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.

The Premonition
Three Mile Pilot Lyrics

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I feel, someway
I knew the sun
Someday would go away
Up like flames
And I don't need to know names
Why, what for
'Cause I'll be alone
The same

It's something over her/overheard
And I'm trying to forget
The last words that were said

And if you need to know
When I'm coming home
Through the lines
Somewhere
Someone
Will say I'm coming home today

'Cause I miss the sun
I miss it so much
I'm coming home
To stay

It's something that I _______
And I can't seem to forget
The last words that were said

'Cause I miss the sun

I miss the sun

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Three Mile Pilot's song The Premonition depict a mood of nostalgia and melancholy. The first verse sets the tone by expressing a premonition of the sun disappearing someday, foreshadowing a sense of loss and loneliness, and perhaps also referencing the metaphor for life and light. The usage of lyrical repetition in the lyrics emphasizes the songwriter's sense of detachment from his surroundings and from the people surrounding him. The second verse is about a specific, painful memory. The writer tries to forget the last words spoken during a conversation - a line that could have hurt or impacted them deeply. Simultaneously, they wish to express the emotion of coming home, which in their mind, equates to finding a sense of belonging. Overall, the song serves as a reflection of the human condition, the fear of the unknown future, and the desire to find a sense of emotional refuge.

Line by Line Meaning

I feel, someway
I have a premonition

I knew the sun
I predicted that the sun

Someday would go away
will someday disappear

Up like flames
quickly and suddenly

And I don't need to know names
I don't care about specific details

Why, what for
I don't need a reason why

'Cause I'll be alone
because I'll be by myself

It's something over her/overheard
Something I heard or experienced

And I'm trying to forget
I'm attempting to erase from my memory

The last words that were said
Something someone said to me recently

And if you need to know
On the off chance