Blinded (song)

"Blinded" (also known as "Blinded (When I See You)") is a song by American alternative rock band Third Eye Blind. It was released in April 2003 as the lead single from their 2003 album, Out of the Vein. It was written by Stephan Jenkins, Arion Salazar, and Tony Fredianelli. The song received positive reviews from music critics and peaked at number 34 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart.

"Blinded"
Single by Third Eye Blind
from the album Out of the Vein
Released	March 24, 2003 (2003-03-24)
Studio	Mourningwood Studio (San Francisco) Skywalker Sound (San Francisco)
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	4:26 (album version) 3:55 (single version)
Label	Elektra
Songwriter(s)	Stephan Jenkins Arion Salazar Tony Fredianelli
Producer(s)	Stephan Jenkins Arion Salazar Jason Carmer
Third Eye Blind singles chronology
"Deep Inside of You" (2000) "Blinded" (2003) "Crystal Baller" (2003)
Music video
"Blinded" on YouTube

Background

"Blinded" was written by Stephan Jenkins, Arion Salazar, and Tony Fredianelli and was produced by Jenkins.[1]

The protagonist of the song is a man who goes to his ex-lover's apartment and spies on her through the bathroom door, illustrated in lyrics such as "I see you fogging up the mirror / Vapor round your body glistens from the shower."[2]

According to Entertainment Weekly's Tom Sinclair, the song seems to reference The Who's "Pinball Wizard".[2]

Release

"Blinded" was released as a single in April 2003.[3] It was the second track on Third Eye Blind's 2003 album, Out of the Vein, which was released the following month.[4]

The song also appeared on Third Eye Blind's 2006 compilation album, A Collection.[5]

Composition

"Blinded" is an alternative rock song.

Critical reception

"Blinded" received positive critical reviews. Billboard's Chuck Taylor wrote that the song was "a jangly, pop-rooted rocker that reflects the signature style of the band: lyric-loaded, a big chorus, hearty, organic instrumentation, and more than a smattering of sexual innuendo. Adult top 40 and modern rock should take this baby in and give it a happy home."[1] Billboard's Larry Flick thought that the song would "easily stand the test of time."[6] While comparing Out of the Vein to Third Eye Blind's previous work, the Record-Journal's Alan Sculley wrote, "Frisky songs like 'Blinded (When I See You)' and 'Crystal Baller' sit comfortably alongside past hits like 'Semi-Charmed Life' and 'Never Let You Go.'"[7]

Chart performance

"Blinded" was the first single released off of Out of the Vein.[2] It spent 15 weeks on the Billboard Adult Pop Songs chart and peaked at number 17 on July 5, 2003. It also peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and at number 34 on the Billboard Pop Songs chart.[8] It was the only single from Out of the Vein to appear on the charts.[9]

Music video

The song's music video was directed by Stephan Jenkins and features the band members fooling around and performing onstage.[10]

Charts

Chart (2003)[8]	Peak position
US Adult Top 40 (Billboard)[11]	17
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[12]	35
US Billboard Pop Songs	34

References

1. "Singles". Billboard. April 26, 2003. p. 39.
2. Sinclair, Tom. "Out of the Vein Review". ew.com. May 7, 2003. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
3. "Blinded - Third Eye". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
4. "Out of the Vein - Third Eye Blind". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
5. "A Collection - Third Eye Blind". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
6. "Albums". Billboard. May 24, 2003. p. 34.
7. Sculley, Alan. "Third Eye Blind takes their sweet time with latest CD". Record-Journal. May 1, 2003.
8. "Blinded - Third Eye Blind". billboard.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
9. "Out of the Vein - Third Eye Blind Awards". allmusic.com. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
10. "Blinded (When I See You)". mtv.com. June 24, 2003. Retrieved June 16, 2012.
11. "Third Eye Blind Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
12. "Third Eye Blind Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved December 9, 2016.