Formed in 1987 in Tempe, Arizona and taking their name from the caption of a photo of W.C. Fields, Gin Blossoms had a series of minor hit singles in the UK in the early to mid 90's. Last year I blogged about their first hit, 'Hey Jealousy' http://songstuckinmyheadthisweek.blogspot.com/2010/08/song-stuck-in-my-head-this-week-30th.html, and now this week it's the turn of their last hit 'Follow You Down'.
After the release of their second album 'New Miserable Experience' in 1992 the band suffered the loss of former songwriter and band member Doug Hopkins. The album was a success and so, after touring and promoting it, the band took their time to re-group and decide where to take things from there. There had always been the assumption that if Hopkins could conquer his alcohol problems he would return to the group. His suicide put an end to that notion and it took until 1996 for the band to come back with their third album 'Congratulations, I'm Sorry'.
'Follow You Down' was the lead single to be released from the album. Though the single 'Til I Hear If From You' was released the previous year (lifted from the soundtrack to the film 'Empire Records') it wasn't originally on the album and only appeared at a later date.
Reaching number 15 on the US Billboard 100 and number 30 on the UK top 40 Singles Chart, 'Follow You Down' was written just before the end of the recording of 'Congratulations, I'm Sorry' when band member Jesse Valenzuela came up with it one night. Not only was it a popular song but the following year, shortly before the band split up, it won an award from the American Society of Composers and Publishers as one of the most played songs in 1996 on US radio.
I've always liked the music produced by the Gin Blossoms and this song is no exception. Having had it come up on my lastfm player a couple of times it was already in my head but, to top it all off, a talented young man by the name of Chris Hepworth played it at the acoustic night I go to on Sunday nights which just reaffirmed it's position in this blog.
I hope you all enjoy is and check out more of their material. I'll catch you all next week!!
Gin Blossoms - Follow You Down
Did you see the sky
I think it means that we've been lost
Maybe one less time is all we need
I can't really help it if my tongue's all tied in knots
Jumping off a bridge, it's just the farthest that I've ever been
Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down
I'll follow you down, but not that far
I know we're headed somewhere, I can see how far we've come
But still I can't remember anything
Let's not do the wrong thing and I'll swear it might be fun
It's a long way down when all the knots we've tied have come undone
Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down
I'll follow you down, but not that far
How you gonna ever find your place
Running in an artificial pace
Are they gonna find us lying face down in the sand
So what the hell now, we've already been forever damned
Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I'll follow you down
I'll follow you down, but not that far
Follow you down
Follow you down, but not that far
Follow you down
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