Semi-Charmed Life
"Semi-Charmed Life" is a song by American rock band Third Eye Blind from their eponymous debut studio album (1997). It was released to radio as the lead single from the album on February 18, 1997, by Elektra Records. Frontman Stephan Jenkins is credited as the sole writer of the song, although guitarist Kevin Cadogan has disputed these claims through litigation. Production on the song was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine. According to Jenkins, the song is about a crystal meth addiction and the feeling that "your life is always about to change and never be  reliable". The song was recorded and mixed in and around San Francisco at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch, H.O.S., and The Site by Valentine. "Semi-Charmed Life" was one of the first demos recorded for "Third Eye Blind" and the song went through five iterations before the final version. An alternative rock and power pop song with a rap-influenced singing style, the song's "doo, doo, doot" refrain was directly inspired by Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side". The instrumentation used in the song includes guitars, brushes, and a drum machine. The concept of the song was developed  through Jenkins's observations of friends using crystal meth at a Primus concert. "Semi-Charmed Life" received positive reviews from music critics, who praised the radio-friendly nature of the song and considered it a quintessential Nineties track. Some reviewers, however, felt that the hook was crafted in a manner that would quickly become tiresome. The song peaked at number four on the US "Billboard" Hot 100, giving Third Eye Blind their first entry on the chart. Internationally, "Semi-Charmed Life" was a top 40 hit in six countries. The song remains Third Eye Blind's most successful single, being  certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and peaking at number 53 on the all-time US "Billboard" Mainstream Top 40 chart. Writing and inspiration. "Semi-Charmed Life" was credited to frontman Stephan Jenkins. Jenkins intended to write a song that acted as a San Francisco response to Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side," with the "doo, doo, doot" chants present throughout the song being directly inspired by Reed's song. In regards to the style of the song, Jenkins explained that it is meant to reflect changes that were occurring in the San Francisco  music scene, particularly a growing interest in hip hop. In an interview with "Rolling Stone", Jenkins said that the concept of the song was developed through his observations of friends using crystal meth at a Primus concert. The juxtaposition of the music and lyrical content was intentional, as Jenkins intended to illustrate the "bright, shiny feeling" one gets when using crystal meth. However, Jenkins maintains that the meaning of the song more broadly relates to changing periods in one's life. He further explained the meaning of the song: It's about living in the Lower Haight [in San Francisco ] and all the machinations that were going on at a time where my friend group was finally out of the [educational] institutions that we'd been in our whole lives – because we’d all been in school since kindergarten and everybody now was in their early 20s and out of college. And then probably underneath that, also the weight of coming to terms with the kind of agony that your life is always about to change and never be reliable. The song was written well before Third Eye Blind was formed. During his time as a struggling musician in San  Francisco, Jenkins recalled sitting in a room with future 4 Non Blondes singer and songwriter Linda Perry, who worked as a waitress down the street, performing their original compositions to one another. The two played each other early versions of "Semi-Charmed Life" and "What's Up?", both of which would later become massive hits for their respective bands. It would be decades later that Jenkins realized the songs performed in that private session would sell a combined 17 million records. Jenkins was initially against the decision to release "Semi-Charmed Life" as the lead single from "Third Eye Blind , as he did not believe that it was representative of the work as a whole. Guitarist Kevin Cadogan was concerned with the explicit lyrical content of the song, as he had fears that radio stations would refuse to play the song. Elektra Records suggested that the band release Semi-Charmed Life" as their debut single as opposed to "Losing a Whole Year," prompting the release of several radio edits of the song. Upon the song's success, Jenkins explained that he felt most listeners misinterpreted the song to simply be a "happy summertime jam." Songwriting claims. Prior to the formation  of Third Eye Blind, Jenkins was part of the rap duo Puck and Zen, alongside Detroit rapper Herman Anthony Chunn. With the assistance of manager Eric Godtland, Jenkins and Chunn made a $10,000 deal for the former to acquire the rights to guitar riffs that the latter wrote, which would later be incorporated into "Semi-Charmed Life". This deal gave Jenkins sole authorship of the song, with Jenkins commenting: "I kept going until it was my song. I had no idea where that song was going, but I bought [Chunn] out." In 2000, rumors circulated that guitarist Tony Fredianelli , who had previously auditioned for Third Eye Blind in 1993, had written the song's hook. When reached for comment by the "San Francisco Chronicle", producer Eric Valentine claimed that "Semi-Charmed Life" had "been around for many years. There are a lot of people who contributed to that tune and didn't get credit." On October 16, 2018, approximately a year after the 2017 reissue of "Third Eye Blind", Cadogan filed a lawsuit for infringement of copyright against Third Eye Blind and Jenkins. Despite being uncredited, Cadogan alleged that he was responsible for co-writing four songs on the  album, including "Semi-Charmed Life," and thus is entitled to 25 percent of their profits, for which he has not been compensated. Cadogan also sought to establish authorship over the four songs in dispute. On August 21, 2019, the lawsuit was terminated through voluntary dismissal with prejudice. Recording and mixing. The recording sessions for "Semi-Charmed Life" took place in and around San Francisco, California at Toast Studios, Skywalker Ranch, and H.O.S. Production on the song was helmed by Jenkins and Eric Valentine, with Valentine also acting as a recording engineer. Valentine intentionally recorded the song without assistance from computers , opting to directly record the material onto tape machines. When speaking to "Billboard", Valentine described the recording sessions, stating that he would cut and edit the tapes, with "no fixing or changing anything." The song was recorded on a Neve 8038 mixing console, using Studer A800 MKIII and Ampex MM1200 tape recorders. Valentine was also responsible for the mixing of the track, which was made at The Site, H.O.S., and Toast Studios. Valentine mixed the song on a Neve 8078 mixing console, using a Studer A800 tape recorder. Ted Jensen mastered the track at Sterling Sound Studios in New York  City, using a 3M 996 as the master tape. WEA was responsible for the manufacturing of the single on both compact disc and cassette tape. "Semi-Charmed Life" was one of six demos first recorded for "Third Eye Blind". Jenkins recorded five iterations of the song before settling on the final version, as he faced difficulty in getting the "groove" right. Bassist Arion Salazar described one of the earlier iterations as a "one-dimensional, acoustic guitar troubadour-y first position thing with basic guitar chords and some bohemian rapping," crediting Cadogan's contributions as having sonically balanced out the  song. The song features multi-layered guitar textures using an Epiphone Casino, Hamer electric, Gibson J-200 acoustic, and a Gretsch Country Gentleman, all of which were centrally provided by Cadogan. An assortment of amps were also used in the recording process, including a Matchless 30 into a Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabinet, a Mesa/Boogie Heartbreaker head, a Vox AC30 and a 69 Marshall plexi Super Lead head into a Marshall 4x12 loaded with 25-watt Greenback speakers. Brad Hargreaves used a Pearl Export snare drum in the composition of the track. Jenkins later claimed that the drum loops present in  the final recording are the same ones used in the initial iteration of the song. A demo version of "Semi-Charmed Life" was later released on the 2017 reissue of "Third Eye Blind". Composition. "Semi-Charmed Life" is an alternative rock and power pop song, composed with a rap-influenced singing style. However, when writing the composition, Jenkins contends that he was more broadly influenced by hip hop music. The song incorporates "shoegazer and big guitar-chord soundscape musicality," as described by bassist Arion Salazar. Other musical instruments used are brushes and a drum machine. Reverb, wah-wah, tremolo and  flange are also employed throughout the song in order to add "extra texture and sonic diversity." In "Semi-Charmed Life," Jenkins sings a refrain consisting of "doo, doo, doot" that was inspired by Lou Reed's 1972 single "Walk on the Wild Side," with Jenkins referring to "Semi-Charmed Life" as an answer song. "Semi-Charmed Life" opens with "loud guitars and a thudding rhythm section," which persists throughout the song. The verses are sung with a "hip-hop cadence," while the chorus is "[belted] out in [an] anthemic style." According to the sheet music published at Musicnotes.com by Alfred  Publishing, the song is written in the key of G major and is set in time signature of common time with a tempo of 104 beats per minute. Jenkins's vocal range spans three octaves, from G to C. The song has a sequence of G–D–C in both the verses and chorus and G–D–C–G/B–Am in the bridge, as its chord progression. The lyrics of "Semi-Charmed Life" carry a message of crystal meth addiction, inspired by the drug addictions that Jenkins witnessed from several of his friends. Jenkins explained in "Billboard" magazine that  the juxtaposition between the melody and lyrics were intentional, as it was meant to represent "the seductiveness of speed." Jenkins further explained: "Speed's a very bright, shiny drug, and I wanted the song to sound like that, but I also wanted the frustration in there. So a real poetic decision is determining the music. That's why you have that bright, melodic chorus but also that dirty guitar sound." Critical reception. James Sullivan of "Rolling Stone" referred to the song as "[o]ne of the most relentlessly sunshine-y songs of the Nineties." Mark Jenkins of "The Washington Post" referred  to the song as a "rap-inflected pop-rocker." He commented: "'Semi-Charmed Life' take[s] an infectious glee in reinventing rock that's simple, direct and yet epic." David Grad of "Entertainment Weekly" praised the radio-friendly nature of the song, calling it a "nice taste of Third Eye Blind's formula." Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic cited "Semi-Charmed Life" as evidence that Third Eye Blind can "craft a naggingly memorable hook." Also from AllMusic, Liana Jonas praised "Semi-Charmed Life" as an "infectious and buoyant rock song," commenting that the song's commercial success juxtaposed with its "blatant  lyrics about oral sex and drug-induced highs ... goes to show the unpredictability of music-industry authorities." "Glamour" reviewer and senior editor Anna Moeslein cited "Semi-Charmed Life" as the best song of the 1990s, commenting that the "easy-breezy guitar and 'do do do!' intro still spark joy." According to Justin Joffe of Observer, the song is "both poppy and addressed some heavy shit," which gave the band "an edge over their radio-ready contemporaries that many would later imitate with less sincerity." Aidin Vaziri of the "San Francisco Chronicle" referred to "Semi-Charmed Life" as "possibly the catchiest  song about casual sex and meth addiction ever." Andrew Chow of "Time" designated "Semi-Charmed Life" as a classic karaoke song. In a critical review, G.M. of "Spin" stated that the song has "an oil-slick groove endemic to studio hacks and scene-burnouts." Arielle Gordon of "Pitchfork" referred to the song as an "inescapable hit," further commenting: "[the song] sounds like feeling the sun on your skin after a long winter. The opening snap of the drums, the ringing power chords, and the wordless refrain seem to beam down from some impossibly halcyon era, as if Cheap Trick suddenly  became the house band for "Schoolhouse Rock."" At the 1997 "Billboard" Music Awards, "Semi-Charmed Life" garnered Third Eye Blind a win in the Modern Rock Track category. Chart performance. In the United States, "Semi-Charmed Life" debuted at number 17 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 chart for the issue dated July 5, 1997. The song reached its peak after five weeks, peaking at number four for the issue dated August 9, 1997. The song spent a total of 43 weeks on the chart, with the week of April 25, 1998, being its final appearance on the chart. On both  the Modern Rock Tracks and Mainstream Top 40 charts, the song reached a peak of number one. The song was also a success on the US Adult Alternative Songs and Adult Top 40 charts, peaking at number six and three, respectively. On the "Billboard" Hot 100 year-end chart, "Semi-Charmed Life" peaked at number 17 and 57 for 1997 and 1998, respectively. The song also peaked at number one on the year-end US Modern Rock Tracks chart. Almost four months after its release, "Semi-Charmed Life" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for  sales of five hundred thousand. On the all-time Mainstream Top 40 chart, the song held a position of number 53. In Canada, "Semi-Charmed Life" peaked at number two on the Canada Top Singles chart for the issue dated August 4, 1997. The song placed at number 12 on the year-end chart while re-entering the chart at number 59 in 1998. On the Canada Rock/Alternative chart, "Semi-Charmed Life" peaked at number 3. The song also received considerable airplay in the country, with Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems (BDS) confirming that "Semi-Charmed Life" peaked at number  13 on the Canada Adult Contemporary chart. "Semi-Charmed Life" was also a success in Australia and the United Kingdom. The song debuted at number 49 on the Australian ARIA Singles Chart, and ascended to the number eight position nine weeks later. The song spent a total of 22 weeks on the chart in the country. "Semi-Charmed Life" was certified gold by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) for the shipment of 35,000 copies. In the United Kingdom, "Semi-Charmed Life" spent five weeks on the UK Singles Chart, peaking at number 33 for the issue dated September 27 , 1997. Music video. Background. The music video was directed by Jamie Morgan in the South of Market district of San Francisco, California. Third Eye Blind recruited Morgan to direct the music video after being impressed with his work on Bush's "Swallowed" music video. Jenkins and Cadogan provided the production costs for the music video, with Jenkins commenting that "DIY's [are] very important to us." A radio edit was also used in the video, in which the majority of the bridge is omitted in addition to the phrase "crystal meth" being removed through backmasking. Regarding the idea behind the  music video, the band strived to capture an idealistic visual of San Francisco. In order to accomplish this task, Morgan recruited San Francisco residents to appear in the video. Morgan also explained that the ending shot of a moon landing was a reference to the MTV moonman logo, the MTV Generation, and "the idea of discovery and man's ability to wonder and explore." Morgan further expanded on the video's concept in an interview with "Billboard", stating: I found the scooter kids [for the video] driving around San Fran, and the same with the studio shots. [The band] told  me they had friends, but when I arrived from London they didn't really have any, so I had to find them from the streets of San Francisco. They loved my first video [for Bush's "Swallowed,"] so that was the starting point for the two-day shoot. They just wanted me to come and shoot the San Francisco vibe, so I just made it up as we went along, and responded to the cast I found on the streets. Synopsis. The video starts with a satellite in outer space before quickly transitioning to an American Flag patch on a  man's leather jacket. With the refrain playing, the band members and a dog are shown driving a car on a highway. As the first verse begins, Jenkins walks down the sidewalk of a neighborhood in San Francisco while singing. He passes through an outdoor cafe as the video intercuts with scenes of people riding motorcycles. Once the first chorus begins, the video focuses on the band performing in a dimly lit room with a large spinning clock hanging behind them. As the refrain begins again, the video intercuts between scenes of the band performing and of them riding motorcycles  throughout the city. Following these shots, Jenkins is shown to now be singing in front of a car parked alongside a strip, as intercuts play that focus on the faces of strangers surrounding Jenkins. The video also briefly focuses on two women kissing while walking on the sidewalk, before abruptly arguing. Once the second chorus begins, Jenkins begins to run through an alleyway while shots are also shown of the band continuing to perform. As the bridge ends, various people on scooters are shown to drive around the city. The band continues to perform while a group of young adults  dance, argue, and kiss around them. The video ends with a shot of one of the women watching a moon landing on television, noticing that the American Flag being planted is reminiscent of the patch in the beginning of the video. Live performances. The song was regularly performed at shows during MTV's Campus Invasion Tour and the Bonfire Tour (1998), in addition to performances at local clubs and venues following the album's release. In 1998, Third Eye Blind and Smash Mouth jointly headlined a college-theater tour, in which "Semi-Charmed Life" was regularly performed. On December 8 , 1997, Third Eye Blind performed the song at the "Billboard" Music Awards. Due to the commercial success of "Semi-Charmed Life" and the follow-up single "Graduate", Third Eye Blind were offered the role of being an opening act for The Rolling Stones, U2, and Foo Fighters on their respective tours. The song was performed on the Summer Gods Tour (2017-2019), with a recording of the performance subsequently included on the live album "Summer Gods Tour Live 2017". Cultural impact. In 1998, "Spin" asked Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl what lyric from 1997 he wishes he would have written . In response, Grohl cited the refrain of "Semi-Charmed Life". In January 2022, Third Eye Blind collaborated with Smith & Cult on a line of nail polish, which included a color titled "Semi-Charmed," to celebrate the 25th anniversary of their debut album. Usage in media. "Semi-Charmed Life" has been used in various media including film, television shows, and video games. The song had prominent appearances in "Contact" (1997), "Excess Baggage" (1997), "Wild Things" (1998), "Dirty Work" (1998), "Gigli" (2003), "Game Night" (2018), and "The Lovebirds" (2020). Despite not appearing on the film's soundtrack, "Semi-Charmed Life" was praised  for its appearance in the 1999 teen sex comedy film "American Pie". The song was also featured on the soundtrack for the 2005 film "A Lot Like Love". The song is featured in the 2019 episode "Story Tank" of "Henry Danger". A mash-up video of "Semi-Charmed Life" and "Call Me Maybe" circulated on the Internet in the middle of 2012. A cover version of the song was featured in the video game "Alvin and the Chipmunks" (2007). "Semi-Charmed Life" also appears as a playable track in the music rhythm video game "" (2009) in addition to being downloadable  content in "Rock Band 4" (2015) and "Rocksmith 2014" (2014). The song was used in the original theatrical trailer for Disney's "The Tigger Movie" (2000); a Disney spokeswoman said that she was not aware of the sexual content within the song's lyrics. Cover versions. Singers and bands of various genres have covered the song in their own style. American pop-rap duo Timeflies heavily sampled "Semi-Charmed Life" in their song "Semi-Charmed", which was released in November 2017. American rock band XEB, which consists of three of the founding members of Third Eye Blind, performed "Semi-Charmed  Life" while touring in 2017. In October 2017, Mokita and Maty Noyes collaborated on the song "Goodbye", which repurposes the chorus of "Semi-Charmed Life". In 2018, American singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope referenced "Semi-Charmed Life" in her song "How I Feel Right Now". Dance Gavin Dance released a cover of the song on Hopeless Records' compilation album "Songs That Saved My Life" (2018). Four Year Strong released a cover of the song on their third studio album "Explains It All" (2009). Credits and personnel. Credits and personnel are adapted from the "Semi-Charmed Life" CD single liner notes. Semi