Tomorrow we can drive around this town,
And let the cops chase us around,
The past is gone but something might be found to take its place,
Hey jealousy
And let the cops chase us around,
The past is gone but something might be found to take its place,
Hey jealousy
—"Hey Jealousy"
Gin Blossoms is an American Power Pop band formed in 1987, in Tempe, Arizona. They took their name from a photo of W. C. Fields which bore the caption "W.C. Fields with gin blossoms", referring to what appeared to be the actor's gin-ravaged nose, but was actually a skin condition known as rosacea. They hit it big in 1993, when the singles "Hey Jealousy", "Found Out About You", "Allison Road" and "Until I Fall Away" from their 1992 album New Miserable Experience all became major pop and rock radio hits.
Founding guitarist and songwriter Doug Hopkins killed himself in 1993, shortly after he had been dismissed from the band. The band broke up in 1997 after their third album Congratulations...I'm Sorry, but reformed in the mid-2000s.
Discography:
- Dusted (1989)
- New Miserable Experience (1992)
- Congratulations...I'm Sorry (1996)
- Major Lodge Victory (2006)
- No Chocolate Cake (2010)
This band and their music contain examples of:
- Lyrical Dissonance: Jangly, up-tempo songs about depression and alcoholism.
- Mood Whiplash: The band's second major label album, Congratulations...I'm Sorry, is named for the the band dealing with simultaneously being congratulated on becoming successful with their first major label album New Miserable Experience while at the same time having people express sympathy for Hopkin's tragic death.
- Pun-Based Title: New Miserable Experience is a play on British music magazine NME - the latter stands for "New Musical Express".
- Shout-Out: to people and places in the Tempe area; the song Mrs. Rita is about a local psychic.
- The Something Song: "Cajun Song" (presumably named after it's zydeco-style accordion breaks)
- Step Up to the Microphone: Jesse Valenzuela was the original lead vocalist of the band but then switched roles with guitarist Robin Wilson who has since been the primary vocalist for the band. Valenzuela though has since perform lead vocals on a couple of tracks
