Reggae
BLACK MIDI Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And it may be poor
And it may be back
And it may be forward
And it may be done
And it may be sick
And it may be sweet
And it may be
It may be new
And it may be cross
And it may be sweat
And it may be woe
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
And it may be dark
And it may be mould
And it may be back
And it may be old
And it may be done
And it may be sick
And it may be soon
And it may be tongue
But as long as I keep an hourglass, everything's in line
Maybe it's an hourglass, everything in line
But I wish I could be as elegant as Soo
The way he comes in through a room in a way I cannot do
In a coat of nine tails and fresh leather shoes
Straight from the cow, I tell you
Straight from the cow
But my shirt is so un-ironed it could be a mountain range
My shoes, the rotting flesh of a mange
My shirt is so un-ironed it could be a mountain range
And I have no name to the skin folds near who show no face
But all I can hear as they gawk, and they gurn, and they scream, and they laugh
I must make a new plan, if I hope to ever last
And it may be
It may be
And it may be
And it may be
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
And it may be hard
It may be hard
And it may be hard
It may be hard, it may be hard, it may be, may be, may be
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep
As long as I keep everything will fall into line
The lyrics of BLACK MIDI's song "Reggae" present a series of contrasting images that might seem disjointed at first glance but ultimately blend together into a chaotic yet coherent whole. The words "it may be" act as a recurring motif, suggesting that whatever follows is just one possibility among many, whether it's sweet or poor, back or forward, new or old, or hard or soft. The images range from the mundane (a shirt that's un-ironed) to the bizarre (a "coat of nine tails"), reflecting a sense of disorientation and disconnection from reality. The singer's voice is uncertain and restless, searching for a sense of direction or purpose. The mention of an hourglass, which is often used as a symbol of the passage of time and mortality, suggests that the singer is aware of the impermanence of everything around them.
The final lines of the song suggest a glimmer of hope, however fleeting it may be. By keeping the hourglass, the singer seems to be trying to hold onto something tangible in a world that's constantly shifting and unpredictable. The repetition of the phrase "as long as I keep" underscores this sense of determination, as if the singer is willing themselves to keep going despite the odds. This ambiguity is characteristic of BLACK MIDI's music, which often defies easy categorization and challenges listeners to make sense of its jarring rhythms and cryptic lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
It may be sweet
It could be something nice or enjoyable
And it may be poor
It could also be something lacking or unpleasant
And it may be back
It could be something from the past
And it may be forward
It could be something related to the future
And it may be done
It could be something that is already completed
And it may be sick
It could describe something that is not well or healthy
And it may be sweet
It could be something nice or enjoyable
And it may be new
It could be something entirely fresh or different
And it may be cross
It could be something angry or upset
And it may be sweat
It could be something related to hard work or effort
And it may be woe
It could describe something that causes great sorrow or distress
And it may be hard
It could describe something that is difficult to accomplish or achieve
And it may be dark
It could be something without light or hope
And it may be mould
It could refer to something decaying or deteriorating
And it may be back
It could be something from the past
And it may be old
It could be something that existed a long time ago
And it may be done
It could be something that is already completed
And it may be sick
It could describe something that is not well or healthy
And it may be soon
It could suggest something that will happen shortly
And it may be tongue
It could refer to speaking or language
But as long as I keep an hourglass, everything's in line
Everything will be alright if I manage to stay organized and focused
Maybe it's an hourglass, everything in line
An hourglass could be a metaphor for organization, which helps keep things in order
But I wish I could be as elegant as Soo
The singer admires Soo's grace and wishes to possess it too
The way he comes in through a room in a way I cannot do
The artist struggles to enter a room with elegance, unlike Soo
In a coat of nine tails and fresh leather shoes, Straight from the cow, I tell you
Soo wears an impressive coat and shoes made of fresh, high-quality leather
But my shirt is so un-ironed it could be a mountain range
The singer's shirt is wrinkled to the point of resembling a mountain range
My shoes, the rotting flesh of a mange
The singer's shoes are so old and worn out that they seem like the skin of an animal with mange
And I have no name to the skin folds near who show no face
The artist is unidentified and overlooked by people who have nothing to show on their face
But all I can hear as they gawk, and they gurn, and they scream, and they laugh
The artist hears others staring, making faces, shouting, and laughing at them
I must make a new plan, if I hope to ever last
The singer needs to figure out a new strategy if they want to survive and not be consumed by negative feelings and criticisms
As long as I keep everything will fall into line
If the singer remains focused and organized, everything in their life will come together
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY
Written by: Morgan Simpson, Cameron Overeynder, Geordie Greep, Matthew Anthony Kwasniwski-Kelvin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind