Paralyzer by Finger Eleven

Album: Them vs. You vs. Me (2007)

Charted: 6

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Songfacts®:

In an interview by Todd Shearon (who worked with Finger Eleven in a management capacity) on his MySpace site, Finger Eleven's guitarist James Black revealed that the creation of "Paralyzer" came about by chance: "Paralyzer was this riff we started jamming so our photographer friend would have something to take pictures of. There was no thought as to what it was going to be about or whether it was going to be dancy. We were just like 'holy s--t, this is a song, this is cool.' It's just hard to just bop your head and rock out to most of our songs. This is one of the first times we've written a song that we can actually do that to."
Finger Eleven's lead singer Scott Anderson has explained the meaning behind band's name as: "When everything is pushing you in one direction and your instinct drives you in another - that's finger eleven."
This was Finger Eleven's band's first #1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock and Modern Rock charts.
iTunes named this as the #1 rock song and #8 song overall of 2007.

Comments: 21

Zack from Los Angeles, CaI love the sound of this song but the lyrics are crap. I feel that way about a few Finger Eleven songs.
Zero from The Abyss, NjWhen playing this song live, sometimes the band would play it as an extended medley. The songs they would go into include Franz Ferdinand's "Take Me Out", Led Zeppelin's "Trampled Under Foot", and Pink Floyd's "Another Brick In The Wall Part II" (and maybe more -- check it out on you tube). It's just that beat is so danceable and used in so many songs that they can pull that off; and yes, like the points and John and Lizard made, everything sounds like something else. So much music has been written already that it is next to impossible if not literally impossible to write something completely original sounding nowadays. It is not plagiarism. Remember "Smells Like Teen Spirit" by Nirvana? Kurt Cobain was aware of this and would sometimes introduce the song during live performances by playing a few bars of Boston's "More Than A Felling" before going into to similar-sounding intro riff to SLTS. And his later hit "Rape Me"? The exact same chords as SLTS played in a different order! So there you have it. I'm done, PEACE!
Jeffrey from Louisville, KyThe guitar riff sounds like the synthesizer melody of The Cars "Moving in Stereo", doesn't it?
Dave from Ottawa, OnYes Ian This is a GREAT STRIPPING SONG, I heard is playing at strip club in Las Vegas when I was 17 and guys were putting down $ in front of of me cus they thought it was my first time in a strip club ha. Anyway this song is clearly about a guy in a club feelin akward and seeing a girl he wants to go talk to.
Ian from Albany, NyGreat Stripper song!
Lizard from Rossville, Inmusic...like everyday thought, involves little or no original thought. we are one of x billion people. do you think you are capable of that?
Lizard from Rossville, Inmusic...like everyday thought, involves little or no original thought. we are one of x billion people. do you think you are capable of that?
Kyle from Hewitt, Njthis songs about how the lead singer could get the guts to go and talk to some chick after a show
Sarah from La, CaOkay weird music video, with the people dancng in the street......crazy weird.....I LOVE IT ♥♥!!!!!!
Sarah from La, CaGreat song (I LOVE weird songs!!!! =)) Great beat. Haven't seen the music video yet. (I really don't think the songs weird though, i've listened to weirder)
Susan from Alabaster, AlHa! my best friend hates this song and I love it! so when i wanna get under her skin i play it!

great song!
Trey from Dallas, Txsounds like trampled underfoot by led zeppelin
Josh from Tucson, AzEverything does sound the same -- how do you have bands like Avenged, Disturbed, and Wolfmother without Black Sabbath and Zeppelin? And yes, Bill is correct. The main riffs from both "Youth Gone Wild" and this song are similar. Actually listen before you start making assumptions.

As for the music video, frankly, it sucks. Why not have that guy watch girls pole dancing, especially during the pre-chorus/chorus interlude? Huh? It fits with the perverse nature that is this song.

To John, "Well I'm still imagining a dark lit place or your place or my place" means (get ready to be shocked) He wants some. And doesn't care where he gets it. "This club has got to be the most pretentious thing since I thought you and me" means that the club sucks just like the thought of us together. Hence insert my idea for the music video.
Tori from Houston, Txi agree with gabe. i used to love hey there delilah and it was like me and my bf's song and then we broke up and i really dont care for it that much anymore. but this song rox ur sox off and the music video is reallly weird! imean whats with the calidiscope effect with the ppl? lolz PEACE OUT MY HOMIES!
:P
Hannah from Fargo, Ndcool song, a little weird...
John from Cg, NjThis a great song but what are they talking about? Lines like, "Well I'm still imagining a dark lit place or your place or my place" and "This club has got to be the most pretentious thing since I thought you and me", don't make no sense.
Gabe from Borger, Txthis song is sooo awesome. it is overplayed, but thats the way i like it! much better than hey there delilah and stronger and all those other songs we hear 10 times a day on the same radio station.
Bill from Houston, PaThe riff he was playing just happened to sound exactly like Skid Row's, "Youth Gone Wild." Do they acknowledge that the music is Skid Row's or do they actually think they came up with it on their own?
Edward Pearce from Ashford, Kent, EnglandNot sure why a ? appeared rather a speech mark after my last comment!
Edward Pearce from Ashford, Kent, EnglandThis is similar to Franz Ferdinand's ?Take Me Out."
Matthew from Milford, MaThe music video is so freaky!