Machine Gun
Portishead Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I saw a savior
A savior come my way
I thought I'd see it
At the cold light of day
But now I realize that I'm
Only for me

If only I could see
You turn myself to me
And recognize the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy, it will agree, with how I feel

Here am I reflecting
What more can I say?
For I am guilty
For the voice that I obey
Too scared to sacrifice a choice
Chosen for me

If only I could see
You turn myself to me
And recognize the poison in my heart
There is no other place




No one else I face
The remedy, it will agree, with how I feel

Overall Meaning

The song "Machine Gun" by Portishead is a poignant reflection on personal inner demons and the need for redemption. The opening lines "I saw a savior, a savior come my way," suggest a spiritual awakening, possibly brought on by a traumatic event. However, the singer quickly admits that they are "only for me" and that this realization has come to them in the cold light of day. The next lines express a desire to be seen by a higher power and to acknowledge the "poison in [their] heart." The singer knows that the only way to come to terms with their inner struggles is to recognize them and seek redemption.


The second verse continues with the singer reflecting on their guilt and acknowledging that they have followed a voice that has led them down a path of fear and avoidance. They express a desire to overcome these internal struggles but are hesitant to make the necessary sacrifices, instead hoping that someone or something else will provide the remedy they seek. The repeated refrain of "If only I could see, you turn myself to me" highlights the singer's yearning for guidance and forgiveness.


Overall, "Machine Gun" is a powerful and introspective song that delves into themes of redemption, self-reflection, and the desire for transcendence.


Line by Line Meaning

I saw a savior
I thought I found a savior, someone who could save me from my troubles


A savior come my way
Someone appeared in my life who I thought could save me


I thought I'd see it
I expected to see salvation


At the cold light of day
When faced with reality


But now I realize that I'm Only for me
I now understand that I am the only one who can save myself


If only I could see
I wish I could understand


You turn myself to me
You show me the truth about myself


And recognize the poison in my heart
And see the negative influence I have on myself


There is no other place
There is no escape


No one else I face
There is no one else I can turn to


The remedy, it will agree, with how I feel
The solution to my problems will be in line with my emotions


Here am I reflecting
I am looking back on my decisions


What more can I say?
There is nothing else to add


For I am guilty
I have done something wrong


For the voice that I obey
Because I listened to the wrong voice


Too scared to sacrifice a choice
I was too afraid to make a difficult decision


Chosen for me
I felt like I had no control over the situation




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BETH GIBBONS, GEOFFREY PAUL BARROW

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

nalluc

I saw a savior
A savior come my way
I thought I'd see it
At the cold light of day
But now I realize that I'm
Only for me
If only I could see
You turn myself to me
And recognize the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy, it will agree, with how I feel
Here am I reflecting
What more can I say?
For I am guilty
For the voice that I obey
Too scared to sacrifice a choice
Chosen for me
If only I could see
You turn myself to me
And recognize the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy, it will agree, with how I feel



Roiy Benkel

I saw a saviour
A saviour come my way
I thought I'd see it
In the cold light of day
But now I realize that I’m
Only for me

If only I could see
Return myself to me
And recognize the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy will agree with how I feel

Here in my reflecting
What more can I say
For I am guilty
For the voice that I obey
Too scared to sacrifice a choice
Chosen for me

If only I could see
Return myself to me
And recognize the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy to agree with how I feel



Peter Sutherland

I saw a saviour
A saviour come my way
I thought I'd see it
In the cold light of day
But now I realise that I'm
Only for me
If only I could see
Return myself to me
And recognise the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy will agree with how I feel
Here in my reflecting
What more can I say?
For I am guilty
For the voice that I obey
Too scared to sacrifice a choice
Chosen for me
If only I could see
Return myself to me
And recognise the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy, to agree with how I feel
.



Slappy theSquirrel

Feel with me.....

I saw a saviour
A saviour come my way
I thought I'd see it
In the cold light of day
But now I realise that I'm
Only for me
If only I could see
Return myself to me
And recognise the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy will agree with how I feel
Here in my reflecting
What more can I say?
For I am guilty
For the voice that I obey
Too scared to sacrifice a choice
Chosen for me
If only I could see
Return myself to me
And recognise the poison in my heart
There is no other place
No one else I face
The remedy, to agree with how I feel



All comments from YouTube:

Luke Magia

One of the most well crafted non-official music videos of all time. Not only was this a magnificently twisted interpretation of my favorite Portishead song, but it set me down a rabbit hole to find where the footage was from. Now almost 6 years after viewing I own Tetsuo: The Iron Man on dvd and continue to blow the minds of my friends

ALPHA

My mans when he felt that shockwave from the recoil tho😂

ktk44man

Actually same though. I remember seeing this as a kid and being absolutely shocked by the imagery. Going back down the rabbit hole because I just watched tetsuo again yesterday. Great movie!

1 More Replies...

Alter Ego

Hearing this live was the hardest shit ever, the bass almost knocked you out, not kidding

scott fecher

holy shit.

ALPHA

When you beat the final boss and you still have time to search around for additional items before the credits start rolling in😅

De

I heard this song live at a big festival in 2011 (i think). You could physically feel the bass pushing you back from the stage. I felt the song in my internal organs. If someone dropped dead the bass would CPR them back to life.

Louise Redrum

@De lucky you.

James Alexander

At All Tomorrows Parties, Alexandra Palace, this track shook the room (like many others). What a band

1 More Replies...

The Girl Behind The Sun

I love this band. They have such a great music.

More Comments

More Versions