Third Eye Blind's "Get Me Out of Here"
With my newest purchase of the 20th anniversary vinyl of Third Eye Blind’s debut album, it’s only right to reminisce over their milestones as a band. They’ve been in my top 5 bands since I could remember, belting them out in the car while still in a booster seat (and getting in trouble for knowing the line “those little red panties passed the test”). While the band started off with song writer duo Stephan Jenkins and Kevin Cadogan, they split ways in 2000, solidifying Jenkins as the true front man. When I was a freshman in high school, 3eb fans like myself were bestowed the album Ursa Major which remained in heavy rotation for those 4 years. When I attended University, however, my tastes grew and while still a favorite, 3eb took to the back burner. In early 2015 blessed were 3eb fans when they released a new single, “Everything is Easy”. Dopamine, their fifth studio album was released in June 16th of 2015, just in a time to drown out the locusts that summer. We were further treated when the music video for “Get Me of Here” dropped, directed by Jenkins himself.
In the past decade, the comeback of music videos has brought the trend of narrative driven pieces, becoming more liken to short films rather than a promotion for an album. Jenkins’ “Get Me Out of Here” is nothing short of a revelation in this sense, paying tribute to The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) and the 40th anniversary of its release. With title cards of dialogue at the beginning referencing early silent film and nailing the rock opera vibe, Jenkins spins a story of all the ghosts of ex-girlfriends and how they never worked out with life on the road. While not mentioned recently, this song echoes the upbeat melancholy the band has perfected, based upon the death of Jenkins first serious love and girlfriend. If one were to analyze the lyrics to “Semi-Charmed Life”, they might be surprised to find the song is about her overdosing.
“Get me Out of Here” is an exercise of camp cinema like Rocky Horror, yes, but also reflexive in a way for Jenkins and the band members that transcends their love interests. The setting of the video revolves around their day in day out lives, on the road and behind stage. This lifestyle can be grueling, on the emotional level that’s fully explicated in the video and physically only really touched upon if thought about. Praise for Jenkins and the band members should be well sounded as they shot most of the video while on their sold out Amphitheater tour. The back-stage footage is real time right before show. I can only imagine what it must feel like to watch this video and to have been a fan at the show where Stephan Jenkins steps out finally onto the stage at the end.
My personal praise for Jenkins and 3eb is to do something that was explicit in content. The violence and the lust of it all is fun but brutal. None of their albums have been “parental advisory” but at their core they’ve always been towing the line. “Get me Out of Here” as a song is not explicit, but when paired with the video it’s clear the emotions being felt by these artists. I would like to think that Jenkins is saying it’s okay to be sad and to have had bad things happen to you but still love life whole-hearted.
Be sure to check out where Third Eye Blind will be closest to you on their Summer of Gods Tour with Jimmy Eat World!