<center>"It's Been a While"</center>
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https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/12/15/NSJR/fa51f2b8-9f8a-4df4-84a2-b828c1b49115-ILSPR-121620-NEWS-Staind.jpg?auto=webp&crop=599,337,x0,y30&format=pjpg&width=1200

[Image Source](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/presto/2020/12/15/NSJR/fa51f2b8-9f8a-4df4-84a2-b828c1b49115-ILSPR-121620-NEWS-Staind.jpg?auto=webp&crop=599,337,x0,y30&format=pjpg&width=1200)

“It’s Been Awhile” is a post-grunge song by the American rock band “Staind”. Released in 2001, it was the lead single of their third studio album “Break the Cycle”. It was received exceptionally well both commercially and critically and it’s the band’s most successful track yet, getting on a lot of top charts and holding its ground for quite a while. It uses the post-grunge genre to deliver its feelings of anger and dissent exceptionally well, along with the F sharp major key to give that anger a “clarity in mind and feeling”, instead of it being just childish and destructive madness. It’s a moderately paced song with a bpm of 117, it’s just fast enough to give it a “punch” but no too fast to make it intrusive with all its thick, distorted guitars.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=araU0fZj6oQ

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The song begins with a fairly calm, clear, and quiet electric guitar melody, almost reminiscing, which is then joined by an acoustic guitar shortly afterward. The track is then honed by the drums and vocals mixing in the jam. The drums are impactful, yet contained. As is the vocals. It’s pretty amazing how Aaron Lewis can control his voice this way. It’s got bits and pieces of mourning in that voice as well. At the 48th second, for just mere 2 seconds, there’s a quick shift in the track’s tone. It’s like the drums have had enough. They wanna let loose. They do a little passage into the chorus and BAM! there‘s that bombastic chorus we’ve been waiting for. The guitars going at it with full force and the vocals much stronger, but still, clear in thought. Not mad, just angry. Everything is taken back under control like someone just lassoed the track and calmed it down again. The second verse is played on. At 1:40, there’s something new. There are two vocals going on, one’s still levelheaded and laid back, but the other one is fighting against the restraints, it’s much angrier, his voice much more distorted. For the next line, it’s as if the two vocals merge and the voice is simultaneously cool and heated. And here comes the second chorus, again, grandiose and powerful! It sounds like explosions are being conducted instead of being let loose. At 2:32 there’s a bridge, and it’s quite an important part of the song, as it takes a step back to see just what is the source of all this anger, why is our hero so displeased with himself. And there’s an unmistakable aura of sadness in there. So innocent, so anxious, pleading for help. 3rd minute and the song tones everything down a level. The speed, the guitars, the drums, the vocals, everyone sounds much more serene, but it’s quickly picked up again by the drummer.  And we get to the rest of the last verse and the last chorus. Oh, the last chorus. The instruments do all sorts of crazy stuff. Maybe our guy is trashing the room he’s in? Or at least thinking about it. The outro plays, everything’s calmer now. A lighter flicks on and the next cigarette is lit. 

http://www.metalmusicarchives.com/images/artists/staind.jpg

The lyrics to this song are almost all written in a way that could be in relation to both a loved one or the drugs that the singer is addicted to. “but all that shit seems to disappear when I'm with you” could either be someone you enjoy being with and don’t think about the bad things in the world when around them or just drugs, numbing you to all the pain and bad thoughts. “And it's been a while, but I can still remember just the way you taste” could either be a romantic partner you’ve kissed or again, drugs that you inhale through your mouth. And the whole song is about the constant struggle of either letting go of the relationship’s memories, or the drugs and getting to live free of the negative thoughts they entail. 

Stay strong everybody, you can beat whatever’s boggling your mind, you can get over it. I’m sure of it. I’ll see you all, at the next review.

Regards,

@davidfar