotional intensity and pleasure that surpasses anything else I've experienced in life. It's both amazing and overwhelming.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Darryl Neudorf, Brad Merritt, Phil Comparelli, Neil Osborne
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind