The current members are Chris Barron (lead vocals), Anthony Krizan (guitar and vocals), Aaron Comess (drums) and Mark White (bass). The history of the Spin Doctors can be traced back to the late 80s in New York City, originally as a band called Trucking Company, which included Canadian guitarist Eric Schenkman, John Popper, and later Chris Barron. Barron was John Popper's Princeton, New Jersey high school friend. Popper left this side project to focus on his main gig with rock group Blues Traveler full time. With a name change to Spin Doctors, as well as the addition of Aaron Comess and Mark White, the classic lineup was in place by the spring of 1989.
Recorded from August to December 1990 at both the famous Power Station studio in NYC as well as the RPM Studios, NYC and ACME Recording Studios Inc. in Mamaroneck, NY, the band released 'Pocket Full of Kryptonite' on August 20, 1991. Experiencing a slow burn of sorts in terms of success over the next few years, the band released the singles "Jimmy Olsen's Blues", "Little Miss Can't Be Wrong", "How Could You Want Him (When You Know You Could Have Me?)", "Two Princes", and "What Time Is It?", managing serious chart success in both the U.S. and the U.K. Their sound incorporated shades of contemporary college rock and underground power pop as well as more indie and blues rock styles.
'Turn It Upside Down' (1994) was not as successful as 'Kryptonite', although it did sell a million copies. Its second single, "You Let Your Heart Go Too Fast", was a modest hit (#48 on the pop chart). Shortly after the release of Turn It Upside Down, original guitarist Eric Schenkman left the band, citing both musical and personal differences. He was replaced by Anthony Krizan. Fans feared, for good reasons, that the group had somewhat stalled creatively.
The follow-up, You've Got to Believe in Something (1996), sold poorly and the band lost its record contract. Guitarist Krizan also left the band following its release, for reasons that remain relatively unknown. He was replaced by Eran Tabid. Also during this time, Ivan Neville joined the band on keyboards. In 1998, the band signed to Uptown/Universal and released Here Comes the Bride in 1999. During the recording of Here Comes The Bride, Mark White left the band. The bass tracks on the album were finished by original band member Aaron Comess.
During the tour supporting Here Comes The Bride, Chris Barron lost his voice due to a rare form of vocal cord paralysis. Keyboardist Ivan Neville took over vocal duties for a few dates, but the band eventually cancelled the remainder of its tour, crippling sales of the album. Chris' voice came back in late 2000, where he began performing with his band Chris Barron and the Give Daddy Five.
The Spin Doctors remained stagnant until 2001, when the closing of the famous New York City club Wetlands brought the original four members back together. The band started playing one-offs and eventually recorded an album, Nice Talking To Me, released on September 13, 2005. So far, the album has yet to be met with much commercial success. They have also made a guest appearance on the children's book and its accompanying album by Children's Author/Artist Sandra Boynton singing "Tantrum".
Shinbone Alley / Hard to Exist
Spin Doctors Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lukewarm water gasping down a rusty drain
Big towns in need of mending, street lights make tooth some seams
Denim shadows shuffle in between the beams.
Different strokes for different folks so
Mind your manner and easy on the ethnic jokes
Its a dumbbell curve, your trying to tally,
Streets are metacarpal and flesh of asphalt calm
Buildings rise like fingers from a concrete palm
Yellow lit apartment trickle through the drapes
Windows frame each history hidden even from the fire escapes
Sullen winter sparrow lends wing to expanse of grey
Six-thirty-two in the morning on thanksgiving day
And the bums they hit their corners, the thunderbird rubs their bones
And the crack addicts stare at the snowflakes zigzagging down to greet jones
Different strokes for different folks so.....
Seven-thirty-two on the same day, your bare feet on the parquet
And the light so papery white shining past the microwave
Knuckles to eyeballs and elbows on the table
Spend the day gazing from the window gable....
You know how I tend to feel when nothings happening
Like some big old bird so fat that he just can't fly
Far be it for me to be overreacting
My body hurts like hell and all I can do is wonder why
Like a man in prison, I'm occupied with busting out
I'm in no position said what are these walking blues about?
Hey Mary come play with me please forget your lessons
Pete's off with Captain Hook and with cutlasses the play
I got a feeling you and me get along fine
Down on the beach in the fresh air with a jug of wine
Like a man in prison I'm occupied with busting out....
Aww yeah, I claim to be infected
Aww yeah point me in the right direction
The situation it's got the best of me
I gotta go on, you know, I gotta be strong
But it's hard to exist......
The Spin Doctors' song "Shinbone Alley/Hard to Exist" paints a vivid picture of life in a big city, with all its gritty and contrasting details. The song starts with the image of moonlight shining through chicken wire, and a hum coming from the windowpane, creating a sense of eerie calmness. The singer then describes the city’s streets, made of asphalt and flesh, and the buildings that rise like fingers from a concrete palm. The verses go on to describe street life, including drug addicts, bums, and Sparrows, painting a vivid picture of a bustling city.
The chorus returns to the theme of diversity, with the repeated line, "Different strokes for different folks, so mind your manners and easy on the ethnic jokes." The lyrics explore the question of how can people coexist in a big city despite their differences. Then the singer describes his own feelings of being trapped in the city, comparing himself to a fat bird that can't fly. He explains how the situation is affecting him and how he is trying to cope with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Moonlight through the chicken wire, humming windowpane,
The moonlight is shining through the chicken wire, and the window is humming.
Lukewarm water gasping down a rusty drain
The lukewarm water is struggling to go down a rusty drain.
Big towns in need of mending, street lights make tooth some seams
Big towns need fixing, and street lights highlight cracks and gaps.
Denim shadows shuffle in between the beams.
Denim shadows are moving between the beams.
Different strokes for different folks so
People have different preferences.
Mind your manner and easy on the ethnic jokes
Be polite and avoid making jokes based on ethnicity.
Its a dumbbell curve, your trying to tally,
Trying to make sense of something that is complicated.
All the way down to shin bone alley
Going to the deepest and darkest parts of town.
Streets are metacarpal and flesh of asphalt calm
The streets are like the bones and flesh of asphalt.
Buildings rise like fingers from a concrete palm
The buildings look like fingers growing from the concrete.
Yellow lit apartment trickle through the drapes
The yellow light from the apartment is filtering through the drapes.
Windows frame each history hidden even from the fire escapes
Each window frames a hidden history that is even blocked from the fire escapes.
Sullen winter sparrow lends wing to expanse of grey
A winter sparrow flies through the gray sky sadly.
Six-thirty-two in the morning on thanksgiving day
It is 6:32 am on Thanksgiving day.
And the bums they hit their corners, the thunderbird rubs their bones
The homeless people go back to their corners, and the Thunderbird wine soothes their pain.
And the crack addicts stare at the snowflakes zigzagging down to greet jones
The crack addicts are watching the snowflakes falling.
Seven-thirty-two on the same day, your bare feet on the parquet
It is 7:32 am on the same day, and you are standing on the floor barefoot.
And the light so papery white shining past the microwave
The white light is shining through the microwave.
Knuckles to eyeballs and elbows on the table
You are leaning on the table with your knuckles to your eyeballs.
Spend the day gazing from the window gable....
Looking out of the window for the whole day.
You know how I tend to feel when nothings happening
You know how I feel when nothing is going on.
Like some big old bird so fat that he just can't fly
Feeling like a big bird that is too heavy to fly.
Far be it for me to be overreacting
I don't want to overreact.
My body hurts like hell and all I can do is wonder why
My body is hurting badly, and I can't stop thinking about it.
Like a man in prison, I'm occupied with busting out
I feel trapped and want to find a way out.
I'm in no position said what are these walking blues about?
Feeling powerless to do anything about the situation.
Hey Mary come play with me please forget your lessons
Asking Mary to play and forget about school.
Pete's off with Captain Hook and with cutlasses the play
Pete is playing with Captain Hook and using cutlasses.
I got a feeling you and me get along fine
I sense that we will get along well.
Down on the beach in the fresh air with a jug of wine
Enjoying the fresh air on the beach while drinking wine.
Aww yeah, I claim to be infected
Admitting that something is wrong.
Aww yeah point me in the right direction
Asking for help to get on the right path.
The situation it's got the best of me
The situation has brought me down.
I gotta go on, you know, I gotta be strong
I must keep going and stay strong.
But it's hard to exist......
It is challenging to continue with life in this situation.
Contributed by Scarlett P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.