In 1997, Taproot sent their demo to Limp Bizkit frontman Fred Durst. Impressed with their material, he offered to get them a recording contract through Interscope Records. However, after extended negotiations, Taproot looked elsewhere, where they finally landed a lucrative record deal with Atlantic Records. Durst heavily cursed the band on vocalist Stephen Richards' answering machine. He also put some blame on System of a Down, who assisted Taproot in securing the Atlantic deal. In retaliation, Durst also kicked System of a Down off the 1999 Family Values Tour, replacing them with Staind. Taproot later went on to independently release three albums: ...Something More Than Nothing (1998), Mentobe (1998) and Upon Us (1999).
The band released their debut album Gift on June 27, 2000. With the album's lead single "Again & Again" gaining heavy exposure through MTV2, the band's mainstream rise gained momentum. With the help of Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack, Taproot landed a spot on the second stage of the 2000 and 2001 Ozzfest tour.
After spending seven months in Los Angeles, the band released their second album Welcome on October 15, 2002. Considered to be a more melodic effort, the album debuted at #17 on the Billboard 200, selling over 51,000 copies in its first week of release. Much of this was due to the success of the album's first single, "Poem", which shot to #5 on the Mainstream Rock charts. The album's second single, "Mine", followed with more moderate success. Welcome is Taproot's most successful album to date, almost achieving gold status, with approximately 475,000 copies sold. After touring across the country on Disturbed's Music as a Weapon Tour, as well as a European tour, the band took a two-year break.
Returning from their break, the band released their third major album Blue-Sky Research on August 16, 2005. Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins frontman) assisted in songwriting on the album, which was produced by Toby Wright. It debuted at #33 on the Billboard 200, with approximately 28,000 first week sales. The Bands single "Calling" was used by the WWE 2005 pay-per-view "Unforgiven."
The band headlined a major tour with Evans Blue and From Satellite to promote its release. Prior to the headline tour, Taproot acted as direct support to Chevelle on their tour alongside 30 Seconds to Mars. They also participated in the Fall Brawl Tour, which featured Staind and P.O.D. as headliners, and is notable for taking the then-unknown Flyleaf along as the opening act for the three bands.
On May 23, 2006, it was reported that Taproot had parted ways with Atlantic Records, after disappointing sales of Blue-Sky Research. At the time, the album had sold 112,000 copies since its release. On June 13, 2006, drummer Jarrod Montague, via Taproot's MySpace blog, confirmed the news.
On March 5, 2007, the band confirmed that they were in the process of recording their new album with producer Tim Patalan. According to Philip Lipscomb's MySpace blog, their new album Our Long Road Home is complete and will be released sometime in early 2008. On March 2, 2008, the band released a song from Our Long Road Home entitled "You're Not Home Tonight" on their website. This song has been played on XM Satellite Radio, Squizz 48 Indicent Exposure with Grant Random Sirius Satellite Radio on Octane. A teaser trailer for Our Long Road Home was added to the Taproot Youtube page on April 28, 2008. At the end of the video, it was stated that the album would be released on August 5, 2008.
According to the Taproot website, the band has decided to forgo signing to a major label. Their new album Our Long Road Home will be released independently through their management firm Velvet Hammer Music in a 50/50 partnership with the band themselves. Distribution was handled with Sony-owned RED Distribution.
Our Long Road Home was released on September 16, 2008. The disc was distributed in a cardboard sleeve and released to all major outlets. Just over a week after the album's release, it was announced that long-time drummer Jarrod Montague would be leaving the band and replaced by Nick Fredell. The band released a statement regarding the change in lineup:
""After 10 years of touring, our drummer and good friend Jarrod will be sitting out this cycle and we will be replacing him with our long time friend Nick Fredell. We'll miss Jarrod's presence out on the road, but Nick has fit in perfectly and we're excited for all of our fans to meet him. Jarrod's still very much a part of our family, so you'll be seeing him in press and the "Wherever I Stand" video which is out now on Youtube..."
In Spring 2009, Taproot went on the road with Dear Enemy and Adakain for the Take It! tour. Later that year, they co-headlined a U.S. tour with Cold, in addition to releasing the following statement: "Taproot has a few upcoming shows in November and December and will start writing their new record in January/ February of 2010. We hope to get into the studio sometime in February and March. We will be looking at a release date sometime in the late spring possibly early summer of 2010!"
After a brief period without a record label, Taproot signed with Victory Records. On April 1, 2010, at midnight, the band released the lead single for their upcoming album. The song was "Fractured (Everything I Said Was True)". A video for the song followed the release soon after debuting on the band's Youtube channel on April 16. Soon after, the band released their 7th studio album Plead The Fifth.
Current Members:
Vocals, Guitar: Stephen Richards
Bass: Phil Lipscomb
Guitar: Dave Lizzio
Drums: Dave Coughlin
Past Members:
Drums: Jarrod Montague
Guitar: Mike DeWolf
Drums: Nick Fredell
http://www.taprootmusic.com
Mine
Taproot Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Ensure me of just how to be myself inside
I'm in control of everything
It's taking time, but that's ok
I can bring you to my side
You're my blessing in disguise
You're mine (You're mine)
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
When my focal point is set
I'm something I know I'll get
It's not a question of how but more of when
You are one commodity
The choice is mine and mine for keeps
I can bring you to my side
You're my blessing in disguise
You're mine (You're mine)
You're mine (You're mine)
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
When I look into your eyes, you help me realign
And show me just where my dedication lies
I'm in control of everything
It's taking toll, but that's ok
I can bring you to my side
You're my blessing in disguise
You're mine (You're mine)
You're mine (You're mine)
[Repeat: x2]
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
The song "Mine" by Taproot is a love song that speaks of how the love of the singer's partner helps him to become a better person and align himself with his true purpose. The singer sings of how his partner is a blessing in disguise, and how she makes him realize where and how he wants to be in the future. The lyrics speak of the power of love to transform a person's life positively and to give them the strength and inspiration they need to meet life's challenges.
The singer talks about how, through the eyes of his partner, he rediscovers his sense of self and comes to understand how he wants to live his life. He talks about how his partner helps him maintain control over his life and, in the process, gain the courage to pursue his goals. Even when life gets tough, the singer finds that his partner is always there to support, encourage, and guide him along the way.
In conclusion, the lyrics of "Mine" speak to the transformative power of love and how it can help us become better versions of ourselves. Love is portrayed as a force that inspires us to live our lives with purpose and to strive towards our dreams. Ultimately, this message of hope and inspiration is what makes "Mine" a timeless love song.
Line by Line Meaning
When I look into your eyes, you help me realign
The person being addressed provides a sense of direction and purpose in life, giving clarity to the singer.
Ensure me of just how to be myself inside
The person reassures the singer about their true self and encourages them to embrace it.
I'm in control of everything
The singer feels they have power over their own life and their choices.
It's taking time, but that's ok
The artist acknowledges that success takes time and is willing to be patient.
I can bring you to my side
The artist wants the person they're addressing to be part of their life and journey.
You're my blessing in disguise
The person being addressed is a gift that the singer didn't expect.
You make me realize
The person being addressed helps the singer understand something about themselves or their life.
Just how and where I want to be
The person being addressed helps the artist envision their future and the kind of life they want to live.
Years from now
The artist is thinking long-term about their life and their goals.
When my focal point is set
The artist knows what they want and are focused on achieving it.
I'm something I know I'll get
The singer is confident in their ability to achieve their goals.
It's not a question of how but more of when
The artist believes in their ability to achieve their goals and only needs time to do so.
You are one commodity
The person being addressed is an invaluable asset to the singer's life.
The choice is mine and mine for keeps
The singer wants the person they're addressing to know that they are committed to having them in their life for the long haul.
And show me just where my dedication lies
The person being addressed helps the singer understand what they truly care about and what they're dedicated to.
It's taking toll, but that's ok
The journey to success is difficult and challenging, but the artist is willing to persevere and overcome.
[Repeat: x2]You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
The person being addressed is important to the artist's life and helps them envision their future and the kind of life they want to live.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JARROD DOUGLAS MONTAGUE, MICHAEL FREDERICK DE WOLF, PHILIP M. LIPSCOMB, STEPHEN STEELE RICHARDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
K. Rooks
When I look into your eyes, you help me realign
Ensure me of just how to be myself inside
I'm in control of everything
It's taking time, but that's ok
I can bring you to my side
You're my blessing in disguise
You're mine (You're mine)
You're mine (You're mine)
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
When my focal point is set
I'm something I know I'll get
It's not a question of how but more of when
You are one commodity
The choice is mine and mine for keeps
I can bring you to my side
You're my blessing in disguise
You're mine (You're mine)
You're mine (You're mine)
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
When I look into your eyes, you help me realign
And show me just where my dedication lies
I'm in control of everything
It's taking toll, but that's ok
I can bring you to my side
You're my blessing in disguise
You're mine (You're mine)
You're mine (You're mine)
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Years from now
You're my blessing in disguise
You make me realize
Just how and where I want to be
Nu Metal Historian
Taproot is such an under appreciated talent. They deserved so much more airplay than just poem.
Amanda Boyens
Yep! :(
Erik A
They did. This was played as well!
Hatcred8
they are just cringe.
Jim Ron
I thought Again & Again were their "big hit". I didn't even hear about Poem until 2020
Kasey Carroll
The vocal harmonizing in this song is still amazing to me, my favorite of theirs
Chad Cassidy
One of the few bands out there to match the AIC style harmonies!!
Evan Urena
Chad Cassidy: The vocal harmonies are just soul touching. Definitely the nu-metal version of AIC.
luke barnett
exactly i was very moved by his vocal parts when he sings the mellow verses also i love the groove in those parts the guitar parts sound so melodic and beautiful in those parts. also in 2 parts at the ends of the verses where the singers sing together they sound just like alice in chains.
Turd Ferg
That chorus gives me chills