SEMI CHARMED LIFE

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"Semi-Charmed Life" is post-grunge band Third Eye Blind's first single off their self-titled debut album, released in 1997. It was a major hit of the 90s reaching number four in the U.S., and the Top 40 in the UK. Further, it has had a pervasive cultural impact, getting featured on a wide variety of movie soundtracks. It is almost instantly recognized by the earlier members of Generation Y and is sometimes considered one of the generation's most popular and well known songs.

Beneath a catchy upbeat melody, the song contains dark lyrics about a drug user's descent into crystal meth addiction and his sexual activities. However, the single still became a major hit. There may have been a public effort to disguise the meaning of the song, as the words "crystal meth" are frequently censored on radio stations, or "blurred" out of recognition.

The lyrics "I want something else" in the chorus, were originally "I want nothing else", but this was changed at the last minute. When the band was asked why, they avoided answering. It is speculated that the replacement of "nothing" with "something" in this instance would make it seem as though the subject of the song wanted to stop using drugs, as opposed to "wanting nothing else" other than drugs.

According to Jenkins, this song was started as a response to the Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side", but from a San Francisco perspective. The style comes from the changes that were occurring in San Francisco at the time in the way of music, particularly the growing interest in hip-hop.

― White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:26 (fifteen years ago) link

It is almost instantly recognized by the earlier members of Generation Y and is sometimes considered one of the generation's most popular and well known songs.

The funny thing is that this is actually true. Those little red panties they pass the test.

― White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:27 (fifteen years ago) link

catchy song, but the white boy pseudo-rapping has not aged well

― Goodtime Slim, Uncle Doobie, and the Great Frisco Freakout (bernard snowy), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:28 (fifteen years ago) link

They don't write intros like that anymore, that's for sure.

― White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:29 (fifteen years ago) link

Over-excitable drummers appear to be a dying breed in pop rock.

― White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:30 (fifteen years ago) link

Every morning there's a halo hangin
from the corner of my girlfriend's four post bed
I know it's not mine but I'll see if I can use it for
the weekend or a one-night stand
Couldn't understand
How to work it out
Once again as predicted left my broken heart open
and you ripped it out
Something's got me reeling
Stopped me from believing
Turn me around again
Said that we can do it
You know I wanna do it again
(Sugar Ray say)
Oh...........
(Every Morning)
Oh................
(Every Morning when I wake up)
(Shut the door baby, don't say a word)
Oh.......
(She always rights the wrong, she always rights, she always rights)
(Shut the door baby, Shut the door baby)
Every Morning there's a heartache hanging
from the corner of my girlfriend's four-post bed
I know it's not mine and I know she thinks she loves me
but I never can believe what she said
Something so deceiving
When you stop believing
Turn me around again
Said we couldn't do it
You know I wanna do it again
Oh...........
(Every Morning)
Oh..................
(Every Morning when I wake up)
(Shut the door baby, don't say a word)
Oh...........
(Every Morning)
Oh..........
(Every Morning when I wake up)
(Shut the door baby, shut the door baby)
She always rights the wrong
For me
Baby
She always rights the wrong
For me
Every Morning there's a halo hanging
from the corner of my girlfriend's four-post bed
I know it's not mine but I'll see if I can use it for
the weekend or a one-night stand
(Shut the door baby, don't say a word)
Every Morning
Every Morning when I wake up
(Shut the door baby, shut the door baby)
Every Morning
Every Morning (Turn me around again)
(Shut the door baby, don't say a word)
Every Morning
Every Morning

― temporary enrique (temporary enrique), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:31 (fifteen years ago) link

Third Eye Blind > Sugar Ray > Gigolo Aunts.

That's just how it is.

― White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:32 (fifteen years ago) link

Maybe somebody should start a thread about Rusted Root and like, God Street Wine

― Euai Kapaui (tracerhand), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:40 (fifteen years ago) link

Maybe they should.

― White Collar Boxer (DomPassantino), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:40 (fifteen years ago) link

http://i12.tinypic.com/34gpqat.png

― and what (ooo), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:42 (fifteen years ago) link

lol

― jaymc (jaymc), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:45 (fifteen years ago) link

Third Eye Blind really had a knack for a good melody...so did Sugar Ray, for that matter...it's a shame history will consign them to the mid-90's alternative/rootsy/Dave Matthews/The River music ghetto...

― henry s (henry s), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 15:59 (fifteen years ago) link

I would be clicking "remove as friend" so fucking fast...

― Jesus Dan (dan perry), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 16:00 (fifteen years ago) link

this song only got to #37 in the UK, but it seem/ed much more prevalent than that.

― temporary enrique (temporary enrique), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 16:07 (fifteen years ago) link

Of all the pop stars who have ever vanished into obscurity, I am most glad for the disappearance of Stephen Jenkins. The guy must have made millions off that song, though, in movie trailer royalties alone.

I'll take Spin Doctors' 'Two Princes' anyday.

― Tiki Theater Xymposium (Tiki Theater Xymposium), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 17:39 (fifteen years ago) link

I believe CatWonton must've been controlling all local FM radio during my college years.

― matt2 (matt2), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 18:32 (fifteen years ago) link

If he was, he didn't play "How's It Gonna Be" often enough.

― Alfred Soto (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 20 February 2007 20:33 (fifteen years ago) link

Of the mainstream post-grunge bands (ouch, what a onerous classification), they were of the first rank. I played that first record to death in 8th grade...

Motorcycle Driveby, God of Wine, that sweet little crescendo bridge in Jumper with the guitar lick; there was something to them of substance, on that record at least.

^_^

― Yoshinori M. Sasao (yoshinorimike), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 04:39 (fifteen years ago) link

"Counting Blue Cars" still the only post-grunge song I can stomach.

― step hen faps (Curt1s Stephens), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 05:06 (fifteen years ago) link

*removes nostalgi-blurred rose-tinted lenses*

― Yoshinori M. Sasao (yoshinorimike), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 05:56 (fifteen years ago) link

"Sex and Candy" is the only song I ever mostly learned on guitar.

― milo (milo), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 06:05 (fifteen years ago) link

"Groups I belong to:
All Noise Dude Mindmeld And..."

― Aaron Godfrey (aaron d.g.), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 09:24 (fifteen years ago) link

I would be clicking "remove as friend" so fucking fast...

I read "Lifehouse" as "Whitehouse" and was thinking a BIG wtf?! for a breif second.

― Sick Mouthy (sickmouthy), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 12:03 (fifteen years ago) link

Aaron, are you suggesting s/he was SET UP?!? with the hipster equivalent of scandalous photos in a tabloid?

― Yoshinori M. Sasao (yoshinorimike), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 13:18 (fifteen years ago) link

I played that first record to death in 8th grade...

Seriously, though, it is a quite catchy number. I still hate it but mostly because of Jerkins - whatsinanameright - who seems such a dipshit.

― nathalie (stevienixed), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 13:22 (fifteen years ago) link

I think I read somewhere that he's engaged to whatever minor pop starlet did that "you know I'd walk a thousand miles..." song? and I was like "okay, I suppose that makes sense".

― Goodtime Slim, Uncle Doobie, and the Great Frisco Freakout (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 13:26 (fifteen years ago) link

This is after he dated a slew of models. I think he even dated Charlize Theron.

― nathalie (stevienixed), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 13:28 (fifteen years ago) link

Dude from this band was in an awesome Lifetime movie with the girl from Just One of the Guys. Recommended!

― Armando Grouse (Armando ), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 13:42 (fifteen years ago) link

makes no sense to dislike a band becuase you perceive a member to be a jackass...nice people make crappy music...

― henry s (henry s), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 13:53 (fifteen years ago) link

nice people make for crappy spellers, too...

― henry s (henry s), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 14:18 (fifteen years ago) link

Vanessa Carlton??????

― Jesus Dan (dan perry), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 14:38 (fifteen years ago) link

"Game Of Love", best song the new radicals never recorded...

― henry s (henry s), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 14:47 (fifteen years ago) link

xpost that's the one.

makes no sense to dislike a band becuase you perceive a member to be a jackass...nice people make crappy music...

I know, I know. Can't help it, I just don't. It's not always the case, only in some cases.

― nathalie (stevienixed), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 15:28 (fifteen years ago) link

I like this song. I put it on in the car the other day, it was just like, "ahhhh."

― jaymc (jaymc), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 15:42 (fifteen years ago) link

This has been a karaoke staple of mine for years. No joke.

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 16:00 (fifteen years ago) link

When I see Stephen Jenkins in print (admittedly not very often):

ihttp://files.blog-city.com/files/F06/156208/p/f/stephen_jenkins.jpg

I think I'm seeing this guy:

ihttp://files.myopera.com/joblue84/albums/19668/thumbs/gerard_butler_05.jpg_thumb.jpg

― Jubalique die Zitronen (juicefriend), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 16:11 (fifteen years ago) link

argh! sorry, suffice it to say: Stephen Jenkins = Gerard Butler = Stephen Jenkins = Gerard Butler = Stephen Jenkins recursion.

― Jubalique die Zitronen (juicefriend), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 16:14 (fifteen years ago) link

xpost, Tantrum The Cat:

can you hit those high notes?

― henry s (henry s), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 16:17 (fifteen years ago) link

Yup! I've actually done a bit of session singing in my day...

― Tantrum The Cat (Tantrum The Cat), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 16:26 (fifteen years ago) link

wow Jub that first Jenkins pic looks like a sneezing Live Aid Bono.

― Yoshinori M. Sasao (yoshinorimike), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 16:35 (fifteen years ago) link

xpost, Tantrum The Cat:

impressive!

― henry s (henry s), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 17:53 (fifteen years ago) link

That's a tough one in karaoke. I gave it a try a while back.

― Kate Silver (barkleyforthree), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 19:07 (fifteen years ago) link

was this song one of the first popular song references to crystal meth?

― just m@tt he1g3s0n (Matt Helgeson), Wednesday, 21 February 2007 19:38 (fifteen years ago) link

Aw heck, what can I say: I'm a sucker for most "doo-doo-doo" songs, whether by Lou Reed or Suzanne Vega or Love or CSN or etc. That SpinDoctors-style "funk" is as limp as it always was, and I'll never buy the record itself, but I'll happily listen whenever it turns up on the radio.

Characteristically, I don't know a single lyric. (Also don't know which movies it's been featured in, aside from that incredible opening shot in "Contact".)

― Monty Von Bygone (Monty Von Bygone), Thursday, 22 February 2007 19:39 (fifteen years ago) link

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