Mercury
Bloc Party Lyrics

My mercury's in retrograde
The singer feels that their life is being affected by astrological events and that their communication, decision-making and life in general is being disrupted

Mercury's in, Mercury's in, Mercury's In retrograde
The repetition of the phrase reinforces the fact that the singer is focusing on the chaos that Mercury's retrograde is causing in their life

This is not the time, the time to start a new love
The singer believes that due to the chaos that Mercury's retrograde is causing, this is not the right time for starting a new romantic relationship

This is not the time, the time to sign a lease
The artist believes that due to the chaos that Mercury's retrograde is causing, this is not the right time for signing a lease

Try not to worry about what's forgotten
The artist is advising themselves to not focus on the things they might have forgotten or missed due to Mercury's retrograde causing chaos in their life

Try not to worry about what's been missed
Similarly to the previous line, the singer is advising themselves to not focus on what they might have missed due to Mercury's retrograde causing chaos in their life

Scars on shins and scars on my knuckles
The singer is describing physical evidence of past harm, suggesting that they have been through a lot lately and are carrying the physical scars to prove it

Today I woke up in a basketball court
The artist is describing an unusual or uncomfortable situation, implying that they may have had a rough night or that they are feeling lost and unsure of where they belong

Jonjo's in Sydney and he ain't returning
The artist refers to someone who is not present and probably isn't responding to their communication attempts, indicating a feeling of isolation or abandonment

I'm sitting in Soho trying to stay drunk
The artist is trying to cope with their chaotic life by drinking and possibly attempting to escape reality

In any bar in the world From Silverlake to Williamsburg You could pick another stranger And fall in love
The singer is commenting on the idea of starting new relationships, suggesting that it's easy to fall in love with anyone, anywhere; reinforcing the idea that they're not in the right time to start a new one

Bleeding gums and veins protruding You're starting to hate all of your clothes
The artist is describing unpleasant physical symptoms (such as stress-related gum bleeding and protruding veins) and also an overall feeling of discomfort or anger towards their life

Neumayr's in LA and she ain't returning I'm sleeping with people I don't even like
The singer refers to another person who is not present or responding to their communication attempts and also talks about sleeping with people they don't like, implying that they're looking for physical comfort rather than emotional connection

When I saw you last night I wanted to say, run away with me Away from these cynics That this could be the start of Something truly real But all that I could say was "hey"
The singer is reminiscing about a moment when they wished for a deeper connection with someone, but they were unable to express themselves properly or to convince the other person to join them, implying that they are feeling stuck in their current situation