Glory Box
.Portishead. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just
To love you
Give me a reason to be
A woman
I just want to be a woman
From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over, and give us some room, yeah
Give me a reason
To love you
Give me a reason to be
A woman
I just want to be a woman
So don't you stop
Being a man
Just take a little look
From outside when you can
Sow a little tenderness
No matter if you cry
Give me a reason
To love you
Give me a reason to be
A woman
I just want to be a woman
It's all I want to be
Is all woman
For this is the beginning
Of forever
And ever
It's time to move over
It's all I wanna be
I'm so tired
Of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just
Give me a reason, to love you
The lyrics of Portishead's "Glory Box" are a plea for change, a call for gender equality, and an assertion of self-worth. The singer is a woman who is fed up with her own behavior as well as the expectations placed on her as a woman in society. She declares herself an unchained woman, no longer willing to play the part of the temptress. She wants a reason to love the man she addresses in the song, to be treated as an equal, and to be allowed to embrace her femininity on her own terms.
The repetition of the first two stanzas creates an almost hypnotic effect, like a self-reproachful mantra until the plea for change in the chorus interrupts the cycle. The urgency in the repetition of "Give me a reason" speaks to the singer's desperation for something different, something better than the status quo. The verses after the chorus, where she implores the man to show tenderness and to see the world from her perspective, reveal the need for communication and understanding. The woman in the song wants to be seen and heard as a whole person, not just as a sex object or a subordinate.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm so tired
I'm exhausted and drained, probably from trying too hard.
Of playing
Of this endless and futile game I'm in.
Playing with this bow and arrow
Playing a game of power and control, where I'm both hunter and prey.
Gonna give my heart away
I'm done with this game, and ready to give my heart to someone who deserves it.
Leave it to the other girls to play
I'm relinquishing this role of temptress and player, and leaving it to other women.
For I've been a temptress too long
I've been using my feminine charm as a tool to manipulate and control for far too long.
Just
Simply put, I'm done with this.
Give me a reason
I need a real, substantial reason for why I should love you.
To love you
To genuinely and authentically love you.
Give me a reason to be
I need a reason to embrace and embody my womanhood.
A woman
A strong, independent, and empowered feminine presence.
I just want to be a woman
I'm letting go of these games, and choosing to simply be myself as a woman.
From this time, unchained
I'm freeing myself from the constraints and expectations of others, and forging my own path.
We're all looking at a different picture
We all have our own perspectives and experiences, and it's important to honor and respect that.
Through this new frame of mind
By adopting a different mindset and perspective, we can see the world in a new way.
A thousand flowers could bloom
There are endless possibilities and opportunities for growth and beauty in the world.
Move over, and give us some room, yeah
The patriarchal structures and systems are inhibiting us, and it's time to make space for the voices and contributions of women.
So don't you stop
I'm not asking you to change who you are.
Being a man
Being strong and secure in your masculinity.
Just take a little look
I'm inviting you to see the world from my perspective.
From outside when you can
When you have the opportunity to do so, try to take a step back and understand where I'm coming from.
Sow a little tenderness
Rather than aggression or control, show me some kindness and compassion.
No matter if you cry
It's okay to show your emotions, even if it means being vulnerable.
It's all I want to be
Being a woman is all I aspire to be.
Is all woman
Embodying my full, authentic, powerful feminine self.
For this is the beginning
This is the start of a new chapter and a new way of being.
Of forever
This new way of being has the potential to last a lifetime.
And ever
And continue into eternity.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adrian Francis Utley, Beth Gibbons, Geoffrey Paul Barrow, Isaac Lee Hayes
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bobcee8126
@@sothyvirerksin6730Actually if you want to get into the weeds, the original sample is "Daydream" by the Gunter Kallmann Choir which is a cover of the original song by the Wallace Brothers☝️🤓
1969 Wallace Brothers Daydream
1970 Gunter Kallmann Choir Daydream (Jazz version)
1971 Isaac Hayes Black Moses Ike's Rap II
1995 Portishead Glory Box
1995 Tricky Hell Is Round the Corner
2016 Alessia Cara Here
2017 Snoh Aalegra Nothing Burns Like the Cold
@amitbloom1
I'm so tired of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just...
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just wanna be a woman
From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over and give us some room, yeah
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just want to be a woman
So don't you stop being a man
Just take a little look
From our side when you can
Sow a little tenderness
No matter if you cry
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just want to be a woman
It's all I wanna be, is all a woman
For this is the beginning
Of forever and ever
It's time to move over
It's all I want to be
I'm so tired of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just...
Give me a reason to love you
@nb9488
"Glory Box"
I'm so tired of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just...
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just wanna be a woman
From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over and give us some room
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
I just wanna be a woman
[INSTRUMENTAL]
So don't you stop being a man
Just take a little look from outside when you can
Show a little tenderness
No matter if you cry
Give me a reason to love you
Give me a reason to be a woman
It's all I wanna be is all woman
For this is the beginning of forever and ever
It's time to move over...
@CrashJC123
Strangest thing happened to me on the way to work involving this song.
Was walking to work, about 15 minutes it takes and this song came on as I was listening to the second half of Dummy.
Closing in on work, placed around the town centre, with Glory Box playing, the lyric "I'm tired of playing with this bow and arrow" ringing through my ear and I see two lads who I know well. I take my earphones out to speak to them and, nearby, a busker is playing his own music with a familiar sounding bass-line.
I look around and I hear the lyric "I'm so tired, tired of playing with this bow and arrow". And I do the sharpest double take known to man, I couldn't believe my ears. What an insane coincidence.
Shows how universal this song is though, brilliant.
@ZoneTwelveOnline
This song reminds me of being stoned, seeing the whole world as one big dream but in a good way.
We were about to play live in Melbourne Aus as a support act and I was so stoned I thought my instrument was shrinking.
But it was all good.
Life was a never ending party. I didn't grow up in a normal way.
Now the world is about to change forever, humanity is about to be shocked into a new reality.
I don't think I will ever be able to shrink back to my former self.
Problem is, I was happier then. Just know we all have better times coming once the truth comes out.
@estedb359
Lyrics:
I'm so tired
Of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just
Give me a reason
To love you
Give me a reason to be
A woman
I just want to be a woman
From this time, unchained
We're all looking at a different picture
Through this new frame of mind
A thousand flowers could bloom
Move over, and give us some room, yeah
Give me a reason
To love you
Give me a reason to be
A woman
I just want to be a woman
So don't you stop
Being a man
Just take a little look
From outside when you can
Sow a little tenderness
No matter if you cry
Give me a reason
To love you
Give me a reason to be
A woman
I just want to be a woman
It's all I want to be
Is all woman
For this is the beginning
Of forever
And ever
It's time to move over
It's all I wanna be
I'm so tired
Of playing
Playing with this bow and arrow
Gonna give my heart away
Leave it to the other girls to play
For I've been a temptress too long
Just
Give me a reason, to love you
@ThalesAndreh
Many kids have been born because of this song. They should thank it.
@Starzagal
So true 😂
@fojeda6516
so true 😂😂
@gyh7603
kkkkkkkkkk
@agonzful
I'm thanking it and hoping it will also be the reason I Get kids lmfao
@embedded_
who would thankful for borning in Russia?)
@joziharris345
One of the greatest female voices ever
@darrenwestlow7809
Right beside Marcella Detroit....the two best female voices in the history of music!
@kitty-rf9zu
yes! her voice also reminds me of mitski’s
@petehira1594
2:07 and one of the greatest riffs in history