Mansun came to prominence in the mid-nineties British indie/ guitar-rock resurgence, despite pursuing their own path away from any of the emerging scenes. Their first album Attack of the Grey Lantern could easily have been lost amidst the wave of new music in the British (Britpop) scene at that time if it had not been for the majestic Wide Open Space. The single charted at number 15 in the UK. The album then went on to reach no. 1 in the UK charts. Many of the tracks from the album and the associated EP's formed part of a grand concept piece. The band created a twisted town inhabited by bizarre characters such as "Dark Mavis", "Stripper Vicar", "Flourella" and "Egg-Shaped Fred".
Between their 1st and 2nd album they released the Closed for Business EP which departed from the themes that had run through all Mansun's previous releases, while musically very similar to the tracks from Attack of the Grey Lantern.
The band's second album Six was a radical departure from the first album. The tracks segued into each other creating two musical sections which were separated by an "intermission". Musically, the songs were far more produced in sound. The album artwork was also very complex containing many references to the cult (and often surreal) 60's TV show "The Prisoner". This perfectly suited the music which had the feeling of a nonsensical prog extravaganza. The artwork together with the way that the complex structure of the songs/time signatures blended into each other gave the impression of a very ambitious progressive rock concept album, though lyrically there is little to suggest that there is a central theme to the album. While generally critically appreciated, Six was not a huge commercial success, though the album did reach no. 6 in the UK album charts.
For their third album, Little Kix, Mansun again changed direction. This time the songs were slickly produced (over-produced in some senses) with strong pop sensibility. The album was obviously an attempt by the band to produce an album with more maturity, but was perhaps too polished. Little Kix reached no. 12 in the UK charts.
Mansun disbanded in May 2003. This was a culmination of band tensions which had seen one of the original members leave (Stove King). Disappointed by the poor reception of their 3rd album, the band folded with little fanfare of their passing.
Due to pressure from their fans, EMI released the posthumous "4th album", Kleptomania, which was a three CD set containing rough recordings of tracks slated to be on the unfinished 4th album, b-sides and rarities.
Wide Open Space
Mansun Lyrics
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I'm all alone and staring in to space
It's always quiet through my ceiling
The roof comes in and crashes in a daze
I'm in a wide open space, it's freezing
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me
I'm in a wide open space, I'm staring
There's something quite bizarre I cannot see
I'm on the top of a hill, I'm lonely
There's someone here to shout to miles away
I could be back at my house, for I care
They do not hear me, it's the same old case
I'm in a wide open space, it's freezing
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me
I'm in a wide open space, I'm staring
There's something quite bizarre I cannot see
Wide open space, I'm standing
I'm all alone and staring in to space
It's always quiet through my ceiling
The roof comes in and crashes in a daze
I'm in a wide open space, it's freezing
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me
I'm in a wide open space, I'm staring
There's something quite bizarre I cannot see
I'm in a wide open space, it's freezing
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me
I'm in a wide open space, I'm staring
There's something quite bizarre I cannot see
The lyrics to Mansun's song "Wide Open Space" describe the feeling of being alone and disconnected from the world around you. The singer describes standing in a wide open space and staring into space, feeling isolated and detached from his surroundings. He notes that his silence is always noticeable, as though he is intruding on the quietness of the space. The roof comes crashing in around him, leaving him in a daze.
The singer then notes that it is freezing in the space and that others will never get to heaven with a smile on their face from him. He is staring into the distance, not seeing anything tangible, but feeling that something quite bizarre is happening. He is on the top of a hill, lonely and shouting to no one in particular. He could be back at his house, but no one there would hear him anyway.
The lyrics convey a sense of isolation and disconnection from the world. The singer feels as though he is intruding in a space where he does not belong and that he is unable to connect with anyone around him. Despite this, there is a sense of longing for something more, a desire to connect with others and find a place in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm in a wide open space, I'm standing
I am in a vast area with no physical walls or ceilings, and I am standing still.
I'm all alone and staring in to space
I am solitary and gazing at nothing particular, lost in thought.
It's always quiet through my ceiling
The sound of silence can always be heard through the non-existent ceiling that surrounds me.
The roof comes in and crashes in a daze
The non-existent roof collapses and falls on me as if in a dream-like state.
I'm in a wide open space, it's freezing
I am in an exposed environment, and the temperature is significantly low.
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me
You will never please me, regardless of how hard you try.
There's something quite bizarre I cannot see
Something very strange or unusual is happening, but I'm unable to identify what it is.
I'm on the top of a hill, I'm lonely
I am perched on the highest point of a geographical elevation and feeling isolated.
There's someone here to shout to miles away
Even though I'm alone, there is still somebody so far away that I can shout to them.
I could be back at my house, for I care
I couldn't care less about being at home right now.
They do not hear me, it's the same old case
Nobody around me is paying attention to me, as usual.
Wide open space, I'm standing
I find myself in a vast, open area where I am standing still.
I'm in a wide open space, it's freezing
I am in an exposed environment, and the temperature is significantly low.
You'll never get to heaven with a smile on your face from me
You will never please me, regardless of how hard you try.
There's something quite bizarre I cannot see
Something very strange or unusual is happening, but I'm unable to identify what it is.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Paul Edward Draper
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind