I was *obsessed* with this song in my late teens/early adulthood. I don't pay too much attention to lyrics overall so I can't say that's why. Musically it just did it for me. Jon is correct in saying it's a crowd pleaser. I got to see them play last year at a festival here in Florida. They were great! I'm so glad I went. Unfortunately, this song didn't quite translate live for me. It lost the nuances that make it great. Still, I am grateful I got to hear it live. Let's hear more from this album 😀
The reason for the album name change was due to the censorship that was taking place on radio airwaves at the time. After the 9/11 attacks and the perceived sensitivity/ trauma US citizens were experiencing at the time stuff was being pulled left and right from airplay. The album was initially called Bleed American however they noticed how albums were pulled from radio play due to certain titles and lyrics. The band had put so much work into the album, and as you noted, considered it really their last chance so acted quickly to change the name to prevent it from being blacklisted. The song "The Middle" was so much of a bigger deal than people realize. It was like therapy music for the country when you consider the lyrics (which were actually written for a teenage fan who had written the lead singer about feeling she didn't fit in) and Americans need for someone to tell them that everything was going to be alright. The album was intended to be kind of a homage to the American music scene and there so many little nods here and there to bands, musicians, songs and pop culture throughout the entire album that if you spend time paying attention to it will kind of blow your mind. If you don't feel up to discovering them yourself there is a UA-cam video out there by Trash Theory titled "How The Middle saved Jimmy Eat World" that delves into a lot of those nods throughout the album. It's an interesting watch and goes into detail about some of the things I've just grazed on. I hope you both found this interesting...it might be worth reacting to tThe Middle and actually paying attention to what's being said while taking into consideration what was happening at the time of its release. I'd be curious to get both of your thoughts. Edit: Just saw how long this comment ended up being, sorry for the novel. 😂
Thanks Genesis for your comments. Interesting - I guess it was obvious at the time the turmoil after 9/11, but being in the UK we couldn't truly appreciate it. Strangely a similar thing happened over here during the first Gulf war, but on a different scale. Massive Attack's first album Blue Lines was censored. Not in a way you would imagine, like controversial lyrics, but their band name. CDs were printed with just 'Massive' as the powers that be thought the word 'Attack' too provocative. Utter madness. I'm sure Andy will take your recommendation under advisement - if he hasn't got it lined up already. Cheers, Jon. I don't mind long posts - keep them coming.
A swig of Jack Daniels then off with me top...Six weeks to live but at least I'm not in Journey... @Jon - you didn't pick up the obvious zombie allusions in the lyrics? If not Shostakovich, Prokoviev perhaps? AVpnr8dI_50
I don't know, I may be too old. I don't really connect with these power pop punk bands from the late 90s to 2000s. Eh...Breaking Benjimin, Bink-182, New Found Glory, they're just not for me...
For what it's worth, I dislike all the bands you just listed, Phil. Though I do recognize that Travis Barker of Blink is a good drummer. They ain't for me either. - Andy
However, I'm not too old for the concert at MSG tomorrow. Beck/Pheonix/Japanese Breakfast. Now if you like 80s new wave pop, check out Japanese Breakfast's "Slide Tackle" or adult pop "Posing for Cars". Just saying...
Good tune, nice breezy kind of pop tune, enjoyed the show, thanks all.
Do yourself a favor and listen to the album before this, Clarity. It's a best of the best of that era and this genre.
I was *obsessed* with this song in my late teens/early adulthood. I don't pay too much attention to lyrics overall so I can't say that's why. Musically it just did it for me. Jon is correct in saying it's a crowd pleaser. I got to see them play last year at a festival here in Florida. They were great! I'm so glad I went. Unfortunately, this song didn't quite translate live for me. It lost the nuances that make it great. Still, I am grateful I got to hear it live. Let's hear more from this album 😀
And so it shall be. 🙂 - Andy
The reason for the album name change was due to the censorship that was taking place on radio airwaves at the time. After the 9/11 attacks and the perceived sensitivity/ trauma US citizens were experiencing at the time stuff was being pulled left and right from airplay. The album was initially called Bleed American however they noticed how albums were pulled from radio play due to certain titles and lyrics. The band had put so much work into the album, and as you noted, considered it really their last chance so acted quickly to change the name to prevent it from being blacklisted.
The song "The Middle" was so much of a bigger deal than people realize. It was like therapy music for the country when you consider the lyrics (which were actually written for a teenage fan who had written the lead singer about feeling she didn't fit in) and Americans need for someone to tell them that everything was going to be alright.
The album was intended to be kind of a homage to the American music scene and there so many little nods here and there to bands, musicians, songs and pop culture throughout the entire album that if you spend time paying attention to it will kind of blow your mind. If you don't feel up to discovering them yourself there is a UA-cam video out there by Trash Theory titled "How The Middle saved Jimmy Eat World" that delves into a lot of those nods throughout the album. It's an interesting watch and goes into detail about some of the things I've just grazed on.
I hope you both found this interesting...it might be worth reacting to tThe Middle and actually paying attention to what's being said while taking into consideration what was happening at the time of its release. I'd be curious to get both of your thoughts.
Edit: Just saw how long this comment ended up being, sorry for the novel. 😂
Thanks Genesis for your comments. Interesting - I guess it was obvious at the time the turmoil after 9/11, but being in the UK we couldn't truly appreciate it.
Strangely a similar thing happened over here during the first Gulf war, but on a different scale. Massive Attack's first album Blue Lines was censored. Not in a way you would imagine, like controversial lyrics, but their band name. CDs were printed with just 'Massive' as the powers that be thought the word 'Attack' too provocative. Utter madness.
I'm sure Andy will take your recommendation under advisement - if he hasn't got it lined up already.
Cheers, Jon.
I don't mind long posts - keep them coming.
A swig of Jack Daniels then off with me top...Six weeks to live but at least I'm not in Journey...
@Jon - you didn't pick up the obvious zombie allusions in the lyrics?
If not Shostakovich, Prokoviev perhaps? AVpnr8dI_50
I don't know, I may be too old. I don't really connect with these power pop punk bands from the late 90s to 2000s. Eh...Breaking Benjimin, Bink-182, New Found Glory, they're just not for me...
For what it's worth, I dislike all the bands you just listed, Phil. Though I do recognize that Travis Barker of Blink is a good drummer. They ain't for me either. - Andy
However, I'm not too old for the concert at MSG tomorrow. Beck/Pheonix/Japanese Breakfast. Now if you like 80s new wave pop, check out Japanese Breakfast's "Slide Tackle" or adult pop "Posing for Cars". Just saying...