He then formed the short-lived bands Bash & Pop who in 1993 released one album Friday Night Is Killing Me and then later, Perfect, who released an EP in 1996 titled When Squirrels Play Chicken. In 1997 their album Seven Days a Week was shelved due to record company problems.
In 1998 Stinson appeared on Puff Daddy's "It's All About The Benjamins (Rock Remix)" along with Foo Fighters frontman and former Nirvana and Queens of the Stone Age drummer Dave Grohl. He also can be seen playing bass for the song in the music video. Stinson has been the bass player for Guns N' Roses since 1998.
In 2004, Stinson released a solo album Village Gorilla Head which was well-received by the music press. Also that year, Stinson's band Perfect finally released the shelved Seven Days a Week, which they retitled Once Twice Three Times a Maybe.
In the fall of 2005, Tommy joined Soul Asylum for a few gigs in tribute to Karl Mueller. Tommy and Dave Pirner (founding member of Soul Asylum ) were friends in High School in Minneapolis, MN. He also scored the Jennifer Garner movie Catch and Release.
In between touring and writing, he managed to produce Bobot Adrenaline's debut album Unfurled.
In December 2005, he reconvened with Paul Westerberg and Chris Mars to record two new songs for a Replacements compilation. Stinson further collaberated with Westerberg on the soundtrack to the Sony feature film Open Season, recording bass tracks for 'Love You in the Fall' and 'Right to Arm Bears'. The two also recorded 'Wild as I Wanna Be' but Sony reportedly rejected the song because they thought Westerberg sounded ill. The song was instead recorded by Deathray.
In the summer of 2006 Tommy played a few shows with Soul Asylum once more during a break in the Guns N' Roses tour.
During the early-to-mid years of this decade, a flier for a Tommy Stinson show tacked to a utility pole was visible in one of the commercial bumpers of Saturday Night Live.
Zero To Stupid
Tommy Stinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Just one nightcap before the day is done
Used to wake up in the morning still in love
She used to love me, now she hates me
Since she's been gone
I go from zero to stupid in just one drink
Didn't like drinking hard liquor or fast cars
Now she's going down to the bar to watch Nascar
She's drinkin' gin now from what I hear now
Since she's been gone
She goes from zero to stupid in just one drink
The latest fool done left her for the pits
He's changing tires now for the champion here as I sit
Trying to erase her from my mind and my soul
I used to love her, I used to miss her my life goes on
It just can't go from zero to stupid in just one drink
The lyrics to Tommy Stinson‘s song "Zero To Stupid" speak of a relationship that has fallen apart and the pain of lost love accompanied by the desire to forget. The song’s first verse describes the closeness the couple once shared, but now, the singer is struggling to move on, and drinks to forget the pain of his broken heart. He acknowledges his tendency to become irrational and “stupid” when he drinks, hinting at his shame for losing control of his emotions and actions.
The second verse reveals that the woman he once loved has also gone down a dark path, drinking gin and frequenting bars to watch NASCAR races. The world around them has changed, and the two people who once shared a deep connection are now living entirely separate lives. The song's final verse suggests that the singer is trying to move on and forget her, but the process takes time, and he cannot dismiss her influence on his life so quickly. He acknowledges the dichotomy between his intimacy with his former lover and his inability to shake off her memory, adding that it’s impossible to go from “zero to stupid” after just one drink.
Ultimately, "Zero to Stupid" is about the complexities and flaws of love and how it can drive us to extremes like drinking or becoming irrational. Although the relationship has broken down, the song suggests that the memories of the good times can be hard to shake, and the pain of losing someone you once loved can be unbearable.
Line by Line Meaning
Used to stay home on Fridays just to talk
I would choose to spend my Friday nights at home, having conversations with my loved one
Just one nightcap before the day is done
I would have one last drink before I go to bed
Used to wake up in the morning still in love
I used to feel love for my partner even after waking up from sleep
She used to love me, now she hates me
My partner used to have feelings of love for me in the past, but now those have converted into hatred
Since she's been gone
Referring to the time after my partner left me or broke up with me
I go from zero to stupid in just one drink
After consuming only one drink, my actions and thoughts become irrational and stupid
She said she used to love the way I played guitar
My partner used to enjoy listening to me play the guitar and appreciated my musical talent
Didn't like drinking hard liquor or fast cars
My partner was not fond of drinking hard liquor or the excitement of fast cars
Now she's going down to the bar to watch Nascar
Currently, she visits a bar to watch the NASCAR racing sport
She's drinkin' gin now from what I hear now
I have heard that she has started drinking gin
The latest fool done left her for the pits
Her recent partner has left her to pursue a lowly career
He's changing tires now for the champion here as I sit
Her ex-partner currently works as a tire changer for the current champion, while I sit idly and do nothing productive
Trying to erase her from my mind and my soul
I am attempting to get over the pain of the breakup and remove all memories of her from my mind and body
I used to love her, I used to miss her my life goes on
I had love and longing for her, but now I have accepted that my life must move on
It just can't go from zero to stupid in just one drink
I am aware that I cannot let myself become irrational and do something stupid after having a single drink
Contributed by Julia P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.