Black Box Recorder were an indie pop/trip-hop group from London, England co… Read Full Bio ↴Black Box Recorder were an indie pop/trip-hop group from London, England consisting of Sarah Nixey (vocals), Luke Haines (guitar, vocals) and John Moore (guitar, vocals). They debuted in 1998 with England Made Me, a collection of lyrically sophisticated pop tunes. They followed this up with The Facts of Life, which gave them their first hit with the single of the same name in April 2000. Their third album, Passionoia, was released in 2003. There is also a compilation album, The Worst of Black Box Recorder, a collection of B-sides, cover versions and remixes.

Musically, the group were influenced by trip-hop, ambient music, and French electronic groups such as Air. However, the lyrics to these lush and romantic melodies are frequently bleak, ironic or sarcastic.

England Made Me
Black Box Recorder Lyrics

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I trapped a spider underneath a glass,
I kept it for a week to see how long he'd last,
He stared right back at me,
He thought that he could win,
We played a waiting game,
He thought that I'd give in,

England made me,

England made me,

I had a dream last night that I was drunk,
I killed a stranger and left him in a trunk,
At Brighton railway station,
It was an unsolved case,
A famous murder mystery,
People love a mystery,

England made me,
England made me,
England made me,
England made me,

I need my privacy,
I lead a secret life,
Sleep with the enemy then betray both sides,
I traveled all my life,
But never got away from the killing job,
And the garden shed,

England made me,
England made me,
England made me,
England made me,
England made me,

England made me,
England made me,

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Black Box Recorder's song "England Made Me" are haunting and enigmatic. The lyrics describe a speaker who trapped a spider underneath a glass and kept it for a week to see how long it would last. The spider stared back at the singer, thinking it could win, but they played a waiting game. The chorus repeats the phrase "England made me" several times, suggesting that the singer's perspective is shaped by their experiences in England.

In the second verse, the lyrics shift to a dream that the singer had. In this dream, they were drunk and killed a stranger, leaving the body in a trunk at Brighton railway station. The murder becomes an unsolved case, adding to the mystery and allure of the story. The singer notes that people love a mystery, drawing attention to the media's fascination with violence and crime. The chorus repeats once more, emphasizing that the singer's identity and actions are influenced by their experiences in England.

The final verse brings in themes of secrecy and betrayal. The singer leads a secret life and sleeps with the enemy, betraying both sides. They have traveled their whole life but have never been able to escape the "killing job" and the "garden shed," which could symbolize a sense of confinement or entrapment. The chorus repeats several more times, driving home the idea that England has played a significant role in shaping the singer's identity and experiences.

Overall, the lyrics to "England Made Me" are abstract and open to interpretation. They suggest a fascination with the darker aspects of life and the ways in which our surroundings shape our perspectives and actions.

Line by Line Meaning

I trapped a spider underneath a glass,
I confined and imprisoned a spider under a glass cover,

I kept it for a week to see how long he'd last,
I monitored the spider's survival for a week to see how long it can endure in captivity.

He stared right back at me,
The spider gazed back at me, indicating its defiance at being trapped.

He thought that he could win,
The spider thought it could outlast and prevail over me in our little game of wills.

We played a waiting game,
We engaged in a contest of patience and perseverance, waiting to see who would give in first.

He thought that I'd give in,
The spider believed that I would eventually succumb and release it from its captivity.

England made me,
The circumstances of my upbringing and environment in England molded and shaped me into who I am now.

I had a dream last night that I was drunk,
Recently I had a vivid dream where I was highly intoxicated and my senses were all muddled and deranged.

I killed a stranger and left him in a trunk,
Within the dream, I committed the gruesome act of murdering an unknown individual and hid the corpse in a car trunk.

At Brighton railway station,
The location where I left the body was at the Brighton railway station, which was relevant to the dream's storyline.

It was an unsolved case,
In the dream world, the crime was unsolvable and the authorities couldn't link the murder back to me.

A famous murder mystery,
The crime became widely known and notable among people as an intriguing case that demanded attention.

People love a mystery,
People are naturally drawn to and fascinated by unsolved mysteries, including murder cases.

I need my privacy,
I value and require personal space and secrecy in my life's activities and dealings.

I lead a secret life,
I have a concealed and clandestine lifestyle where I maintain secrets and hidden aspects of my character.

Sleep with the enemy then betray both sides,
I engage in harmful relationships and double-cross those who I work with or those who oppose me, showing no loyalty to anyone.

I traveled all my life,
Through my journey of life, I constantly moved and traveled to different places.

But never got away from the killing job,
Despite the changes and experiences in my life, I could not escape the dangerous and deadly work I've always been involved with.

And the garden shed,
The garden shed is a metaphor for a dark and oppressive presence or environment that I had to operate in.

England made me,
As stated before, my country of origin shaped and influenced me in every aspect of my personality and actions.

England made me,
England molded me into the type of person who can commit acts of violence, engage in secrecy and betrayal, and ultimately live a life of misery and pain.

England made me,
The final repetition of this line emphasizes that the country and its norms were responsible for forming and shaping every part of who I am.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: JOHN MOORE, LUKE MICHAEL HAINES

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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