Although some may know him as the Bass player for Brad, Stone Gossard's sid… Read Full Bio ↴Although some may know him as the Bass player for Brad, Stone Gossard's side project with Shawn Smith and Regan Hagar, Jeremy Toback's thoughtful and melodic songcraft shows him to be a powerful force to be reckoned with on his own.

Jeremy has recently joined forces with Herb Graham, Jr. in groovalicious LA electro rock outfit, ONS.

On his three solo albums, the self-titled debut, Perfect Flux Thing, and Another True Fiction, Toback brings his gravel-edged voice to songs with a hint of folk, jazz and rock. Intelligent lyrically, and musically satifying, Toback remains an unappreciated singer-songwriter on growlers such as 1997's Eden Trampoline.

Perfect From The Start
Jeremy Toback Lyrics

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I was born a fortunate son
Mother gave me all her fear and attention
I worked to prove my worth to everyone
Earned my degree in self-destruction
There is little reward
For all that glorified pain
I got this soul-search hunger
You got this deep-heart desire

Though we try to deny
We were perfect from the start
Perfect from the start
Perfect from the start
I was torn from my little-girl trust
By dad who left me with nothing but silence
I've looked to drink and sex ever since
To find reprieve from this life sentence
There is no hiding
From the world inside
I got this soul-search hunger
You got this deep-heart desire
Though we try to deny
We were perfect from the start
Perfect from the start
Perfect from the start
There is no hiding
From the world inside
I got this soul-search hunger
You got this deep-heart desire
Though we try to deny
We were perfect from the start

Perfect from the start
Perfect from the start

Overall Meaning

In "Perfect From The Start," Jeremy Toback reflects on his upbringing and how it has influenced his life choices. He describes being born into a privileged situation with a mother who was both fearful and doting. However, he struggled to find validation and ended up engaging in self-destructive behavior to prove his worth to others. Toback acknowledges that this type of behavior is often glorified, but ultimately it leads to little reward.

He then moves on to discuss the pain he experienced from his father abandoning him at a young age, which left him feeling betrayed and untrusting. Toback coped with this pain by turning to alcohol and sex, but recognizes that this behavior is unsustainable and does not provide a true escape from his emotional turmoil.

Throughout the song, Toback emphasizes the idea that despite our flaws and struggles, we are all inherently perfect from the start. He contrasts his own experiences with a sense of universality, acknowledging that others also have their own soul-searching and deep-heart desires. By recognizing this inherent perfection, Toback suggests that we can move past our pain and self-destructive tendencies and find a sense of peace within ourselves.

Line by Line Meaning

I was born a fortunate son
I was lucky enough to be born into favorable circumstances

Mother gave me all her fear and attention
My mother bestowed upon me both her fears and her constant attention

I worked to prove my worth to everyone
I strived to validate my existence to others

Earned my degree in self-destruction
I became well-versed in the art of self-destructive behavior

There is little reward
There is scarcely any gain

For all that glorified pain
For all that praised suffering

I got this soul-search hunger
I possess an insatiable urge to search for my soul's purpose

You got this deep-heart desire
You harbor a profound longing in your heart

Though we try to deny
Despite our attempts to refuse

We were perfect from the start
We were inherently faultless from the beginning

I was torn from my little-girl trust
I was stripped of my childhood innocence

By dad who left me with nothing but silence
Due to my father's abandonment, I was left with only silence to fill the void

I've looked to drink and sex ever since
Since then, I've turned to alcohol and sexual encounters for solace

To find reprieve from this life sentence
To escape from the monotonous drudgery of life

There is no hiding
There is no escaping

From the world inside
From the inner workings of our own minds and souls

I got this soul-search hunger
I have an insatiable urge to discover and understand my true self

You got this deep-heart desire
You possess a profound longing within your heart

Though we try to deny
Even if we refuse to acknowledge it to ourselves

We were perfect from the start
We were born perfect and whole at the outset

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, BMG Rights Management
Written by: JEREMY DAVID TOBACK, JOHN SHANKS, JOHN M SHANKS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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