In 2000, Dave Douglas replaced Stephen Cushman on drums. In 2004, John Warne, formerly of Ace Troubleshooter replaced Brian on bass guitar. In 2005,Jon Schneck joined on with additional guitars, as well as banjo, bells, and backing vocals. In 2008, Ethan Luck, formerly of The O.C. Supertones and Demon Hunter replaced Dave on drums.
The band has released 9 albums, including 2 Christmas albums, as well as 6 EPs, and some other miscellaneous projects. Starting in 2000 with their second album, Relient K was signed to Gotee Records, a Christian record label. In 2004, their album Mmhmm shot them into mainstream popularity when it released at #15 on Billboard 200, and was released on Gotee, Mono Vs. Stereo (both Christian record labels), as well as Capitol, a secular label. They stayed with Gotee/Capitol until 2007, and their album Five Score and Seven Years Ago released at #6. Their latest album, Forget and Not Slow Down was released in 2009 with Mono Vs. Stereo. The band has done very well in both the Christian and mainstream music industries. The band has received numerous awards including a Grammy Award nomination in 2003 for Best Rock Gospel Album and two Dove Awards. The band has sold over 2 million records, with three albums being given gold certification by the RIAA.
The band's musical style has changed over the years, starting off as very pop-punk, and maturing into a unique sort of pop-alternative-rock, with many songs varying in style, and some including acoustic guitars, piano, banjo, synths, bells, etc. Through the years, their lyrics and songwriting have matured, but they have not lost their silly side and sense of humor. They still often reference their Christian faith throughout their songs.
Matt Thiessen, the band's main songwriter, also has a solo side project, Matthew Thiessen and the Earthquakes. He has also collaborated with Owl City. Dave Douglas also had a solo side project, Agnes.
Maybe It's Maybeline
Relient K Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We find that everything breaks
And it always is the same, gotta find someone to blame
And these errors that we make (cause we're all human earthquakes)
Yeah, we made the hurricane, yet we're not the one's to blame?
We point the finger even though it's not polite
We condemn the son of God (we're hoping two wrongs make a right)
Or, maybe it is me
Or, maybe it's Maybeline
People make mistakes
We took the apple from the snake
And it always is the same:
Gotta find someone to blame
Our reputations were at stake, but the guilt we could not take
America's gone done the drain
The president's fault again?
We point the finger even though it's not polite
We condemn the son of God (we're hoping two wrongs make a right)
Maybe it is them
Or, maybe it is me
Or, maybe it's Maybeline
The truth is, excuses are lame
Accept consequence
Accept the blame
We're all sinners
We're all unclean
Maybe we're born with it
Or maybe it's Maybeline
The song "Maybe It's Maybeline" by Relient K discusses the tendency to point fingers and lay blame when things go wrong. The first verse describes how humans are constantly making mistakes and breaking things, but instead of taking responsibility, we look for someone to blame. We are compared to earthquakes, causing havoc and destruction without realizing the impact that we have. The lyrics suggest that we may not be the ones to blame for the problems that we create.
The second verse references the story of Adam and Eve taking the apple from the snake and the tendency to still look for someone to blame when things go wrong. It also touches on how public figures, such as the president, are often blamed for the problems of society. The chorus repeats the idea that instead of blaming others, we should accept responsibility for our actions and the consequences that follow.
The bridge emphasizes the truth that excuses are meaningless and that we should accept the blame for our mistakes. The final line brings the title of the song back, suggesting that the desire to place blame on others may be a societal issue perpetuated by advertising and the constant promotion of products like Maybeline makeup.
Line by Line Meaning
People make mistakes
As humans, we are not perfect and tend to make errors.
We find that everything breaks
We realize that everything has a breaking point eventually.
And it always is the same, gotta find someone to blame
It's a common human tendency to try and blame someone else when things go wrong.
And these errors that we make (cause we're all human earthquakes)
Our mistakes can create seismic consequences in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Yeah, we made the hurricane, yet we're not the one's to blame?
We can cause destruction and harm, yet we try to deflect responsibility and blame others instead of owning up to our actions.
We point the finger even though it's not polite
It's impolite and rude to place blame on others but we still tend to do it anyways.
We condemn the son of God (we're hoping two wrongs make a right)
We make the mistake of trying to justify our own wrongdoing by putting someone else down, even if it's the son of God.
Maybe it is them
We blame others for our mistakes and problems.
Or, maybe it is me
Sometimes it's hard to accept that we are the ones responsible for our actions and mistakes.
Or, maybe it's Maybeline
It's possible that we use cosmetic products or external situations as an excuse for our mistakes, instead of taking responsibility for them.
We took the apple from the snake
A reference to the biblical story of Adam and Eve, where they sinned by eating the forbidden apple.
Our reputations were at stake, but the guilt we could not take
Even though our reputation was on the line, we couldn't bear the guilt of our actions.
America's gone done the drain, the president's fault again?
We often look for a scapegoat for the problems in our society, even if it's not entirely justified.
The truth is, excuses are lame
Excuses don't hold up to the truth of our actions and don't justify them.
Accept consequence
Take responsibility for the consequences of our actions.
Accept the blame
Own up to our mistakes instead of trying to put the blame on others.
We're all sinners
We all make mistakes and are not perfect.
We're all unclean
We all have faults and aren't entirely pure.
Maybe we're born with it
Our tendency to make mistakes is inherent within us from birth.
Or maybe it's Maybeline
We may use external situations or cosmetics as excuses for our actions, instead of owning up to them and taking responsibility.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: MATTHEW ARNOLD THIESSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind