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.
Sober
Staind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Shrouding every step I make
Breaking every promise empty
Pointing every finger at me
Waiting like a stalking butler
Who upon the finger rests
Murder now the path has lost me
Jesus was a fucking whistler
Nothing but the past is done
Jesus, motherfucking whistler
Nothing but the past is done
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
Why can't we sleep forever?
I just want to start this over
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
I will work to elevate you
Just enough to bring you down
Mother Mary was a whisper
Nothing but the past is done
Mother was fucking whistler
Nothing but the past is done
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
Why can't we drink forever?
I just want to start this over this time
I am just a worthless liar
I am just an imbecile
I will only complicate you
Trust in me and fall as well
I will find a center in you
I will chew it up and leave
Trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me
Why can't we not be sober?
I just want to start this over
And why can't we drink forever?
I just want to start this over this time
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
I want what I want
The lyrics of Staind's song Sober reflect the struggles of the singer with addiction and the consequences of their actions. The singer seems to have lost control over their life and is constantly haunted by their mistakes and failures, represented by the shadows and fingers pointing at them. The reference to Jesus as a "fucking whistler" and Mother Mary as a whisper suggests that the singer may have lost their faith or sees religion as powerless to help them in their current state.
The chorus of the song expresses the singer's desire to start over and find a way to become sober. They long for a way to escape the cycle of addiction and the pain it has caused them and their loved ones. The repetition of the phrase "I just want to start this over" emphasizes this longing for a fresh start.
The verses also reveal the singer's self-deprecating thoughts and feelings of unworthiness. They see themselves as a "worthless liar" and an "imbecile" who only complicates other people's lives. However, they also express a desire to help and elevate others, even if it means bringing them down in the end.
Overall, Sober is a raw and emotional depiction of the struggles of addiction and the desire for a new beginning. The lyrics are filled with powerful imagery and introspective reflections that make this song a poignant and relatable representation of the human experience.
Line by Line Meaning
Every shadow just behind me
I am constantly haunted by my past mistakes and the consequences that linger behind me.
Shrouding every step I make
My past mistakes cloud my judgment and impact every decision I make, making it difficult to move forward.
Breaking every promise empty
I have let down those around me by making promises I couldn't keep, causing disappointment and distrust.
Pointing every finger at me
Others blame me for their problems and shortcomings, making me feel responsible for things outside of my control.
Waiting like a stalking butler
My past mistakes lurk in the shadows, waiting to reemerge and cause further damage.
Who upon the finger rests
My past doubts and insecurities linger, casting a shadow on everything I do.
Murder now the path has lost me
My life has become directionless and meaningless as a result of my mistakes and self-sabotage.
Just because the sun has set
I use my past as an excuse for my current struggles, instead of taking responsibility for my actions and moving forward.
Jesus was a fucking whistler
Even the figure I looked to for guidance and salvation may have been flawed and unable to save me from myself.
Nothing but the past is done
The past is over and can't be changed, but I still struggle to let go and move on from it.
Why can't we not be sober?
Why can't I escape my past mistakes and learn to live a better life, free from addiction and self-destructive tendencies?
I just want to start this over
I yearn for a fresh start and a chance to make things right, despite the mistakes that have led me here.
Why can't we sleep forever?
Why can't I just escape my problems and live in blissful ignorance, avoiding responsibility and chasing temporary pleasures?
I am just a worthless liar
I feel like I am unworthy and unable to change, with my past lies and betrayals defining who I am.
I am just an imbecile
I feel like my intelligence and ability to change is limited, and I am unable to break free from my patterns and addictions.
I will only complicate you
I am aware that my presence and actions can bring turmoil and difficulty to those around me, even if unintentionally.
Trust in me and fall as well
Despite my knowledge that I may cause harm, I still crave validation and connection from those around me, and am willing to drag them down with me.
I will find a center in you
I see others as a source of stability and grounding, looking to them to help me find balance and clarity in my own life.
I will chew it up and leave
Despite my reliance on others, I often end up causing damage and leaving with nothing but my own pain and struggles.
Trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me, trust me
Despite knowing that I have caused harm and disappointment, I will continue to seek validation and trust from those around me, often in vain.
I want what I want
My desires and impulses often take over, leading me down negative paths and causing further damage to myself and others.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adam Jones, Daniel Carey, Maynard James Keenan, Paul M D'Amour
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@matthewwood6678
14 years sober 2021.
The struggle always continues I just embraced it as part of everyday life like dishes and I've been able to keep it below the surface. Complacency is how a lot of people relapse after time, always remember the depths and darkness so it doesn't resurface. It's not gonna work for everyone but sobriety can be obtained thru hard work and commitment. It's easier to give in to temptation but fighting the temptation is worth it.
Anyone out there struggling stay strong there's always a path to better things.
@MrSnapy1
We all know Aaron is one of the few guys who could ever pull this cover off! Their lead guitarist imo plays impeccable live and always impresses me.
@toastshalom3542
I like aaron, but nah they did no justice and mike mushok cant hold a candle to Adam Jones. And Aaron did shit in my opinion.. not because of his talent. Very few rock/metal/prog have the reach Maynard does. Ben from Breaking Benjamin has that range and even he fucks it up. In my opinion at least. I still love staind.
@Lopez-my1bo
@@toastshalom3542 lmao dam you love you some tool. Aaron did fantastic here
@celticcfc8113
poop head he messed up the lyrics the whole song so how can you say that
@slavkei
He got a large part of the lyrics completely wrong... you sure that counts as "pulling it off"?
@Grandmaster-G
@@slavkei well.. yeah..probably, but i think they got the feeling right. No disrecpect ofc!
@dtmurph123
If anyone has absolutley no emotion or respect for people than you are not real. Stained music has saved and got me FROM suffering in life~ thanks Stained for having emotions
@johnstephaneuchiha9292
I Love it ‼️👍🏿
@MakeYouLaugh905
Legendary performance, lucky af if u got to see it live