How's It Going To Be

"How's It Going to Be" is a song by the rock band Third Eye Blind. Released in November 1997 as the third single from their self-titled debut album, it reached #9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, becoming the band's second consecutive Top 10 single. In Canada, the single peaked at #6, and in Iceland it peaked at #32. Written by Kevin Cadogan and Stephan Jenkins, the song deals with the trauma of the ending of a relationship and how the transition from friends to acquaintances is a brutal one. In an interview with Stephan Jenkins published in Billboard, he explained: The song’s inspiration came about when Third Eye guitarist Kevin Cadogan was tinkering around with an autoharp, 'which is a vintage-sounding instrument that you can’t really play without it having a sort of nostalgic sound to it. That inspired this emotional condition in me,' Jenkins says. That condition surrounds the idea of lost love, of realizing that there may come a despairing day when the two meet and no longer know each other. 'I think we all feel violated when we find that a relationship actually has time limits, that it’s not unconditional. That’s the thing that aches in people,' he explains. 'That’s something everybody can relate to, even when you know you have no business being with this person anymore.'

[Verse 1: Stephan Jenkins] I'm only pretty sure that I can't take anymore Before you take a swing I wonder what are we fighting for When I say out loud "I wanna get out of this" I wonder is there anything I'm gonna miss [Chorus: Stephan Jenkins] I wonder how it's going to be When you don't know me How's it going to be When you're sure I'm not there? How's it going to be When there's no one there to talk to? Between you and me 'Cause I don't care How's it going to be? How's it going to be? [Verse 2: Stephan Jenkins] Where we used to laugh There's a shouting match Sharp as a thumbnail scratch A silence I can't ignore Like the hammock by the Doorway we spent time in, swings empty Don't see lightning like last fall When it was always about to hit me [Chorus: Stephan Jenkins] I wonder how's it going to be When it goes down How's it going to be When you're not around? How's it going to be When you found out there was nothing Between you and me? 'Cause I don't care How's it going to be How's it going to be [Bridge: Stephan Jenkins] And how's it going to be When you don't know me anymore? And how's it going to be? Wanna get myself back in again The soft dive of oblivion I wanna taste the salt of your skin The soft dive of oblivion (Oblivion) [Outro: Stephan Jenkins] How's it going to be? When you don't know me anymore? How's it going to be? How's it going to be?