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Blues Traveler — Hook
Album: Four
Avg rating:
6.8

Your rating:
Total ratings: 643









Released: 1994
Length: 4:43
Plays (last 30 days): 0
It doesn't matter what I say
So long as I sing with inflection
That makes you feel I'll convey
Some inner truth or vast reflection
But I've said nothing so far
And I can keep it up for as long as it takes
And it don't matter who you are
If I'm doing my job then it's your resolve that breaks
Because the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook brings you back
On that you can rely
There is something amiss
I am being insincere
In fact I don't mean any of this
Still my confession draws you near
To confuse the issue I refer
To familiar heroes from long ago
No matter how much Peter loved her
What made the Pan refuse to grow
Was that the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook brings you back
On that you can rely
Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn
Make a desperate move or else you'll win
And then begin to see
What you're doing to me
This MTV is not for free
It's so PC it's killing me
So desperately I sing to thee of love
Sure but also rage and hate and pain and fear of self
And I can't keep these feeling on the shelf
I've tried, well no, in fact I lied
Could be financial suicide but I've got too much pride inside
To hide or slide
I'll do as I'll decide and let it ride till until I've died
And only then shall I abide by this tide
Of catchy little tunes
Of hip three minute diddies
I wanna bust all your balloons
I wanna burn of all your cities to the ground
But I've found, I will not mess around
Unless I play then hey
I will go on all day
Hear what I say
I have a prayer to pray
That's really all this was
And when I'm feeling stuck and need a buck
I don't rely on luck
Because the hook brings you back
I ain't tellin' you no lie
The hook
On that you can rely
Comments (34)add comment
 RabbitEars wrote:

I love the lyric feature... I'm music first, lyrics second and often don't cognitively know what songs are about. I never realized this was a very interesting song about music!



In the old days, record albums had liner notes and the lyrics and the names of the band members and some groovy artwork.  Sometimes I miss the GOD.
 banesheim62 wrote:

I like this song. I have always liked this song. But the truth is it is not elocution but the mispronunciation of "hook" as "heart". So, in the end the song is a lie.


while trying to figure out words as i sing along to tunes i have absolutely no idea what the lyrics are, i am so guilty of singing "heart" here. 'the heart brings you back' makes perfect sense and it may explain how i determine the 'best lyyrics' to follow... cracks me up when i read the actual lyrics but may not change what i sing in the future...no offence to the song or songwriter(s)

How great to hear this again! I can never forget enjoying them jam outdoors at the Mary Rippon Theater on the CU Campus in May of '92... I was working up at A-Basin during that season -- that went till the end of May that year -- but was in Boulder partying away my days off with my buddy Kevin. They ROCKED solid!
I like this song. I have always liked this song. But the truth is it is not elocution but the mispronunciation of "hook" as "heart". So, in the end the song is a lie.
For some reason 'Here Lizard, Lizard' is what I hear.
You might notice it's the same chord progression as Pachelbel's "Canon in D". You'll never hear Pachelbel the same again. 

 jonahboo wrote:

Fun Factoid
This and Run_Around = both very successful Singles, both also share an unusual trait

Chords are same through Verse and Chorus (Run Around only four continuous chords; this is 8)



 nealcs wrote:

Thanks for playing the only Blues Traveler song that I can stand.



Ladies and Gentlemen, this is how you backhand a compliment.
Would have bet money that this was The Barenaked Ladies, before I checked the display page.  Good thing there was no one around to collect that bet
Suck it in, suck it in, suck it in
If you're Rin Tin Tin or Anne Boleyn

Overplayed at the first time. 
Fun Factoid
This and Run_Around = both very successful Singles, both also share an unusual trait

Chords are same through Verse and Chorus (Run Around only four continuous chords; this is 8)
 RabbitEars wrote:
I love the lyric feature... I'm music first, lyrics second and often don't cognitively know what songs are about. I never realized this was a very interesting song about music!
 
As one who was heavily influenced by the  the Prog-Rock era of the early 70's, I quickly learned to listen to the music and sing along with whatever gibberish they were singing.  It took many years for me to realize that songs can actually have intelligble lyrics.
 RabbitEars wrote:
I love the lyric feature... I'm music first, lyrics second and often don't cognitively know what songs are about. I never realized this was a very interesting song about music!
 
So true! All these years I was wondering why I could rely on Michigan...
Harmonica players never get credit like lead guitarists or keyboard players. John Popper harmonica solos were pretty incredible.
+1 to 8, mostly for nostalgia reasons; this album came out my Senior year of high school, though it was 5 years later that I was SOLD on the sound of Blues Traveler....too bad I missed the H.O.R.D.E festivals though...oh well...Long Live RP!!
Sounds VERY SIMILAR to the Barenaked Ladies to me.  Since they both formed at about the same time, it's probably only a coincidence.  Or is it?  My inquiring mind wants to know.
I love the lyric feature... I'm music first, lyrics second and often don't cognitively know what songs are about. I never realized this was a very interesting song about music!
Listen to "Live from the Fall". I'm not a huge fan, but shows what they can do!
I dislike this band.  The voice, the harmonica - eeeegadds!
 DoctorHooey wrote:
Gack! Insufferable. Pachabel called, he wants his chord progression back.
 

I think Pachelbel would've enjoyed it, really.
The best version of this song by far is Emma Stone's Lip Sync Battle on Jimmy Fallon
 DoctorHooey wrote:
wferrier wrote:
Hey I didn't catch that but hey you're right....
Well except when Pachabel when down to the third he used the minor chord, whereas BT uses the major, so not strictly diatonic. Doesn't keep this song from sucking tho.
 
The "six" is a minor though.  
wferrier wrote:
Hey I didn't catch that but hey you're right....
Well except when Pachabel when down to the third he used the minor chord, whereas BT uses the major, so not strictly diatonic. Doesn't keep this song from sucking tho.
Funny how the higher a song is rated, the more snarks and troll comments appear on the thread. Grow the f*** up people. I used to come to the comments page to find out more about the music, now all I find are childish insults.
Much as I respect his harmonica playing, I can't say that I LIKE it. Hey, cool CD cover. I hadn't ever seen it.
This song makes me want to commit random acts of harmonica violence!
DoctorHooey wrote:
Gack! Insufferable. Pachabel called, he wants his chord progression back.
Hey I didn't catch that but hey you're right....
Gack! Insufferable. Pachabel called, he wants his chord progression back.
I like their sound, but it's hard to deny that all of their tracks kind of blend together...
Thanks for playing the only Blues Traveler song that I can stand.
Oy. Haven\'t heard this song for quite a while.....with good reason. It stinks.
they make me happy..all the time... Bill, play Mountains Win Again so we can get some Warren Haynes goodness in there!
Can\'t wait to see \'em on Sunday at Summerfest....
Holy Crap you\'re right