During this time, Staind played a show with Limp Bizkit. When Fred Durst saw the controversial cover of the group's self produced album; tormented, he tried to have the band kicked off the bill, but when he saw the band's live show, he changed his tone and befriended them. Durst later sang harmonies on the live version of Outside, which was recorded at a Family Values Tour concert in Biloxi, MS, in late October 1999. Durst went on to be one of the executive producers for Dysfunction and Break the Cycle. He also directed a few videos for the band later on, including It's Been Awhile.
Dysfunction
The band's big break came in October 1997 after Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst witnessed the band open up for them at a Hartford, Connecticut show, eventually signed them to his Flip record label, and co-produced their 1999 breakthrough Dysfunction with Terry Date. Although it is supposed that the band owe a lot of success to Durst, Aaron Lewis has expressed in interviews that Durst never had much of a relationship with either the singer or the band, claiming the band 'only worked on four songs with Durst and recorded the rest of the album themselves.' [4] Staind has not been associated with Durst since he directed several videos from their 2001 follow-up. Dysfunction has sold over two million copies in the U.S. alone. The album was given mediocre reviews by critics for being "indicative of the times", but a large number of the band's fans nonetheless regard it as the group's best work. The nine-track LP (with one hidden track, "Excess Baggage") produced three singles, all of which enjoyed radio play. The most well known, "Mudshovel", (which also appeared on Tormented, spelled as "Mudshuvel"), has since become a staple of the band's live shows.
Break the Cycle
Staind toured with Limp Bizkit for the Family Values Tour during the fall of 1999, where Aaron Lewis performed their first mainstream hit "Outside" (a song he was working on at the time but had not yet finished—he finished it on the fly while performing) with Fred Durst to hundreds of waving cigarette lighters, and which set them up for their smash hit 2001 album Break the Cycle, which brought them international success (it went number 1 in both the U.S. and the UK), sold more than 7 million copies, and had first week sales of over 767,000 in the U.S. alone. The album sees the band move away from the nu metal sounds of their previous album and resort to an alternative metal sound [5] which has spawned five hit singles to date, "It's Been Awhile", (which hit the Billboard Top 10) "Fade", (which has been featured on a number of movie soundtracks and television shows), "Outside", "For You", and the acoustic ballad "Epiphany", and included a track called "Waste", devoted to two teenage fans who committed suicide shortly before the album was released. The album also received mixed critical praise; Rolling Stone magazine called them "the grim genre's most song-oriented, downright sensitive band in years" [3] while New Musical Express referred to the album as "14 tracks of parent-friendly grunge-flavoured soft rock that make Creed sound like GG Allin." [4]. 'It's Been Awhile' spent a total of 16 and 14 weeks on top of the modern and mainstream rock charts, respectively, making it one of the highest joint number 1s (30 weeks) of all time.
14 Shades of Grey
In early 2003, Staind embarked on a worldwide tour to promote the release of the follow-up to Break The Cycle, 14 Shades Of Grey, which sold two million albums and debuted at number 1 on the Billboard 200. The fourteen-track collection was the band's most mainstream yet[6], and showed Aaron Lewis writing songs about his daughter, as well as moving on with his life and forgetting his past, hence the title representing uncertainty for the future and forgiveness. The album provided two mainstream hits: the lead single "Price to Play", and "So Far Away" (which spent 14 weeks on top of the rock chart); in addition, two other singles failed to crack the Hot 100—"How About You" and "Zoey Jane"— but "How About You" was a fairly popular song on modern rock radio. Their song "Price to Play" was the official theme song of WWE's Vengeance pay-per-view event in July 2003. As well, their song "So Far Away" was featured on an episode of WWE RAW as part of a video tribute to hardcore wrestling legend Mick Foley. The band's appearance at Reading Festival during the 2003 tour had another impromptu acoustic set, this time due to equipment failure. The singles "So Far Away" and "Price to Play" came with two unreleased tracks, "Novocaine" and "Let It Out", which were released for the special edition of the group's Chapter V, which came out in late 2005. In 2003, Staind unsuccessfully sued their logo designer Jon Stainbrook in New York Federal Court (blabbermouth.net) for attempting to re-use the logo he had sold to the band. They re-opened the case in mid-2005.
Chapter V
After extensive promotions, including an appearance on Fuse TV's 7th Avenue Drop, Staind's newest album, titled Chapter V was released on August 9, 2005, and became their third consecutive number one. The album opened to sales of 185,000 and has since been certified platinum in the U.S. The first single "Right Here" has been the biggest success from the album thus far, garnering much mainstream radio play and peaking at number 1 on the mainstream rock chart. "Falling" (the video of which does not feature the band members at all) was released as the second single, followed by "Everything Changes" and "King of All Excuses." Staind have been on the road since the album came out doing live shows and promoting it for a full year, including participating in the Fall Brawl tour with P.O.D., Taproot and Flyleaf, a solo tour across Europe and a mini-promotional tour in Australia for the first time. Recent live shows have included a cover of Pantera's This Love, a tribute to Dimebag Darrell. Staind appeared on The Howard Stern Show on August 10, 2005, to promote their new album Chapter V. They performed acoustic renditions of the single Right Here and Beetlejuice's song "This is Beetle." Their rendition of "Beetle" is immensely popular with fans and listeners alike and became a staple of the show. Staind also performed a version of "Comfortably Numb" by Pink Floyd. Kevin Lofton, who does all the animation for the Howard Stern website, created a black-and-white animated video for the song. During a January 2006 Episode of WWE RAW, a tribute video to then WWE Champion Edge featured the band's song "Right Here". In early November 2005, Staind released the limited edition 2-CD/DVD set of Chapter V. The set included several rarities and fan favorites— music videos; a complete, 36-page booklet with exclusive artwork; an audio disc with an acoustic rendition of "This is Beetle"; the original, melodic rendition of "Reply"; the previously released B-side singles "Novocaine" and "Let It Out"; and live versions of "It's Been Awhile" and "Falling", among many others.
The Singles: 1996-2006
Staind announced that they would be performing an acoustic show in the Hiro Ballroom, New York City on September 6 and the songs played would be recorded for their upcoming "Greatest Hits" album, scheduled for a November 14 release. They played sixteen songs including three covers: Tool's Sober, Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb and Alice in Chains's Nutshell.
The title was later renamed to "The Singles" and finally "The Singles: 1996-2006". The album had most of Staind's singles (including "Everything Changes" which was recorded at the New York show), the three covers performed at the New York show and a remastered version of "Come Again", from Staind's first independent release Tormented.
It was released on November 15, 2006.
The Illusion Of Progress
On August 19, 2008, Staind released their 5th studio album (6th overall), The Illusion of Progress. A limited edition of the album was also made available to fans, which included 3 bonus tracks and a year membership in the Staind Fan Club, along with other items (the first 200 fans who pre-ordered the album through Atlantic Records received a signed copy of the album by the band). Prior to the album's release, the track "This Is It" was available for download on the iTunes store, as well as for Rock Band. The album debuted at #3 on US Billboard 200, #1 on the Top Modern Rock/Alternative Albums Chart, #1 on the Top Digital Albums Chart, and also #1 on the Top Internet Albums Chart, with first week sales of 91,800 units. The first single on the album, "Believe", topped Billboard's Top 10 Modern Rock Tracks on September 05, 2008.
Not Again, the first single from Staind's self-titled seventh album was released to active radio stations on July 19, 2011 and made available for purchase on July 26, 2011. (Not Again Songfacts).
They are currently not Touring.
Schizophrenic Conversations
Staind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the mirror staring back at you?
The image is cracked, but so is the view, yeah
And the strength of a tree begins in the roots
That I tend to bury into you
At least now the storm can't blow me away
So crawl inside
I'll show you how
It feels to be
To blame like me
Should I be afraid, of this face that I see
In the mirror staring back at me
So cold were the days, when I listened to you
And you say that I'm weak, so show me the proof
Because I still exist in spite of you
But I won't compete, with you every day
So crawl inside
My head with me
I'll show you how
It feels to be
To blame like me
Schizophrenic conversations
That I'm always having with myself
I hear these voices in my head competing
Maybe I could use a little help
I still have schizophrenic conversations
When there's no one else around to hear
And I long for solitude and peace within me
Void of all the anger and the fear
So crawl inside
My head with me
And I'll show you how it feels to be
Fucked up like me
I'll show how it feels to be
To blame like me
Ashamed like me
The lyrics to Staind's song "Schizophrenic Conversations" delve into the complex and often turbulent nature of one's inner thoughts and feelings. The first verse begins with a question, asking if the listener is afraid of the truth that is revealed when they look at themselves in the mirror. The image may be distorted or "cracked," but the view is just as flawed. The singer suggests that one's inner strength is akin to that of a tree's, with roots buried deep within the earth. However, in this case, the roots are buried "into you," suggesting that the strength gained from one's inner thoughts and emotions may come from a place of turmoil or even pain. But ultimately, this strength helps them weather the storm and emerge stronger.
The second verse turns the focus inward as the singer questions his own reflection. He wonders if he should be afraid of the face staring back at him in the mirror, a reflection that he sees as weak and cold. The lyrics suggest that he has been shaped by someone else's perception of him, but he refuses to compete with them. The chorus repeats the idea of "schizophrenic conversations," a reference to the conflicting thoughts and voices that can exist within one's head. The singer acknowledges that he has these conversations even when no one else is around to hear them, and he longs for "solitude and peace within" that is free from anger and fear.
Overall, the lyrics paint a picture of inner turmoil and struggle, but there is also a message of resilience and strength in acknowledging and confronting these thoughts and feelings head-on.
Line by Line Meaning
Are you afraid, afraid of the truth
Do you fear the reality of your life?
In the mirror staring back at you
Looking at yourself in the mirror
The image is cracked, but so is the view, yeah
Your reflection is distorted and so is your perception of yourself
And the strength of a tree begins in the roots
Just like a tree, your inner strength stems from your core
That I tend to bury into you
You suppress your inner strength and bury it inside yourself
At least now the storm can't blow me away
You've gained some inner strength that helps you withstand difficult times
Should I be afraid, of this face that I see
Are you scared of who you truly are?
So cold were the days, when I listened to you
You used to listen to someone else's words and follow their path
And you say that I'm weak, so show me the proof
Someone claimed you were weak, and you want evidence to back their claim
Because I still exist in spite of you
You're still here, despite the negativity and criticism
But I won't compete, with you every day
You refuse to engage in competition and negativity every day
Schizophrenic conversations
You have conflicting thoughts and inner dialogue
That I'm always having with myself
Your inner dialogue is always present and persistent
I hear these voices in my head competing
Your thoughts and inner voices are constantly at odds with each other
Maybe I could use a little help
You feel like you need some assistance or guidance
I still have schizophrenic conversations
Your internal dialogue continues despite efforts to silence it
When there's no one else around to hear
You only have these conversations when you're alone
And I long for solitude and peace within me
You crave inner peace and quietness
Void of all the anger and the fear
Free from negative emotions such as anger and fear
Fucked up like me
Feeling damaged and imperfect
Ashamed like me
Feeling guilty or embarrassed about who you are
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: John April, Jonathan Wysocki, Michael Mushok, Aaron Lewis
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Al Madinah Mukarromah in ohio
Are you afraid, afraid of the truth
In the mirror staring back at you
The image is cracked, but so is the view, yeah
And the strength of a tree begins in the roots
That I tend to bury into you
At least now the storm can't blow me away
So crawl inside
My head with me
I'll show you how
It feels to be
To blame like me
Should I be afraid, of this face that I see
In the mirror staring back at me
So cold were the days, when I listened to you
And you say that I'm weak, so show me the proof
Because I still exist in spite of you
But I won't compete, with you every day
So crawl inside
My head with me
I'll show you how
It feels to be
To blame like me
Schizophrenic conversations
That I'm always having with myself
I hear these voices in my head competing
Maybe I could use a little help
I still have schizophrenic conversations
When there's no one else around to hear
And I long for solitude and peace within me
Void of all the anger and the fear
So crawl inside
My head with me
And I'll show you how it feels to be
Fucked up like me
I'll show how it feels to be
To blame like me
Ashamed like me
DoggyDude
~ Lyrics ~
are you afraid, afraid of the truth
In the mirror staring back at you
The image is cracked but so is the view, yeah
And the strength of a tree begins in the roots
That I tend to bury into you
At least now the storm can't blow me away
So crawl inside
My head with me
I'll show you how
It feels to be
To blame like me
Should I be afraid, of this face that I see
In the mirror staring back at me
So cold were the days, when I listened to you
And you say that I'm weak, so show me the proof
Because I still exist in spite of you
But I won't compete, with you every day
So crawl inside
My head with me
I'll show you how
It feels to be
To blame like me
Schizophrenic conversations
That I'm always having with myself
I hear these voices in my head repeating
Maybe I could use a little help
I still have schizophrenic conversations
When there's no one else around to hear
And I long for solitude and peace within me
Void of all the anger and the fear
So crawl inside
My head with me
And I'll show you how
It feels to be
Fucked up like me
I'll show how it feels to be
To blame like me
Ashamed like me
Xu Xu
Are you afraid, afraid of the truth?
There's a mirror staring back at you.
The image is cracked but so is the view, yeah.
The strength of a tree begin in the roots
That are tender buried into you at least
Now the storm can't blow me away.
So crawl inside my head with me.
I'll show you how it feels to be, to bleed like me.
Should I be afraid of this face
That I see this mirror staring back at me
So gone are the days where I listen to you.
And you say that I'm weak show me the proof
Because I still exist in spite of you
But I want to be with you everyday.
Schizophrenic conversations that I'm always having with myself
I hear these voices in my head are bleeding maybe I could use a little help
I still have schizophrenic conversations where there's no one else around to hear.
I long for solitude and peace within to bottle all the anger that I feel.
genxer
Having bipolar disorder with PTSD, this song truly speaks to me. It has helped me through very rough times. The lyrics make me feel like someone understands, and gets me and the extreme pain, those of us with mental illness experience every day. Thanks so much for the upload.
Alex Hesterly
Solange Lambert
Alex Hesterly
Solange Lambert meaning Steve wester
Silhouette of imagination
it's not an illness it's a blessing indigo child
Zak Attack 007
Solange Lambert: I have them both too. Love and hugs....
alisha Anderson
this song will always have a spot in my heart ❤️
racer corredorx
This song tells the truth of a pain and what a person feel. Such a great song.
MasSam3713
This is my absolute favorite song. Thank you, Staind.
Road_Code
"Cause I still exist in spite of you... but I won't compete with you everyday.."
That line is so damn dark and hits home way too hard.
Will always be one of my favorites. This and devil have left a very distinct taste in my mouth and gotten me through some rough nights.
alisha S-C
this album was my melodramatic go to when i was living on my own for the first time.