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.
slow motion
Third Eye Blind Lyrics
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But I think I just shot her son
Cause he owed me money
With a bullet in the chest you cannot run
Now he's bleeding in a vacant lot
The one in the summer where we used to smoke pot
I guess I didn't mean it but man you should've seen it
His flesh explode
We tend to die young
Slow motion see me let go
What a brother knows
Slow motion see me let go
Now the cops will get me
But girl if you would let me
I'll take your pants off
I got a little bit of blow we could both get off
Later bathing in the afterglow
Two lines of Coke I cut with Draino
An her nose starts to bleed
A most beautiful ruby red
Slow motion see me let go
We'll remember these days
Slow motion see me let go
Urban life decays
Slow motion see me let go
And at home
My sister's eating paint chips again
Maybe that's why she's insane
I shut the door to her moaning
And I shoot smack in my veins
Wouldn't you?
See my neighbor's beating his wife
Because he hates his life
There's an arc to his fist as he swings
Oh man, what a beautiful thing
And death slides close to me
Won't grow old to be
A junkie wine-o creep
Hollywood glamorized my wrath
I'm the young urban psychopath
I incite murder
For your entertainment
'Cause I needed the money
What's your excuse?
The jokes on you
Slow motion see me let go
Slow motion see me let go
Slow motion see me let go
The lyrics to Third Eye Blind's song "Slow Motion" paint a disturbing picture of urban decay and violence. The song begins with the singer confessing to shooting an acquaintance who owed him money. He describes the victim's flesh exploding in slow motion as he falls to the ground, and the singer clearly takes pleasure in what he has done. The song then shifts to a description of drug use, with the singer taking cocaine cut with Draino and encouraging a woman to take off her pants. The final verse describes the singer's sister eating paint chips, and a neighbor beating his wife. The song ends on a nihilistic note as the singer claims to "incite murder for your entertainment."
Overall, "Slow Motion" presents a bleak and violent vision of modern urban life. The singer takes pleasure in acts of violence and drug use, and seems to revel in the destruction around him. However, the lyrics also critique the way that violence and drug use are often glamorized in popular culture. The line "Hollywood glamorized my wrath" suggests that the singer's behavior is a product of a culture that celebrates violence and debauchery.
One possible interpretation of the song is that it is a commentary on the way that poverty and social decay can lead to self-destructive behavior. The singer seems to be trapped in a cycle of violence and addiction, with no hope of escape. The line "We tend to die young" suggests that this behavior is common among young people who grow up in impoverished urban neighborhoods. Another interpretation is that the song is a critique of America's obsession with violence in entertainment. The line "I incite murder for your entertainment" suggests that the singer's violent behavior is a product of a culture that values shock value over substance.
Line by Line Meaning
Miss Jones taught me English
I had a teacher named Miss Jones who taught me English.
But I think I just shot her son
But I believe I just killed her son with a gun.
Cause he owed me money
Because he owed me some amount of money.
With a bullet in the chest you cannot run
Once you get shot in the chest, you can't run or escape easily.
Now he's bleeding in a vacant lot
Now he lies on the ground, bleeding heavily in an empty space.
The one in the summer where we used to smoke pot
The same place where we used to smoke marijuana during summertime.
I guess I didn't mean it but man you should've seen it
I did not intend to shoot him, but the way it happened was quite impressive.
His flesh explode
A bullet hit him so hard that it made his flesh explode.
Slow motion see me let go
I see myself, in slow motion, letting go of everything.
We tend to die young
Some people seem to die young more often.
What a brother knows
What I, as his close companion, knew of him.
Now the cops will get me
Police will arrest me for my crime.
But girl if you would let me
But if you agree, girl, I want to be with you.
I'll take your pants off
I want to remove your pants.
I got a little bit of blow we could both get off
I have some cocaine that we both can use.
Later bathing in the afterglow
After everything, we can relax and enjoy ourselves.
Two lines of Coke I cut with Draino
I mixed Draino with my two lines of cocaine.
An her nose starts to bleed
And her nose starts bleeding because of the cocaine.
A most beautiful ruby red
A stark red that looks beautiful.
Slow motion see me let go
I, in slow motion, let go of everything.
We'll remember these days
We will remember these days, this time, this moment in our lives.
Urban life decays
City life worsens and goes to ruins.
And at home
And while I am at home.
My sister's eating paint chips again
My sister is eating paint chips again, which may be why she is insane.
Maybe that's why she's insane
Perhaps that is the reason she is crazy.
I shut the door to her moaning
I close the door to block out her whining.
And I shoot smack in my veins
And I shoot heroin into my veins.
Wouldn't you?
Wouldn't you do the same?
See my neighbor's beating his wife
I can see my neighbor hitting his wife.
Because he hates his life
He hits her because he hates his own life.
There's an arc to his fist as he swings
There is a recognizable curve to the way he strikes.
Oh man, what a beautiful thing
It pleases me to see this.
And death slides close to me
I can feel death coming near me.
Won't grow old to be
I will not live long enough to become anything significant.
A junkie wine-o creep
I will likely become a drug addict and an alcoholic.
Hollywood glamorized my wrath
The media made my violent tendencies seem cool.
I'm the young urban psychopath
I am a young psychopath who lives in the city.
I incite murder
I encourage people to murder.
For your entertainment
For your entertainment purposes.
'Cause I needed the money
Because I needed the money so badly.
What's your excuse?
What is your excuse for watching me do these actions?
The jokes on you
You might think this is funny, but it is not.
Slow motion see me let go
In slow motion, you can see me letting go of everything.
Slow motion see me let go
Again, in slow motion, you can see me letting go.
Slow motion see me let go
One more time, in slow motion, you can see me letting go of everything.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: STEPHAN JENKINS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind