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.
Hit And Run
Third Eye Blind Lyrics
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In sheets of rain I seek out cars
Hands in gloves grip handlebars
Ride alone to the pub in the dark
I get a little wet but I don't have to park
And the lights start flashing from green to red as I ride
A car turns left and I slide
I make contact
Blinkers smash into mosaic
Then I start flying
Always think we get more time
Now flying through the air
Maybe living maybe dying
In this motor crash it's you who comes to mind
Don't we always wish we had more time
I'm thrust slo-mo through time and space
Details smash and
I protect my face
And then I see yours
And go to a time when we just knew
Mister death in the car below
Doesn't even slow
And away he goes
In the majesty of a motor crash
You skid into my darkness forming
Sex and death, heartbreak and strife
They give no warning
Here it comes, my hit and run
Come down hard and roll to my feet
And rain washes blood now off concrete
People turn away and I just had to laugh
Cause I'm still flying
Living and dying
Here it comes, my hit and run
And I'd like to thank mister death for what he's done
Cause I got to walk away from my hit and run
Mysteries are not so empty now as they seemed
Cause I saw you
At my hit and run
The song “My Hit and Run” by Third Eye Blind starts with a description of riding a bicycle through an intersection in the rain. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a solitary ride to the pub in the dark, as the singer deftly navigates his way through traffic, avoiding collisions. However, a car suddenly turns left, and the biker slides and crashes into the car’s blinkers, sending him flying through the air.
As he’s spinning through the air and time slows down, he reflects on how humans are always in a rush and don’t realize how little time they have until it’s too late. He’s happy to be flying and living, even if he’s dying. In the midst of this intense and dangerous situation, his thoughts go to someone he cares about, and he sees her face.
The bridge of the song describes the aftermath of the accident, as he rolls to his feet and laughs while others turn away. The chorus repeats, as he comes to terms with the fact that he was in a hit and run accident and still managed to walk away from it. He thanks Mister Death for showing him the fragility of life and allowing him to appreciate the mysteries of the universe.
Overall, the song is a meditation on the excitement and danger of life, as well as how the sudden appearance of danger can cause one to reflect on what’s truly important in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Feel the speed through the intersection
I am riding my bike through the streets as fast as I can
In sheets of rain I seek out cars
It's raining and I'm trying to ride my bike past all the cars
Hands in gloves grip handlebars
I'm gripping my handlebars with my gloved hands.
Ride alone to the pub in the dark
I'm riding alone to the pub in the dark
I get a little wet but I don't have to park
I won't have to park since I'm riding my bike.
And the lights start flashing from green to red as I ride
The traffic lights are flashing from green to red as I speed past.
A car turns left and I slide
I slide my bike because a car turns left.
I can't turn back
I'm unable to turn back now.
I make contact
I hit something.
Blinkers smash into mosaic
The blinkers (turn signals) of the car I collided with break into small pieces.
Then I start flying
I get thrown into the air after the collision.
Always think we get more time
We always believe we have more time than we actually do.
Now flying through the air
I'm currently being thrown through the air.
Maybe living maybe dying
I don't know whether I'll live or die from this accident.
In this motor crash it's you who comes to mind
I'm thinking of you during this car accident.
Don't we always wish we had more time
We always wish we had more time to spend with the ones we love.
I'm thrust slo-mo through time and space
I feel like I'm moving slowly through time and space.
Details smash and
All the details get smashed together.
I protect my face
I'm protecting my face from getting hurt.
And then I see yours
I remember seeing your face.
And go to a time when we just knew
I think back to a time when things were simpler between us.
Mister death in the car below
The person in the car that hit me may have died.
Doesn't even slow
They don't even stop the car.
And away he goes
The car simply drives away.
In the majesty of a motor crash
The car accident was groundbreaking and life-changing.
You skid into my darkness forming
You become a part of my life and a part of my pain in the aftermath of this car accident.
Sex and death, heartbreak and strife
Life is full of pain and heartache, and this accident has shown me just how much.
They give no warning
Terrible things happen without warning.
Here it comes, my hit and run
The accident is coming and there's nothing I can do to stop it.
Come down hard and roll to my feet
I fall down and then roll back up onto my feet.
And rain washes blood now off concrete
My blood is being washed away from the concrete by the rain.
People turn away and I just had to laugh
People are turning away from me, and I laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Cause I'm still flying
I'm still in shock and disoriented from the accident.
Living and dying
I feel like I'm both living and dying at the same time.
And I'd like to thank mister death for what he's done
I'm grateful to death for showing me what's important in life.
Cause I got to walk away from my hit and run
I was lucky enough to survive the car accident and the hit and run driver.
Mysteries are not so empty now as they seemed
I understand more about life and the world after being in a car accident.
Cause I saw you
I saw you in my mind during the car accident and afterward.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTHONY J. FREDIANELLI, STEPHAN JENKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind