In 2013, while still a teenager, Marshall released the first King Krule album, 6 Feet Beneath the Moon, on XL in the U.K. and True Panther in the U.S. Marshall then collaborated with his brother Jack for the relatively fluid, more electronic A New Place 2 Drown. Released in 2015 and credited to Archy Marshall, its physical edition was packaged with a 208-page book of poetry, photography, and art. King Krule fully reactivated in 2017 with a handful of varied singles -- the dreamlike ballad "Czech One," the mid-tempo rocker "Dum Surfer," and the rumbling "Half Man Half Shark," all featuring saxophone from Ignacio Salvadores -- that led up to The Ooz, an hour-long follow-up written during a three-year period.
Cellular
King Krule Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's a television speaking to me
There's a French girl
On my television
She's crying in the palm of my hand
In moving mental
I read the paper, or just the photo
I rip one out with my hand
There's a massacre
Across the o-, across the o-, across the ocean
I can see it in the palm of my hands
(Me hundo cada vez máss al fondo)
Below the ground floor
We're losing signal, we've lost connection
I left her dying, she was still crying
And now she's lying in my head
Above the the third rail
Shrapnel flying
Next door's wobbling
But I'm riding to the end
What am I good for?
(What am I good for?)
I've got no signal
Abandoned
To the voice in my head
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I-
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I phone my ex
I-
King Krule's song "Cellular" explores themes of alienation, disconnection, and the devastating impact of contemporary technology on human connection. The song starts off with the singer watching a French girl crying on his television, with the image fitting into the palm of his hand. This line conveys the idea that the singer is so consumed by technology that essential human experiences, like emotions, can be encapsulated within a tiny screen. The next few lines describe how the singer reads the news - "I read the paper, or just the photo" - suggesting that even traditional sources of information are consumed in bite-sized pieces. The mention of a massacre "across the ocean" emphasizes how events of great magnitude can be reduced to a single image in the palm of the singer's hand.
The lyrics then move to a more surreal space where the singer feels like they are sinking lower and lower ("Me hundo cada vez máss al fondo"). The line "Below the ground floor / We're losing signal, we've lost connection" further emphasizes the singer's sense of dislocation from both the physical world and other people. The line "I left her dying, she was still crying / And now she's lying in my head" hints that the singer has ignored a past relationship by turning to technology, causing them to recreate it in their own head. The following lines with mentions of "shrapnel flying" and "next door's wobbling" suggest a breakdown in reality, with the singer becoming increasingly isolated. The repetition of the phrase "I phone my ex" reinforces the idea that technology has replaced physical human interaction.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a television
The presence of a technological device used for broadcasting of visual messages
There's a television speaking to me
The TV set is producing sound so that the person watching is able to hear the content
There's a French girl
The person being referred to is a female of French nationality
On my television
The French girl is being displayed on the TV screen
She's crying in the palm of my hand
The person has the power to control the girl’s emotions or is able to see, understand and empathize with how the girl is feeling
In moving mental
In a state of mind that fluctuates, changes or shifts
I read the paper, or just the photo
The person is either reading a physical paper or looking at photographs contained in it, potentially without reading the accompanying text
I rip one out with my hand
The person physically tears out a page from the newspaper
There's a massacre
A violent occurrence resulting in the death of a large number of people
Across the o-, across the o-, across the ocean
The event took place overseas or in a faraway location
I can see it in the palm of my hands
The gravity of the situation is such that the person can figuratively sense it and feel its impact strongly
(Me hundo cada vez máss al fondo)
The person is sinking deeper into a psychological, emotional or physical pit of despair, with each moment that passes exacerbating the situation further
Below the ground floor
The singer is in a below-ground level of whatever building or location they are in
We're losing signal, we've lost connection
The person is no longer in touch or able to communicate with someone/something due to poor signal or a malfunction of the communication line
I left her dying, she was still crying
The person abandoned the female from earlier (the French girl on TV), although she was still in need of attention and support
And now she's lying in my head
The person is now fixated on the French girl and can't forget about her
Above the the third rail
The person is physically above the electrified rail-track of a train
Shrapnel flying
Small metal fragments are being scattered around, typically a result of an explosion
Next door's wobbling
The structures/buildings around the person are being affected by the explosion and are unstable
But I'm riding to the end
Despite the chaos and danger, the person is continuing on their path
What am I good for? (What am I good for?)
The person is questioning their value or worth in a particular situation or in general
I've got no signal
The person is unable to connect/communicate with others or technology due to poor signal or malfunction
Abandoned
The person feels deserted or left alone
To the voice in my head
The person is listening to their own thoughts, which are likely negative or critical
I phone my ex
The person is trying to reconnect with their former partner
I-
Cut-off or truncated thought
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Archie Marshall
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind