Gin Blossoms is an alternative rock 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 the actor’s gin-ravaged nose.

Members during the band’s early years included guitarist and songwriter Doug Hopkins, bassist Bill Leen, vocalist Robin Wilson, guitarist Richard Taylor, drummer Chris McCann, McCann’s replacement Dan Henzerling, and Taylor’s replacement Jesse Valenzuela. During their early years, the Gin Blossoms became well-known locally around their hometown of Tempe, Arizona.

By the early 1990s, the lineup had changed to Leen on bass, Hopkins on guitar, Valenzuela on guitar and vocals, Wilson on vocals and acoustic guitar, and Phillip Rhodes on drums.

Gin Blossoms named its debut album New Miserable Experience as a reflection of its relatively unpleasant new experience of life in a band. During work on this record, lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, a severe alcoholic, was fired and replaced with Scott Johnson. Author Laurie Notaro makes a (slightly veiled) mention of the Gin Blossoms, specifically drinking with Doug Hopkins after he had been kicked out of the band, in her book “We Thought You’d Be Prettier” in an essay about the closing of Long Wong’s, a local bar where the band performed. Hopkins’ songs “Hey Jealousy” and “Found Out About You” went on to become hit singles. Their success was overshadowed by Hopkins’ suicide in 1993.

The band broke up in 1997, but reunited again in 2002.

Follow You Down

http://djallyn.org/media/gin-blossoms-follow-you-down.flv

Did you see the sky I think it means that we’ve been lost
Maybe one less time is all we need
I can’t really help it if my tongue’s all tied in knots
Jumping off a bridge it’s just the farthest that I’ve ever been and

Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
I’ll follow you down, but not that far

I know we’re headed somewhere, I can see how far we’ve come
But still I can’t remember anything
Let’s not do the wrong thing and I’ll swear it might be fun
It’s a long way down when all the knots we’ve tied have come undone

Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
I’ll follow you down, but not that far

How you gonna ever find your place?
Running in an artificial pace
Are they gonna find us lying face down in the sand?
So what the hell now, we’ve already been forever damned

Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
I’ll follow you down, but not that far

Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
Anyplace but those I know by heart
Anywhere you go, I’ll follow you down
I’ll follow you down, but not that far

I’ll follow you down, but not that far
I’ll follow you down, but not that far

• Audio from the 1996 album, Congratulations, I’m Sorry:

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Other songs posted for this artist

Hey Jealousy ~ Gin Blossoms

Found Out About You ~ Gin Blossoms