Wes Scantlin was born in St. Joseph, Missouri. Raised in Kansas City, he attended Park Hill High School. After high school, he started the creation of Puddle of Mudd, now now famous for songs such as "Control", "She Hates Me", and "Blurry". Scantlin got his start in the music business after a copy of his demo was given to a friend producer by the name of Fred Durst. Durst enjoyed the demo, but Wes neglected to take any major steps forward with the band. Later, upon hearing that Scantlin's first attempt at a band had failed, Durst decided to bring Scatlin to California in an attempt to put a new band together.
In California Scantlin met Doug Ardito, an intern at Interscope Records. When Scantlin found out about Ardito's bass playing, they decided to work together. Still in pursuit of a guitarist, Fred Durst contacted a guitarist from his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, Paul Phillips. Phillips auditioned for the spot in Puddle of Mudd, and upon acceptance, left college to join the band full time. A drummer was also recruited from Jacksonville, however, via creative differences, left the band before it achieved any mainstream media attention.
The name of the band was inspired by the Missouri River flood, where the band in its early days performed and practiced. The large amount of pressure from the equipment left the floor a big "puddle of mud."
Puddle of Mudd is signed to Fred Durst's record label, Flawless Records.
In 2005 two members, Paul Phillips and Greg Upchurch, left the band. Greg currently drums for 3 Doors Down while Paul, now playing in Society Red, left citing creative and personal differences.
Their song "Control" was the official theme song of WWE's Survivor Series pay-per-view event in November 2001, and their song "Nothing Left to Lose" was the official theme song of WWE's Royal Rumble pay-per-view event in January 2004.
Their second album, "Come Clean" spawned 4 hits in 2003 and has sold 5 million albums to date. Their follow up, "Life on Display" spawned 1 hit single and sold 600,000 albums. In 2007, the band released "Famous", which takes a general rock as well as "nu-grunge" approach.
The band is currently working on a live album that is slated for release in 2008.
They have released their fourth album "Songs in the Key of Love and Hate"
Current members of the band include :
Wes Scantlin : Vocal, Rythmn.
Doug Ardito : Backing Vocals, Bass.
Paul Phillips: Lead Guitar
Ryan Yerdon: Drums
Old Man
Puddle of Mudd Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
Twenty four
and there's so much more
That makes me think of two.
Love lost, such a cost,
Give me things
that don't get lost.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
Run around the same old town.
Doesn't mean that much to me
To mean that much to you.
I've been first and last
Look at how the time goes past.
But I'm all alone at last.
Rolling home to you.
Old man take a look at my life
I'm a lot like you
I need someone to love me
the whole day through
Ah, one look in my eyes
and you can tell that's true.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
Old man look at my life,
I'm a lot like you were.
In Puddle of Mudd's song "Old Man," the lyrics speak to the common theme of intergenerational connections and comparisons. The singer talks to an old man, urging him to take a look at his life and see similarities between their respective journeys. Through the lyrics, the singer describes his feelings of loneliness and the need for love and connection that is prevalent in many people's lives, regardless of age. The chorus repeats the line "Old man look at my life, I'm a lot like you were" which cements the idea that despite generational differences, we are all human and share similar experiences and emotions.
As the singer sings about "living alone in a paradise that makes me think of two," the song can be interpreted as a reflection on the false promises of modern society that sell us on the idea of individualistic paradise while leaving us with a sense of emptiness and longing for real human connection. The line "Love lost, such a cost" speaks to the idea that in our pursuit of individualistic goals, we often lose sight of the importance of love and community. However, the singer also recognizes that some things, like the love and connections we make, are precious and should not be discarded like a coin that may get tossed.
Overall, the song "Old Man" by Puddle of Mudd is an introspective piece that speaks to the common human experience of loneliness and the need for connection. The chorus repeats the idea that despite age and generational differences, we are all alike in our quest for love and acceptance.
Line by Line Meaning
Old man look at my life,
The singer is asking an older man to consider their life.
I'm a lot like you were.
The singer sees similarities between their life and the older man's life.
Twenty four
The singer's current age is 24.
and there's so much more
Despite being 24, the artist feels like there is much more to experience in life.
Live alone in a paradise
The artist lives alone in a place they consider to be paradise.
That makes me think of two.
Despite living alone, the singer thinks of being with someone else.
Love lost, such a cost,
The singer has experienced the pain of losing love.
Give me things
The artist wants material possessions.
that don't get lost.
But they want things that won't disappear or be taken away from them.
Like a coin that won't get tossed
They use the metaphor of a coin to explain they want something that won't be easily discarded or lost.
Rolling home to you.
Despite wanting these things, the singer just wants to go back to the person they love.
I need someone to love me
The artist needs to feel loved by someone.
the whole day through
They want constant love, not just in small doses.
Ah, one look in my eyes
Just by looking in the singer's eyes, someone can tell they are telling the truth.
and you can tell that's true.
Their emotions are genuine and can be seen through their eyes.
Lullabies, look in your eyes,
The artist uses the imagery of lullabies to express how they try to soothe their own emotions by looking into someone else's eyes.
Run around the same old town.
The artist feels like they are in a rut and just going through the motions day after day.
Doesn't mean that much to me
Despite being familiar with the town, it doesn't hold much value to the singer anymore.
To mean that much to you.
If the town means more to someone else, it doesn't matter to the singer.
I've been first and last
The artist has experienced both victory and defeat.
Look at how the time goes past.
The artist reflects on how quickly time has passed.
But I'm all alone at last.
Despite any accomplishments or failures, the artist is ultimately alone.
Rolling home to you.
Once again, the singer just wants to be with the person they love.
Old man look at my life,
The song ends on the same line as the beginning, emphasizing the ongoing reflection of the artist's life.
I'm a lot like you were.
The similarities between the singer and the older man's lives persist until the end of the song.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC
Written by: Neil Young
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind