Semi-Charmed Life

"Semi-Charmed Life"
Single by Third Eye Blind
from the album Third Eye Blind
Released	June 17, 1997 (1997-06-17)
Format	CD single
Genre	Alternative rock, power pop
Length	4:29 (Album Version) 4:00 (Video Edit) 3:40 (Radio Edit)
Label	Elektra
Writer(s)	Stephan Jenkins
Producer	Eric Valentine
Third Eye Blind singles chronology
"Semi-Charmed Life" (1997) "Graduate" (1997)

"Semi-Charmed Life" is Third Eye Blind's first single off their self-titled debut album, released in 1997. It was a major hit of the 1990s, reaching number four in the U.S., number one on the Modern Rock Tracks and the Top 40 in the UK. Furthermore, it has had a pervasive cultural impact, being featured in numerous movie soundtracks. VH1 has named the song as the 34th best song of the 1990s.

Beneath a catchy, upbeat melody, with rapidly spoken lyrics and references to popular culture, the song contains dark lyrics about a drug user's descent into crystal meth addiction and his implied sexual activities while trying to "want something else." The video features many scenes with motor scooters and a 1960 Chevrolet Impala filmed around San Francisco.

According to lead singer Stephan Jenkins, the song was meant as a response to Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side" but from a San Francisco perspective. The style of the song reflects changes that were occurring in the San Francisco music scene, particularly a growing interest in hip-hop.

Alternative versions

Demo

Several changes were made for the studio recording. In the demo version, Jenkins spoke during the verses as opposed to singing it. The chorus lyrics were originally "I want nothing else to get me through this…" as opposed to "I want something else to get me through this…" In the second verse, instead of "Doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break," the demo version went, "Crystal methylene will lift you up until you break." Finally, the reprise of the beginning of the second verse at the end of the song is omitted in the demo version.

Radio edits

Released on the single were a "clean edit" and the "radio edit." Both edits cut to 2:20 from 3:07 on the album version. The differences between the two edits is that the clean edit has the words "crystal meth" censored through backmasking. Radio stations that chose not to edit the drug reference played the radio edit.

The music video also shortened the song, but in a different section. The song was cut to 2:41 from 3:09. The drug references were either intact or edited out of the video, depending on which television channel the video aired.

Popular culture

• "Weird Al" Yankovic included the song's chorus in the song "Polka Power!" on his album Running with Scissors.
• "Semi-Charmed Life" was featured in the 1998 film Dirty Work starring Norm Macdonald and Artie Lange.
• The song was featured in the 1999 teen comedy American Pie, most notably in the final scene.
• The song was featured in the initial scene of the 2006 film A Lot Like Love.
• The TV series Bill Nye the Science Guy did a parody of the song called Atoms in My Life.
• The BYU comedy troupe Divine Comedy did a parody if the song called BYU Kind of Life.
• The song was on an episode of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch.
• The song was used in the U.S. trailer and commercials for the release of the New Line Cinema altered version of the Jackie Chan film Mr. Nice Guy.
• The song was used in the 1998 film Wild Things.
• An excerpt of the song can be heard among the many sound samples used in the opening shot of the 1997 film Contact.
• This song is featured in Guitar Hero: Van Halen. It is a re-recording based on the radio edit.
• Massachusetts' melodic-hardcore band Four Year Strong covered this song in their 90's tribute album, Explains It All.
• In DJ Hero, this song is mixed with the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back". The mix is playable in both DJ and DJ/Guitar formats.
• Semi-Charmed Life was the name of a mission in Saints Row.
• A similar recording to Guitar Hero: Van Halen's edit was uploaded to the Rock Band Network.
• In 2011, the song was parodied by The Fringemunks to recap Fringe episode 4.05, "Novation."

Charts

Peak positions

Chart	Peak position
Australian Singles Chart	8
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	2
Canadian RPM Alternative 30	3
UK Singles Chart	33
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	4
U.S. Billboard Modern Rock Tracks	1

End of year charts

End of year chart (1997)	Position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart	12
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	17
End of year chart (1998)	Position
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	57

Preceded by "The Freshmen" by The Verve Pipe	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number one single May 24 – June 21, 1997	Succeeded by "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones
Preceded by "The Impression That I Get" by The Mighty Mighty Bosstones	Billboard Modern Rock Tracks number one single July 5–19, 1997	Succeeded by "Push" by Matchbox Twenty

External links

• Music Video