The original Urge lineup debuted in 1989 with the cassette-only Bust Me Dat Forty, followed a year later by the LP Puttin' the Backbone Back. After the addition of trombonist Matt Kwiatkowski, the group released 1992's Magically Delicious; later the group added trombonist/keyboardist Todd Painter and saxophonist/keyboardist Bill Reiter, and in 1993 recorded the live LP Fat Babies in the Mix. After Herschel and Malecek left the band in 1994, guitarist Jerry Jost and drummer John Pessoni joined the lineup, and subsequent touring with 311 helped The Urge win a number of new fans. The 1995 release of Receiving the Gift of Flavor was so successful that it brought the band to the attention of Epic's Immortal imprint, which reissued the LP in 1996.
After constant touring with the likes of labelmates Korn and Incubus, Master of Styles was released in 1998, containing the hit "Jump Right In" which featured singer Nick Hexum of 311.
Following the release of Too Much Stereo in mid 2000, the band toured for nearly a year before calling it quits. After the annual St. Louis Christmas shows, the Urge disbanded for the first time since they formed in 1987.
The band played several Midwest reunion shows from 2003-2005 that included a headlining spot at Pointfest, a large semi-annual outdoor rock festival in St. Louis. Frontman Steve Ewing has made several solo records while guitarist Jerry Jost formed LucaBrasi, featuring former members of Adair and Helmet. The other members still resided in St. Louis and are involved in several musical projects.
On July 15, 2011, St. Louis' KPNT 105.7 FM proclaimed that the Urge would be headlining Pointfest XXIX on September 10, 2011, marking their sixth festival appearance. The Urge also confirmed that they are once again an active band and they have been recording new music in the studio for several months.
If I Were You
The Urge Lyrics
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To meet you all over again
The best things in your past left and faded fast
How strange it was, how strange it was
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be you but you
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be
If I, if I were you
Put on a happy face and smile
Stand there dying in style, yeah, yeah
The real things from your past left and faded fast
How strange it was, how strange it was
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be you but you
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be
If I, if I were you, I might hate myself too
If I, if I were you
If I, if I were you, I might hate myself too
If I, if I were you
Easy
I saw you yesterday, how strange it was
To meet you all over again
The one thing from your past brings you peace has faded fast
Ahh yeah
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be you but you
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be
If I, if I were you, I might hate myself too
If I, if I were you
If I, if I were you, I might hate myself too
If I, if I were you
If I were you
If I were you
If I were you
The lyrics of The Urge's song If I Were You seem to be about meeting someone that the singer used to be, and how things have changed since then. The first two lines suggest a feeling of déjà vu, as if the singer has met this person before, but there's something different about them now. The following lines imply that the person has experienced loss, and that some of the best things in their past have disappeared. The chorus repeats the line "If I were you, I might hate myself too," suggesting that whatever has happened to this person has not been easy to deal with.
In the second verse, the singer talks about how putting on a happy face and smiling can hide internal struggles, and that the things that used to bring this person peace have also faded away. The chorus repeats again, suggesting that the singer is empathizing with this person's struggles, and perhaps even feeling a sense of guilt for having been in their shoes before.
Overall, the lyrics seem to be about the universal experience of change and loss, and how it can make us feel disconnected from our past selves and the people we used to be. The singer seems to be suggesting that even though we can't fully understand someone else's experiences, we can still empathize with them and offer support.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw you yesterday and how strange it was
Encountering you again made me feel perplexed and bewildered
To meet you all over again
To see you again as if it was the first time we met
The best things in your past left and faded fast
All the great memories you cherish from your past have vanished quickly
How strange it was, how strange it was
I can't help but feel amazed and puzzled by this situation
I used to be you, but you're where I used to be you but you
I used to be in your shoes, but now you're in the exact same spot that I used to occupy
If I, if I were you, I might hate myself too
If I was in your position, I can perceive how I could feel self-loathing as well
Put on a happy face and smile
Portray an image of happiness and joy, regardless of what is happening internally
Stand there dying in style, yeah, yeah
Appear sophisticated and fashionable even if you feel like you're slowly fading away on the inside
The real things from your past left and faded fast
All the genuine experiences and emotions from your past have eluded you quickly
If I, if I were you, I might hate myself too
If I was in your position, I can understand how I might end up disliking myself as well
Easy
Closing remark to suggest that it's easy to understand where the other person is coming from
Contributed by Miles D. Suggest a correction in the comments below.