Third Eye Blind recorded their first demo in 1993. In 1996, the band landed an opening gig for Oasis, prior to which performance, so the legend goes, Third Eye Blind was warned that the crowd might throw food at them. As it turned out, however, they were invited out for an encore, even after Oasis had already played, bringing Liam Gallagher to tears and sparking the friendly rivalry that would form between the two bands. The band was paid double what they were promised for the gig. Afterwards, the band found themselves in a bidding war among record labels, in which they settled on Elektra because they believed it offered the most artistic freedom. Stephan Jenkins' outspoken behavior after signing the deal earned him the title of "the biggest mouth in music" by many critics. Jenkins has spoken out many times against several different artists, including a heated feud with Rob Thomas of the band Matchbox Twenty.
A fourth album, tentatively titled Ursa Major, was released August 2009. Shortly after the band has slated the release of a follow-up album, Ursa Minor. Only Jenkins' lyrics and vocals are left to be finished; all instrumental work is reportedly complete. Recent live performances have revealed a majority of the new tracks being worked on, including "Don't Believe a Word," "Lay Back (and the Water Will Hold You)," "In the Skin," "Summer Town," "Second Born," "(You Really) Don't Like Me Now" aka "Campfire," "Monotov's Private Opera," "Break Me," "Stevie Ray Vaughan," "Red Star," and "Standing Up For You." Other tracks mentioned for the album by Fredianelli are "Away," "A Sharp Knife," "Captain of Emo," "Swimming," and "Jesse 2k." He also confirmed that "Lay Back" was scrapped. A number of previously unreleased recordings were made available, including "Persephone," "Carnival Barker" (an instrumental), and numerous instrumental sessions declined by Jenkins for inclusion on the fourth album.
Darkness
Third Eye Blind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Born a joneser
And the cops roll out the radar
And shoot devious grins
Another day begins
I want someone to know me
Maybe tell me who I am
Cause I've faced down my demons
A god I've never seen
Lights
And the world darkens around me
Strange friends all surround me
New ideas in my head start to burn
Dropped out of schools cause of things I never learned
And the world darkens around me
World darkens around me
I want you to love me
Like you did before you knew me
And I never thought there'd be any help
For somebody like me
A vacancy
Sing
And the world darkens around me
Strange friends all surround me
New ideas in my head start to burn
Trust no one is the one thing that I learned
And the world darkens around me
World darkens around me
Bring me the sun
Slide off the moon
Yeah, you better get home soon
Slide off the moon
There's no hope for people like you and me
Bring me the sun, cause I slide off the moon
Bring me the sun
The lyrics of “Darkness” by Third Eye Blind showcase the feeling of being lost and alone, of not knowing one’s place in the world. The singer laments his circumstances, born “a joneser” and facing down his demons, crying out to a god he’s never even seen. He seeks connection and understanding from others, longing for someone to “love me like you did before you knew me.” Yet, he remains trapped in a world that seems to be closing in upon him, surrounded by strange friends and new ideas that start to burn in his head. He’s been dropped out of schools due to the things he never learned, and thus is saddled with a feeling of emptiness, hence the line “a vacancy”.
Through the repetition of the phrase “and the world darkens around me,” the song paints a picture of someone who is slowly losing his grip on reality. Trust no one becomes the one thing he learned, which highlights the unfortunate reality that so often in this world people don't live up to their words. For the singer, it seems there is no hope for someone like him, who feels like he is slipping away from the grasp of the world. Yet, the plea for someone to “bring me the sun” ends the song on a hopeful note, an appeal for someone or something to show him a way forward, to bring light to his dark world.
Line by Line Meaning
Blue come over
Depression consumes me
Born a joneser
I was born addicted to something, maybe drugs or alcohol
And the cops roll out the radar
Police bring technology to find me
And shoot devious grins
Their intentions are evil
Another day begins
I woke up again to face everyday problems
I want someone to know me
I want someone to understand me
Maybe tell me who I am
I need to find my identity
Cause I've faced down my demons
I overcame my inner struggles
And cried out to a god
I reached out to a higher power
A god I've never seen
I'm questioning my faith
Lights
The future might hold new possibilities
And the world darkens around me
I feel lost and disconnected from the world
Strange friends all surround me
I may have a bad influence in my surroundings
New ideas in my head start to burn
I'm inspired to try new things
Dropped out of schools 'cause of things I never learned
I had difficulties fitting in or finding motivation in school
World darkens around me
I feel like my future is looking bleak
I want you to love me
I crave human connection
Like you did before you knew me
I want to be accepted for who I am
And I never thought there'd be any help
I don't believe I can get help from anyone
For somebody like me
I have given up hope
A vacancy
I feel empty inside
Sing
Express yourself through music
Trust no one is the one thing that I learned
I lost faith in others due to past experiences
Bring me the sun
I seek positivity and hope for a better future
Slide off the moon
I want to escape my current struggles
Yeah, you better get home soon
I'm warning someone to take care of themselves
There's no hope for people like you and me
I feel we will struggle together without a chance of recovery
Bring me the sun, cause I slide off the moon
I'm asking for a positive change in my life
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: KEVIN CADOGAN, STEPHAN JENKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind