Maria Diaz lady business. pop culture. whatever.

still there's something in you that i believe in

One of my favorite records, if we can even call it that, is Third Eye Blind's, self titled debut. I told a friend that I was obsessed with this record my senior year of high school, where I would listen to in between bouts of listening to The Cure & Garbage (& later on, a slew of pop music that literally saved my life), and she was shocked to know I listened to the whole thing. I'm listening to it tonight when I'm feeling strange and emo and alone, much like I did in high school.

3EB isn't ..."good" music; it's not the kind of thing we write essays about. It's pure high school overly emotional melodramatic romanticised pure rock music, with lyrics that make sense, are just deep enough to make you want to scrawl them all over your notebook, or if you were me, you would use those lyrics as filler for your online journal (you would write a paragraph of your actual entry and then some song lyrics and then another paragraph of your entry). It's simple; music you can sing along to, the best kind of pop music.

For a long time, I would go past the first two songs and straight that ode to crystal meth Semi-Charmed Life, which was the single and the third song on the record.  When I finally discovered the first two songs, "Losing A Whole Year" and "Narcolepsy", I made up for lost time by quickly playing those out.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBGmc3bmgaY]

The other big hit off 3EB was How's It Going To Be?, which is so over the top sappy I refused to listen to it, especially since they used it in an ending montage for the Real World Boston, a cast I connected with very strongly, especially the chat room addicted Genesis and the fiery redhead (or whore) Montana. There was also equally emotionally manipulative Jumper, which we won't even go into.

I liked the heavier, sexier, not as radio friendly songs such as this one, "Good For You", which has the following amazing high school girl lyrics:

Cause all I want to do is be there
For the things that you're going through
Well, is it good for you, is it good for you
Cause you haunt my nights when
I don't know where my life should go
Well, is it good for you, is it good for you
Hey child please stay a while
My smile will not mislead you
Cause I've been without, I go wild with doubt
I grab at you, I can't stop grabbing at you

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9w3AtSeY1Hc]

However, ever the consummate romantic lovesick girl (I had some particularly painful crushes, plus one real honest to goodness ICQ affair) and I think if I had to pick one song that really defined that moment in time for me, where I spent most of my time on subways with a discman on, it would be this song, I Want You, which asks us if we want to know how deep Stephen Jenkin's soul goes. The answer? Deeper than Bones.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/v/6C8buGnZDvU&hl]

And of course, the end to the tragic love affair going on in my head, there is Motorcyle Drive By, which tells us "I could never have you/I knew that before you did/but I'm the one who's stupid/". It's like a 17 year girl wrote them herself.

[youtube:http://www.youtube.com/v/lXRLEyIoJZA&hl]

Third Eye Blind never really got that good again, ever. I was excited to get their follow up, Blue, but I listened to it once and then never heard it again. These songs however are oddly a part of me. I can slip right back into them and still know every word.  They are all still my jams.