1989 - 1999
Formed by a group of friends in the bars of Helsinki, Finland in the summer of 1989, a nod to illustrate the band's tight-knit friendship is that the lineup has stayed the same since creation. The band originally played glam metal inspired music, different from their current gothic rock style.
The band released their first 7 inch EP, "Sugarman", in 1990, followed by another 7 inch, "Barbarella" in 1991. These releases paved the way for the bands first album Bump 'n' Grind released in 1992 which contained some re-recorded versions of songs from the first 2 EP. This same year, the band released their final 2 7 inch EP's, titaled "Juicy Lucy" and "High Times Low Lives". In 1994 through a Japanese Label the band's second CD release was unleased, the compilation album "Motor City Resurrection". It has since been re-released with 8 bonus tracks worldwide. Though this release featured no new songs, it collected the majority of the bands early material and contributions to other compilations. It was followed in 1995 by Savage Garden which featured Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy on the track "Wild Talk". Also released during this time were 2 VHS tapes "Motor City Resurrection" and "Savage Tales" available only through the band's self-run fanclub which are seen rarely, if ever for sale online. In 1997, Wrap Your Troubles in Dreams, which fans generally mark as the last "glam" album before the milestone success of 1999's goth rock infused, Wasting the Dawn which was released internationally on Roadrunner Records and marked the band's major label debut. The album's hit single, the title track Wasting the Dawn lyrically paid tribute to The Doors' Jim Morrison and was released as a digipack CD, which is now a rare find for fans of the band. Jyrki 69 developed a concept video for this track which featured long-time friend and collaborator HIM member Ville Valo posing at a snowy cemetery as the ghost of Jim Morrison. This video was released on VHS in Finland featuring a behind the scenes feature, both the video and feature were later added as extras on the Helsinki Vampires DVD.
2000 - 2002
Spring of 2000 brought the single Gothic Girl which spent months on the Singles Top 10 and on Finnish nation radio playlists. It brought the band their first gold record. After recording their sixth studio album, Blessed Be, the band did their first short tour for Wasting the Dawn in Germany which included a show at the M'era Luna Festival. Support for the tour was Norwegian rock band Zeromancer.
Released in September 2000, Blessed Be rose straight to number 4 on the Finnish Album Charts and stayed in the top 10 for over a month. The second single was Brandon Lee, the third was The Chair and Stolen Season was the fourth. Videos were filmed for the first 3 singles.
In 2002 the band released Paris Kills, which would be known as their breakthrough album. It stayed for weeks as number 1 in Finland and went gold in a month, June 2002. In Germany it rose to number 35 in the first week. After touring Europe and Finland for months, a sold-out show at Helsinki's famous Tavastia Club was filmed and documented in November for use in the "Helsinki Vampires" DVD.
2003 - 2007
At the end of 2003, The 69 Eyes were signed to EMI Finland, as they geared up to record their highly successful Devils album. The well-timed "Lost Boys" single was released in Finland at this time, paying homage to the film of the same name as anticipation for the full length album grew.
2004 saw the release of Devils, their 8th album, to which they toured the UK in support of Wednesday 13. Once again the album was number one in their native Finland and reached gold in a month. It was their first release on a big major label Virgin/EMI. Released in their native Finland in October 2004 later on in Europe through Virgin/EMI and in October 2005 in USA through 456 Entertainment it is also their 4th album to reach gold status and again another number one position on the Finnish TOP 40 album charts.
In 2005 The 69 Eyes played nearly one hundred shows around the world in fifteen countries, from Mexico to Japan. Devils was also released in the USA. The band filmed their video for their biggest ever hit single "Lost Boys" in Hollywood and the Philadelphia area, directed by the band's friend and MTV superstar Bam Margera.
In 2006, The 69 Eyes toured for the first time in the USA in March with Program The Dead & Damone, appearing on Last Call with Carson Daly. Their new album Angels, the sequel to their 2004 album Devils, was released in March 2007. Shortly after their Early 2007 tour with Cradle of Filth & 3 Inches Of Blood. Their latest album Angels was released on the 25th of June 2007 in the UK. The first single from the album is "Perfect skin" which went straight to number 1 on the Finnish singles chart. The second single is "Never Say Die". Angels debuted at number 1 in Finland and has since gone gold.
The band did a summer 2007 US tour with Wednesday 13, Night Kills The Day, & Fair To Midland, and supported Within Temptation on tour in the UK in November. They played 125 shows world wide in 2007.
2008 - present
In 2008 the band released their first live album, titled The 69 Eyes: Hollywood Kills. It featured a complete live show recorded at the Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood in March 2006.[9] The performance featured hits spanning the six latest albums an introduction by Bam Margera and a live cover of The Ramones "I Just Wanna Have Something to Do". The concert was also filmed in its entirety. Five tracks from the performance were released on DVD as bonus content on the Angels/Devils box set and the entire concert was released on the "Back in Blood" bonus DVD.
The band began 2009 by touring in Europe as a part of Hellhounds Fest with Tiamat and Ava Inferi. The band started recording their tenth studio album with Grammy award winning producer Matt Hyde. He is most known from his works with Slayer, Monster Magnet and Fu Manchu. The recording process took place both in Helsinki and Los Angeles. The new album has been titled Back in Blood was released on the 28th of August in Europe and will be released the 15th of September in the USA. In early June, Bam Margera directed the music video for the first single from the album, "Dead Girls Are Easy." The video premiered on playboy.com on 17 of July 2009. The 69 Eyes also toured Australia for the first time in mid June, playing in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney.
A tour of the United States followed in October 2009, and Jyrki 69 was featured on both FOX New's "Red Eye" program, and CNN International also. In December 2009, the band debuted their newest video for the song, "Dead & Gone" via Myspace. This new video marked the band's third collaboration with Bam Margera. On August 10 the band revealed a contest for fans to create a video for the next single "Kiss Me Undead". The response was overwhelming, and on September 30 the band posted their 14 favorite videos on their YouTube page.
In April 2010, during an interview with Sean Twisted of Renegaderadio.net, Rudi Protrudi, frontman & founder of the Fuzztones, reported he had completed work on new song with The 69 Eyes, although further details were unavailable during that time.
On the official The 69 Eyes webpage they reported a European tour with Hardcore Superstar and Crashdïet in March and April 2011.
Early in 2012, The 69 Eyes began recording their next studio album X. X was released on September 28, 2012, across Europe and on October 9, 2012, in the United States. The first single from the album was "Red" and featured a music video. The second single was "Borderline." Both singles were available before the album was released in Europe. On February 2013, the band released the singles "Love Runs Away" and "Tonight" simultaneously via iTunes. "Tonight" was released exclusively in Finland while "Love Runs Away" was released everywhere else. Both singles included two previously unreleased tracks, "Rosary Blue" and "Dracula's Castle," the latter being the song Rudi Protrudi reported he had co-written with The 69 Eyes back in 2010.
The 69 Eyes will release a double CD compilation of their radio hit singles called “The Best Of Helsinki Vampires” on November 1, 2013. The compilation also includes their brand new single “Lost Without Love.”
In 2016 on the 22th of May The 69 Eyes released their 11th studio album called Universal Monsters containing 11 tracks.
30
The 69 Eyes Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
when you wake up
find your way to the bathroom
stare at yourself from eye to eye
feeling relieved
the innocence is still there
time to turn over, baby
no limits, no lines
that's yesterday's news
got rhythm in my rhyme
still shooting up so high
got a ritual crime
but I ain't no slave of time
it's just like waking up
from the strangest dream
all of a sudden all the people
at your own age are gone
got fat, familiarized, and wrecked
you're like the last of the
lost boys of neverever land that's it
time to turn over, baby
time to turn loose
no limits, no lines
that's yesterday's news
got rhythm in my rhyme
still shooting up so high
got a ritual crime
but I ain't no slave of time
The lyrics to "30" by The 69 Eyes speak about the transition from youth to adulthood and the realization that time is passing quickly. The first verse highlights the moment when one wakes up and faces themselves in the mirror, feeling relieved that their youthful innocence is still intact, despite the passage of time. However, as the second verse begins, the realization hits that people of the same age have grown older and "got fat, familiarized, and wrecked." The singer sees himself as one of the few "lost boys of neverever land" left, feeling like time is slipping away.
The chorus then urges the listener to let go of the limits and rules imposed by society and embrace the rhythm and excitement of life, despite the feeling of being trapped in a "ritual crime" of growing older. The last line, "but I ain't no slave of time," suggests that the singer refuses to let time control him and will continue to live life to the fullest.
Overall, the song conveys a sense of nostalgia and melancholy for the youth and carefree days of the past. It encourages the listener to embrace their inner youth and rebel against societal expectations to live fully in the present moment.
Line by Line Meaning
do you know the feeling
Have you experienced the sensation?
when you wake up
When you rouse from sleep
find your way to the bathroom
Navigate to the washroom
stare at yourself from eye to eye
Gaze at your own reflection
feeling relieved
Experiencing a sense of ease
the innocence is still there
The purity remains
time to turn over, baby
Now is the moment for change
time to turn loose
Time to break free
no limits, no lines
Without boundaries or restrictions
that's yesterday's news
That's outdated information
got rhythm in my rhyme
Having a beat in my lyrics
still shooting up so high
Continuously ascending
got a ritual crime
Performing customary forbidden acts
but I ain't no slave of time
I am not controlled by time
it's just like waking up
Similar to rousing from sleep
from the strangest dream
From a bizarre vision
all of a sudden all the people
Abruptly without warning, everyone
at your own age are gone
Of your generation, have vanished
got fat, familiarized, and wrecked
Became overweight, accustomed, and damaged
you're like the last of the
You resemble the final one
lost boys of neverever land that's it
Forgotten youths of a faraway land, finished
Lyrics © TUNECORE INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mcarcces
excelent song!!!!
@timmypoynter
Genial =D
@blekic25
All the people at your own age Are gone got fat familiazed and wrecked You're like the last of the lost boys of neverever land That's it
@felixflugel2157
Awesome job dude, thank you:-)
I've asked myself for AGES what is said there. Thank you very much
@PomyCollingwood
Fuckin' good song it is, only 1 problem I have with it: it's the ending. When the guitars fade and come back again and the vocals start on, the chorus should kick back in, one last time. Good track, tho'. Way up in the "Good Songs of The World" POMY COLLINGWOOD