Pop Song 457 of 500 'Semi-Charmed Life' Third Eye Blind 1997

Pop Song 457 of 500 'Semi-Charmed Life' Third Eye Blind 1997

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 song's style, Jenkins explained that it was meant to reflect changes that occurred in the San Francisco music scene at the time, 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. Jenkins, however, maintains that the meaning of the song more broadly relates to changing periods in one's life.
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.

Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo

I'm packed and I'm holding, I'm smiling
She's living, she's golden, she lives for me
Says she lives for me
Ovation, her own motivation
She comes 'round and she goes down on me