From the sleeve notes for the latest release End Titles...Stories For Film released in July 2008, the current line-up is stated as James Lavelle and Pablo Clements, also a member of the Psychonauts.
The original line-up was James Lavelle, Tim Goldsworthy (now a member of DFA) and Kudo (Major Force West, Skylab). This incarnation released several EPs and singles, usually involving collaborations with other Mo'Wax affiliated artists.
In 1998, after the departure of Goldsworthy and Kudo, Lavelle enlisted US producer DJ Shadow to help complete UNKLE's debut album, "Psyence Fiction". On this album they collaborated with a variety of guest artists including Thom Yorke (Radiohead), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Badly Drawn Boy and Richard Ashcroft (The Verve). The album contained songs which merged indie-rock with hip hop.
In 2003 UNKLE released "Never, Never, Land". At this time UNKLE consisted of Lavelle and new collaborator Richard File, and the album also featured Ian Brown (The Stone Roses), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream) and others.
A third album entitled "War Stories" was released in July 2007. It features collaborations with Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age), Ian Astbury (The Cult), Autolux, Robert Del Naja (Massive Attack), The Duke Spirit, and Gavin Clark, and is far more strongly rock-influenced than previous releases. The album was preceded by an EP, Nights Temper, of which a limited pressing was released in May 2007.
Lavelle has also released several mix albums and remixes under his own name and under the name UNKLEsounds (together with Richard File).
UNKLE is known for remixing music from artists such as Explosions in the Sky, Massive Attack, and Oasis.
Rabbit in Your Headlights
UNKLE Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Scared of the spotlight
You don't come to visit
I'm stuck in this bed
Thin rubber gloves
She laughs when she's crying
She cries when she's laughing
Fat bloody fingers are sucking your soul away...
(Away... away... away...)
I'm a rabbit in your headlights
Christian suburbanite
Washed down the toilet
Money to burn
Fat bloody fingers are sucking your soul away...
If you're frightened of dyin' and you're holding on...
You'll see devils tearing your life away.
But...if you've made your peace,
Then the devila are really angels
Freeing you from the earth... from the earth... from the earth
Rotworms on the underground
Caught between stations
Butterfingers
I'm losing my patience
I'm a rabbit in your headlights
Christian suburbanite
You got money to burn....
Fat bloody fingers are sucking your soul away...
Away, away, away,
Away, away, away.
The lyrics to UNKLE's song Rabbit in Your Headlights could be interpreted in a variety of ways, depending on one's perspective. From one perspective, the song is describing a person who is struggling with mental illness or addiction, feeling trapped and helpless in their situation. They are scared of being exposed, so they avoid social interactions and stay isolated in their own thoughts. The line "thin rubber gloves" could refer to a hospital or treatment setting, where the main character is receiving care, but also feels objectified and dehumanized by the medical establishment.
The lines "she laughs when she's crying, she cries when she's laughing" could be interpreted as a commentary on the duality of human emotion and the complicated nature of mental health struggles. The "fat bloody fingers" sucking away the soul of the person could symbolize the way that addiction or mental illness can consume a person's true self, leaving them feeling empty and desolate.
In contrast to the first two verses, the third verse seems to take a more religious or spiritual turn, with the mention of a Christian suburbanite and the idea of devils and angels. The final lines of the song suggest that if one has made peace with their own mortality, then the devils that once haunted them could actually be angels, setting them free from the earthly realm.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a rabbit in your headlights
I feel threatened and exposed by your attention and scrutiny as if I'm a rabbit caught in your headlights on a dark road.
Scared of the spotlight
I'm afraid of the attention and scrutiny that comes with being in the spotlight.
You don't come to visit
You're neglectful and don't make an effort to check on or see me.
I'm stuck in this bed
I'm confined and helpless, trapped in my current circumstances.
Thin rubber gloves
Medical gloves made of a flimsy material, often used for sterile care procedures.
She laughs when she's crying
She's emotional and conflicted, experiencing different feelings at the same time.
She cries when she's laughing
Her emotions are intense and unpredictable, causing her to express the opposite of what's expected.
Fat bloody fingers are sucking your soul away...
Evil forces are draining the essence of who you are, leaving you feeling empty and dead inside.
I'm a rabbit in your headlights
Again, I feel vulnerable and exposed in the face of your scrutiny.
Christian suburbanite
I'm an average, middle-class believer in God, living in the suburbs.
Washed down the toilet
My potential has been wasted and lost due to poor choices and circumstances.
Money to burn
I have an excess of wealth and resources, without any real purpose or direction.
If you're frightened of dyin' and you're holding on...
If you fear death and refuse to let go of life, demons and negativity will consume you.
You'll see devils tearing your life away.
You'll witness the destructive, evil forces of the world strip away everything you hold dear.
But...if you've made your peace,
However, if you've found inner peace and resolution within yourself,
Then the devils are really angels
Those seemingly negative and malevolent forces are actually beneficial, helping you to transcend this earthly realm.
Freeing you from the earth... from the earth... from the earth
These forces are releasing you from the physical world, allowing your spirit to soar free above it all.
Rotworms on the underground
Gross and disgusting creatures living below the surface of society and out of sight from most people.
Caught between stations
Stuck and struggling to move forward, unsure of how to get from one place to another.
Butterfingers
A clumsy and uncoordinated person who drops and fumbles things frequently.
I'm losing my patience
I'm growing increasingly frustrated and irritated with my circumstances and those around me.
You got money to burn....
Reiterating that you have an excess of wealth and resources, without any real direction or purpose.
Fat bloody fingers are sucking your soul away...
Repeating the earlier line about evil forces draining the essence of your being, emphasizing its importance.
Away, away, away,
The repetition of 'away' serves as an echo of the earlier line, intensifying its creepy and haunting nature.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSH PAUL DAVIS, THOMAS EDWARD YORKE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind