Big Country were a new wave/alternative rock band which formed in Dunfermli… Read Full Bio ↴Big Country were a new wave/alternative rock band which formed in Dunfermline, Scotland in 1981. The band consisted of Stuart Adamson (vocals, guitar), Bruce Watson (guitar, vocals), Tony Butler (bass) and Mark Brzezicki (drums). Adamson was a former member of the Scottish punk band The Skids. The band was best known for using the device known as the "e-bow" to alter their guitars to sound like bagpipes. Despite having 15 Top 40 hits in the UK, the band has remained a one hit wonder in the US with their third single "In A Big Country". The band split in 2001 shortly after Adamson's suicide on December 16, 2001.

Paranoid
Big Country Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Finished with my woman
'Cause she couldn't help me with my mind
People say I'm insane
Because I am frowning all the time

All day long I think of things
But nothing seems to satisfy
Think I'll lose my mind

If I don't find something to pacify

Can you help me occupy the brain

I need someone to show me
The things in life that I can't find
I can't see the things that make true happiness
I must be blind

Make a joke and I will sigh
And you will laugh and I will cry
Happiness I cannot feel
And love to me is so unreal

Answer as you hear these words
Telling you now about my state

I tell you to enjoy life
I wish I could but it's too late

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Big Country's song Paranoid offer a glimpse into the troubled mind of the singer who is struggling to find peace and happiness. The song is about his fruitless search for contentment and the emotional turmoil that he faces in the process. The opening lines, "Finished with my woman/Cause she couldn't help me with my mind," reveal the singer's frustration with his partner's inability to understand him and help him cope with his inner demons.

The next few lines suggest that the singer is often labeled as insane due to his constant frowning and negative demeanor. He confesses to thinking of things all day long but being unable to find anything that satisfies him. He fears that he may lose his mind if he doesn't find something to pacify him soon. This could be interpreted as a cry for help or a warning sign of the singer's deteriorating mental state.

As the song progresses, the singer admits that he is unable to see the things that make true happiness and that he must be blind. The lyrics suggest that he is struggling to find meaning and purpose in life, and that he is unable to experience joy or love. He describes his inability to feel happiness and his unreal perception of love, which adds to his feelings of hopelessness and despair. In the end, the singer urges the listener to enjoy life as he wishes he could, but it's too late for him.

Line by Line Meaning

Finished with my woman
I have ended my relationship with my partner

'Cause she couldn't help me with my mind
My partner could not provide me with solace and peace of mind

People say I'm insane
Others accuse me of being mentally unstable

Because I am frowning all the time
Due to my troubled mental state, I can only express a negative facial expression

All day long I think of things
I spend my day considering various thoughts and ideas

But nothing seems to satisfy
However, I cannot find any fulfillment or satisfaction in my pondering

Think I'll lose my mind
I fear that I am on the brink of insanity

If I don't find something to pacify
Unless I can discover something to soothe my mind and calm my thoughts

Can you help me occupy the brain
Can you offer me a good distraction for my mind?

I need someone to show me
I require guidance from someone

The things in life that I can't find
Help me discover the mysteries that elude me in life

I can't see the things that make true happiness
I fail to see what exactly constitutes genuine happiness

I must be blind
My current emotional state must be obscuring my perception of true happiness

Make a joke and I will sigh
Even if you tried to cheer me up with humor, I would react with a sigh

And you will laugh and I will cry
Your laughter will only make me cry harder

Happiness I cannot feel
I am incapable of experiencing joy or happiness

And love to me is so unreal
Love feels completely out of reach and unattainable for me

Answer as you hear these words
As you listen to me speak, respond with your honest thoughts

Telling you now about my state
I am revealing my current emotional turmoil and instability to you

I tell you to enjoy life
Even though I am struggling, I encourage you to embrace and appreciate life

I wish I could but it's too late
Unfortunately, it is too late for me to experience the same level of contentment and joy in life that I wish for you

Contributed by Carson N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS

Genre not found

Artist not found

Album not found

Search results not found

Song not found

Comments from YouTube:

doran44

I love this cover as well as the Alice Cooper cover of "I'm Eighteen".Actually all of their covers are great.I wonder if there are live covers of these 2 songs out there that someone could get posted to You Tube.One of my issues with the band was live recordings of the same songs on multiple CD's.But that aside they are my most loved group and I only wish that they had achieved the level of success that their talent deserved.And of course i wish that Stuart was still with us today.R.I.P.