The band was formed in 1993 by Tony Nwachukwu and Charlie Dark. Charlie Dark was a part time journalist and DJ and had been approached by James Lavelle to produce and engineer tracks for his Mo Wax record label.
Their first release, Vibes, Scribes and Dusty 45's Ep, contained the down tempo classic Contemplating Jazz. Featuring the vocals of third member Roba El-Essawy, Attica Blues' sound contained the trademark trip-hop aspects like heavy beats, vocals and deep dark atmospheres. They released a follow up album, Blueprint.
Attica Blues were also often solicited for remixing and producing.
After the Mo Wax album Blueprint, they released a second album, Test,Don't Test on Sony Records.
It's Alright
Attica Blues Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All those hours spent stargazing in the
Bastions of the night
Prancing and the dancing
As opportunities knocked within celebrity
Corridors
I could have been famous you know
She mutters to her young ones who have heard
[Chorus]
But it's alright
Cause that was then and this is now
It's alright
Cause youthful yesterfun is not tomorrows way
He stumbles over debris of last night's
Take-out
Tasting memories of arms around him
Not like the nights before
Things were different then
Anyway
It's been a long night out
But those old moves don't seem to drop the
Same way they did back then
[Chorus]
He's late, he's late again
But this time there's no excuse for him to give
As he approached to find her standing there
Seems my time with you was spent waiting for the right moment
Waiting for that break you always went on about
But no more cause to stay, and wait
Would mean our lives will never change
Sits in her chair as she listens to '87
All those hours spent stargazing in the
Bastions of the night
But it's alright [Repeat: x4]
The song "It's Alright" by Attica Blues is a reflection on the transience of life and the acceptance of the passing of time. The opening lines of the song describe a woman sitting in her chair as she listens to music from 1987. This nostalgic moment reflects on her youth spent stargazing, dancing and chasing after opportunities to become famous. The chorus, however, encourages her to accept that the past is in the past and that the present has its own value. Despite the fact that the fun of the youth is gone, it is alright, and there is still meaning to be found in the present.
The story also tells of a man who is reminiscing about the days when he was carefree and had the freedom to do whatever he pleased. He is now stuck in a routine, and the memories of his past are not enough to captivate him anymore. The chorus also applies to him as he accepts the present for what it is despite his nostalgia for the past. Both characters are trying to come to terms with the present and learn to live in the moment.
The song "It's Alright" speaks to a universal human experience of coming to terms with the past and accepting the present. It encourages the listener to enjoy life in the moment, rather than living in a nostalgic dream world of regret and unfulfilled desires.
Line by Line Meaning
Sits in her chair as she listens to '87
She sits there reminiscing on the past, listening to music from 1987.
All those hours spent stargazing in the Bastions of the night
She spent countless hours stargazing in the dark.
Prancing and the dancing As opportunities knocked within celebrity Corridors
She used to dance and prance around, hoping to make it big in the entertainment industry.
I could have been famous you know She mutters to her young ones who have heard It too many times before
She tells her children how she could have been famous, a story they've heard many times before.
But it's alright Cause that was then and this is now It's alright Cause youthful yesterfun is not tomorrows way
But she accepts that the past is the past, and it's time to live in the present and move forward.
He stumbles over debris of last night's Take-out Tasting memories of arms around him Not like the nights before Things were different then Anyway It's been a long night out But those old moves don't seem to drop the Same way they did back then
He walks through the remains of last night's takeout, reminiscing on how things were different and how he's not as young as he used to be.
He's late, he's late again But this time there's no excuse for him to give As he approached to find her standing there Seems my time with you was spent waiting for the right moment Waiting for that break you always went on about But no more cause to stay, and wait Would mean our lives will never change
He's late to meet someone, and realizes he's been waiting for the 'right moment' for too long, and if he keeps waiting, nothing will ever change.
But it's alright [Repeat: x4]
Despite the regrets and nostalgia, everything is okay now, and they're ready to move on.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: COREY LATIF WILLIAMS, ANTHONY RYAN LESLIE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@pretzelboy00
One of the best Trip Hop groups ever!!!!
@Heshamelessawy
absolutely superb
@Heshamelessawy
how can a band as great as this one gives up! hesham
@rafeekgafoor8084
Thank you. Still amazing.
@sweetmuthachucka
@Xircal Jesus, dude, have you HEARD the current state of just about anything relatively "mainstream"??? I know everyone is entitled to their own opinions & have a right to state them, but c'mon now; this kind of genre-breaking music is so close to JAZZ -- which is really the beginning of ALL modern music -- that it seems impossible NOT to enjoy, or at least appreciate. Before I point out 100 other things that's beautiful about this music, what the hell is YOUR side of the story??? 0.0
@FlyMe-NL
Can't imagine how anybody could possibly like this crap
@noelmorelli
2010 is calling, he wants your comment back
@wavsnackssss
you have shit taste
@miguelteixeira4134
So you are semi deaf and braineless....