Third Eye Blind Upbeat Tempo

What initially draws almost any person to listen to a song? The beat of the song sets the tempo, and the tempo portrays many emotions to the audience. Slow beats usually display a damaging or dejected connotation; whereas, an upbeat tempo depicts an equally cheerful and composed nature of sensations. Third Eye Blind’s 1997 hit, “Semi- Charmed Life”, appeals to audiences due to the positive melody played throughout the entire song. Beneath the catchy upbeat melody, the song contains dark lyrics about a drug user's descent into an addiction to crystal meth and sexual activities; the lyrics paint a bleak picture of the life and problems that come with drug addiction. However, the single still became a major hit that is widely popular to this day.
The song may open with seemingly harmless phrases but by examining the first verse one will notice an instant association to drugs; the opening lyrics “I'm packed and I'm holding, I'm smiling. She's living, she's golden, she lives for me” clearly sets the stage of a dealer supplied with drugs, and the buyer is pleased by this as she is considering to obtain more. The lyrics continue as “ She comes 'round and she goes down on me” confessing to the audience that to receive the drugs, she exploits herself to the dealer sexually. The story line of the lyrics continues to the dealer and buyer actually preparing to consume the drugs themselves; this depiction is brought upon by the lyrics “Chop another line like a coda with a curse”. The lyrics later go on to actually point out the exact name of the drug they are abusing by “Doing crystal meth will lift you up until you break”. “And then I bumped up, I took the hit that I was given, then I bumped again, then I bumped again” shows that the dealer clearly exercised the convenience of the drug numerous times. The story line continues to speak of their lives and struggles of drug