Three Mile Pilot is an indie rock band from San Diego, California formed by… Read Full Bio ↴Three Mile Pilot is an indie rock band from San Diego, California formed by "Armistead Burwell Smith IV" (a.k.a. Zach Smith from Pinback, Systems Officer, Neighborhood Watch) on bass and vocals, Pall Jenkins (The Black Heart Procession, Dark Sarcasm, Mr. Tube, Ugly Casanova) on vocals and guitar, and Tom Zinser on drums.

The group released their first album, Nà Vuccà Dò Lupù, in 1992 (before Pall could play guitar) on Cargo/Headhunter. Their next record, Chief Assassin to the Sinister, came out (also on Cargo/Headhunter) in 1994, with a vinyl version being released by Negative Records. Geffen Records took an interest in them and reissued the album but because of internal strife between the band and the label, 3MP left Geffen and returned to Headhunter. They added Tobias Nathaniel (The Black Heart Procession, The Young Destroyers, A Day Called Zero) on piano/keyboard and released Another Desert, Another Sea in 1997. A self-titled EP was released on Gravity Records the following year.

3MP's early albums were heavily inspired by the cult sci-fi computer game Star Control, as evidenced by album and song titles such as Star Control Out, Chenjesu, The Ur-Quan Destroyer, and Ilwrath.

After an unofficial break-up of sorts following their last album in 1998, Three Mile Pilot have recently reunited, signed to Touch and Go Records, and are actively writing new material for an album to be released in 2009.

Still Alive
Three Mile Pilot Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I was pulled away
No more standing in place
Hanging in the trees
I can see so far
I'm almost dead
I'm still alive

I wanna make you all of mine

I see these visions all the time

We are almost there
In another land
I was standing on the edge
One step away

Let's run
Let's just get away
Let's just see
What happens next

I'm leaving today
I cannot stay
I'm leaving today
Into space

I wanna make you all of mine
I see these visions all the time

We move like diamonds
We move like gold
Float like dust
Disappear like ghosts
They forced us to leave into space
They made it not safe to stay

Let's run
Let's just get away
Let's just see
What happens next

I'm leaving today
I cannot stay
I'm leaving today
Into space

I wanna make you all of mine
I see these visions all the time

We move like diamonds
We move like gold
Float like dust
Disappear like ghosts
They forced us to leave into space
They made it not safe to stay

Let's run
Let's just get away

Let's just see
What happens next

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Three Mile Pilot's song "Still Alive" conjure up mental images of someone breaking free from the constraints of their everyday life and heading into the great unknown. The singer is pulled away from the mundane, stagnant existence they've been living and is now in a place where they can see so far, yet they feel almost dead. Despite feeling drained, they are still alive and determined to make something more of their life. The longing to possess their beloved is evident as they dream of making someone "all of mine."

As the song progresses, the lyrics suggest that they are on the verge of discovering a new land or new beginnings "just one step away." A sense of urgency to escape the false promises and shackles of their current life is conveyed as they urge themselves and others to run, see what happens next and leave all the constraints behind. The chorus repeats itself in the second half, emphasizing the diamond-like, shiny movements of those who leave, possibly hinting at them becoming something more or something precious.

The final verses of the song imply that the need to escape is driven by something sinister or oppressive, as they state that "They forced us to leave into space, they made it not safe to stay." This shift introduces the song's theme of displacement or feeling forced out of a previous existence, the lyrics adding a more complex tone to an otherwise upbeat and positive sounding song.

Line by Line Meaning

I was pulled away
I was taken from where I was, forcefully

No more standing in place
I can't stay in one spot anymore

Hanging in the trees
I'm suspended in the air with no control

I can see so far
I have a clear view of what's ahead

I'm almost dead
I'm close to dying, physically or emotionally

I'm still alive
Despite everything, I'm still going

I wanna make you all of mine
I want to possess you completely

I see these visions all the time
I have constant desires and daydreams

We are almost there
We're close to reaching our destination

In another land
We'll be in a completely different place

I was standing on the edge
I was at the brink of something dangerous or transformative