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.
Narcolepsy
Third Eye Blind Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But there's no one at the helm
And there's a demon in my brain
Who starts to overwhelm, whelm whelm whelm whelm
And there it goes, my last chance for peace
You lay me down, but I get no release
And I say I
I try to keep awake, I try to swim beneath
I try to keep awake but I
I can feel this narcolepsy slide
Into another nightmare
And there's a demon in my head who starts to play
A nightmare tape loop of what went wrong yesterday
And I hold my breath 'till it's more than I can take
And I close my eyes, I dream that I'm awake
I try to keep awake, I try to keep awake
I try to keep awake but I
I can feel this narcolepsy slide
Into another nightmare
I read dead Russian authors, volumes at a time
I write everything down except what's on my mind
'Cause my greatest fear is that sucking sound
And then I know that I'll never get back out
And there's a bone in my hand that connects to a drink
In a crowded room where the glasses clink
And I'll buy you a beer and we'll drink it deep
Because that keeps me from felling asleep
I said how'd you like to be alone and drowning?
How'd you like to be alone and drowning?
How'd you like to be alone and drowning?
How'd you like to be alone and drowning?
Still I find this narcolepsy slide slide slides
Into another nightmare
Keep awake, keep awake, keep awake
And I can feel this narcolepsy slide
The beginning of the song "Narcolepsy" by Third Eye Blind is a vivid representation of a person struggling with their own mind. The first line "I'm on a train, but there's no one at the helm" sets the tone for the rest of the song. The person is directionless, lost, and unsure of what's happening around them. The "demon" in their brain begins to take over, and they feel overwhelmed. They try to find some peace by laying down, but they can't escape the constant thoughts in their head. It's almost like they're trapped in their own mind.
The chorus of "Narcolepsy" speaks to the difficulty of staying awake when you're trapped in your own thoughts. The person is terrified of falling asleep because they know they'll slide into another nightmare. They describe a feeling of drowning in their own mind, and they can't escape it. They talk about trying to keep themselves awake, but it's a losing battle against their own mind.
The second verse of the song speaks to a fear of being forgotten or ignored. The person tries to distract themselves with reading and writing, but they're afraid of being overlooked. They describe a "sucking sound" that seems to be pulling them in, and they're afraid they'll never make it back out. They try to drown their fears in alcohol, but it's only a temporary escape.
Overall, "Narcolepsy" is a powerful song about the struggle of battling your inner demons. It's about feeling lost and directionless, and the difficulty of staying awake when you're drowning in your own thoughts. It's an honest and vulnerable depiction of mental health struggles that many people can relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm on a train, but there's no one at the helm
I feel lost and directionless in life, as if I'm on a train without a conductor.
And there's a demon in my brain starts to overwhelm
I struggle with inner demons that make my thoughts chaotic and overwhelming.
And there it goes, my last chance for peace
Any small hope or opportunity for inner peace seems to slip away from me.
I lay me down, but I get no release
Even when I try to rest, I am unable to find any form of relief or escape from my thoughts.
I try to keep awake, I try to swim beneath
I make attempts to stay alert and fight against my tiredness, but it feels like I am swimming against a current.
But still I find this narcolepsy slides
Despite my best efforts, I still find myself giving in to my exhaustion and falling into a state of narcolepsy.
Into another nightmare
My exhaustion causes me to fall into a state where my thoughts become plagued by more distressing and negative experiences, subjecting me to another nightmare.
And there's a demon in my head who starts to play
Another overwhelming and negative thought enters my head, tormenting me further.
A nightmare tape loop of what went wrong yesterday
My thoughts replay negative experiences from my past, causing me to relive the pain and distress of those moments.
And I hold my breath 'till it's more than I can take
The stress and anxiety caused by my thoughts become so overwhelming that I feel as if I am suffocating, making it even more unbearable.
And I close my eyes and dream that I'm awake
I try to escape my overwhelming thoughts by imagining myself in a state where I am free from them.
I read dead Russian authors, Volumes at a time
As a way to escape my thoughts, I turn to literature and read for hours on end.
I write everything down except what's on my mind
I journal and write down my thoughts, except for the darkest and most troubling ones, which I am unable to express through writing.
Cause my greatest fear is that sucking sound
My biggest fear is the feeling of being consumed or overwhelmed by my own negative thoughts and emotions.
And then I know that I will neer get back out
If I were to succumb to my negative thoughts, I fear that I will never be able to escape from them and find inner peace.
And there's a bone in my hand that connects to a drink
I turn to drinking as a way to cope with my negative thoughts and emotions.
In a crowded room where the glasses clink
I may attempt to distract myself by socializing in places where alcohol is served and people are loud.
And I'll buy you a beer and we'll drink it deep
I try to avoid being alone with my thoughts by buying others drinks in order to escape my own mind temporarily.
Because that keeps me from felling asleep
Drinking alcohol keeps me from feeling the suffocating presence of my anxiety and negative thoughts, albeit for only a brief period of time.
How'd you like to be alone and drowning
I express a sense of loneliness by asking the listener to imagine being in a situation of despair and isolation.
Still I find this narcolepsy slide slide slides
Despite my attempts to fight against it, I still find myself succumbing to narcolepsy and falling into sleep.
Into another nightmare
Despite my attempts, I am still plagued by negative thoughts and emotions that push me further into despair and pain.
Keep awake. Keep awake, Keep awake
I am desperate to fight against my exhaustion and stay alert in order to avoid another nightmare.
Still I find this narcolepsy slides
Despite my repeated attempts to stay awake and alert, I still end up falling into a state of narcolepsy.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Kevin Cadogan, Stephan Jenkins
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind