‘Hey Jealousy’ is a song by American rock band Gin Blossoms. The song was included on the group's debut album, Dusted (1989), and was re-recorded for their 1992 album, New Miserable Experience. It was written by lead guitarist Doug Hopkins, who was fired from the band before New Miserable Experience was released. "Hey Jealousy" became the band's signature song, reaching number 25 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1993. It peaked at number 20 in Iceland, number 24 in the United Kingdom, number 28 in Australia, and number 39 in Canada. "Hey Jealousy" was certified gold.
‘Hey Jealousy’ was inspired by Hopkins' desire to get back with his ex-girlfriend Cathy Swafford, who had left him because of his drinking and cheating. Ed Masley of The Arizona Republic describes the song this way: “...[A guy] shows up at his ex's house too drunk to drive and asks if he can spend the night, a case he tries to make with "You can see I'm in no shape for driving and anyway, I've got no place to go." She was the best he'd ever had, he admits before bringing the verse to a humiliating close with "If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago, I might not be alone." But he's not giving up just yet, heading into the chorus full of hope as he attempts to sell her on a promise of "Tomorrow we can drive around this town and let the cops chase us around/ The past is gone but something might be found to take its place". There's too much self-awareness here to win a reasonable person over ("If you don't expect too much from me, you might not be let down.").
Hopkins originally included the line "you can trust me not to drink" in "Hey Jealousy", but lead singer Robin Wilson insisted on changing "drink" to "think," having grown tired of Hopkins' lyrical references to his drinking problem. Wilson explained: “Yes, because there were so many references to drinking, you know, in our songs. I would try to steer it away from that all the time. The band was called Gin Blossoms, which, as you know, is a reference to heavy drinking. We had all of these lyrics about it, and it was something we seemed to be talking about too much. I didn't think it was that big of a deal to change one word.” Hopkins, who was dismissed from the band due to alcohol abuse before New Miserable Experience was released, was upset that Wilson changed the lyric. When asked about the song after it became a hit, Hopkins expressed discomfort with the track, stating that he turned it off when he heard it on the radio.
A review by Rolling Stone called the song "manna for radio", highlighting "the ease with which this quintet casts hooks".] AllMusic staff writer Rick Anderson identified ‘Hey Jealousy’ and ‘Until I Fall Away’ as the two songs from New Miserable Experience "that leave the deepest impression". The video was directed by David Mould, who also did Elastica's "Connection" and Evanescence's "My Immortal." Band members show up in boxes on the screen throughout the clip, which in 1992 required a lot of mixdowns.
Label – A&M
Songwriter – Doug Hopkins
Producers – Gin Blossoms, John Hampton
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]Well, tell me, do you think it'd be all right
If I could just crash here tonight?
You can see I'm in no shape for driving
And anyway, I've got no place to go
And you know, it might not be that bad
You were the best I'd ever had
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago
I might not be alone
[Chorus]
Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone, but something might be found
To take its place
Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
[Verse 2]
You can trust me not to think
And not to sleep around
And if you don't expect too much from me
You might not be let down
'Cause all I really want is to be with you
Feeling like I matter too
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago
I might be here with you
[Chorus]
Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone, but something might be found
To take its place
Hey jealousy
[Instrumental Break]
[Chorus]
Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone, but something might be found
To take its place
Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
Hey jealousy
[Verse 1]
Well, tell me if you think it'd be all right
If I could just crash here tonight
You can see I'm in no shape for driving
And anyway, I've got no place to go
And you know it might not be that bad
You were the best I'd ever had
If I hadn't blown the whole thing years ago
I might not be alone
[Chorus]
Tomorrow we can drive around this town
And let the cops chase us around
The past is gone, but something might be found
To take its place
Hey jealousy
[Outro]
Hey jealousy
She took my heart
Well, there's only one thing that I couldn't start