Blur's self-titled fifth album (1997) saw another stylistic shift, influenced by the lo-fi styles of American indie rock groups, and became their third UK chart-topping album. Its single "Song 2" brought the band mainstream success in the US for the first time. Their next album, 13 (1999) saw the band experimenting with electronic and gospel music, and featured more personal lyrics from Albarn. Their seventh album, Think Tank (2003), continued their experimentation with electronic sounds and was also shaped by Albarn's growing interest in hip hop and world music, featuring more minimal guitar work. Coxon left the band during early recording sessions for Think Tank, and Blur disbanded for several years after the end of the album's associated tour, with the members engaged in other projects.
In 2009, Blur reunited with Coxon back in the band and embarked on a European reunion tour. In the following years, they released several singles and compilations and toured internationally. In 2012, they received a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. Their eighth album, The Magic Whip (2015), was the sixth consecutive Blur studio album to top the British chart. The group have largely been on hiatus since the Magic Whip tour, but have announced plans to reunite in 2023 for various live dates.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blur_(band)
Studio albums
Leisure (1991)
Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993)
Parklife (1994)
The Great Escape (1995)
Blur (1997)
13 (1999)
Think Tank (2003)
The Magic Whip (2015)
The Ballad of Darren (2023)
Oily Water
Blur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dangling in my world
I swallowed too much oily water
Now it's slipping down my spine
In a sense of self in decline
Growing fat on sound
It's only an early morning dream
My heads hurts with suspicion
I'm coming home sometime
I've swallowed too much oily water
It's slipping down my spine
A sense of self in decline
I'm lying on my back
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright
The song "Oily Water" by Blur, released in 1992, is a haunting and introspective piece that uses vivid imagery to convey a sense of emotional distress and uncertainty. The opening lines, "Lead in me and me in water, dangling in my world," create a disorienting and dreamlike atmosphere, with the singer feeling disconnected from reality.
The next lines, "I swallowed too much oily water, now it's slipping down my spine," suggest a sense of poisoning or contamination, with the oily water representing something toxic or harmful that the singer has ingested. This could be read as a metaphor for the pressures and stressors of modern life, which can feel overwhelming and suffocating.
Throughout the song, the singer repeats the lines "a sense of self in decline" and "it's only an early morning dream," emphasizing a feeling of disorientation and confusion. The final lines, "my head hurts with suspicion, I'm coming home sometime," suggest a desire to retreat from the world and find solace in familiar surroundings.
Overall, "Oily Water" is a powerful evocation of inner turmoil and a sense of being lost in an uncertain world. The use of vivid, surreal imagery and repeated phrases creates a hypnotic effect, drawing the listener into the singer's disorienting mental landscape.
Line by Line Meaning
Lead in me and me in water
My identity and I are merged with the fluid surroundings of my environment
Dangling in my world
I am suspended, uncertain and helpless in my current state
I swallowed too much oily water
I have been affected by the corrupt aspects of my world, which is now having a physical effect on me
Now it's slipping down my spine
The negative impact of my environment is moving down my body, influencing my entire being
In a sense of self in decline
I am struggling with my own identity, feeling a loss of self
Growing fat on sound
I am becoming increasingly consumed by the noise and distractions of my world
It's only an early morning dream
Perhaps this is all just a temporary state of mind, one that I will wake up from
And the whole world will be alright
Despite the current struggles, there is hope that everything will be okay in the end
My head hurts with suspicion
I am experiencing doubt and distrust towards the world around me, which is causing me mental pain
I'm coming home sometime
I long to return to a state of comfort and familiarity
I've swallowed too much oily water
I have been overly exposed to the negative aspects of my surroundings
It's slipping down my spine
These negative influences are slowly penetrating deeper into my being
A sense of self in decline
I am struggling with my own sense of identity and purpose
I'm lying on my back
Perhaps I am feeling defeated and powerless in my current state
And the whole world will be alright
Despite the struggles and challenges, I believe that there is hope for the future and that everything will ultimately be okay
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Alexander James Steven, Alexander Rowntree David, Damon Albarn, Graham Leslie Coxon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@1966chimp
Here are lyrics to the song Enjoy :)
Lead in me and be in water
Dangling in my world
I swallowed too much oily water
Now it's slipping down my spine
In a sense of self in decline
Growing fat on sound
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright
My head hurts with suspicion
I'm coming home sometime
I've swallowed too much oily water
It slipping down my spine
A sense of self, in decline
I'm lying on my back
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
[Verse 1]
Lead in me and me in water
Dangling in my world
I swallowed too much oily water
Now it's slipping down my spine
In a sense of self in decline
Growing fat on sound
It's only an early morning dream
And the whole world will be alright
[Verse 2]
My head hurts with suspicion
I'm coming home sometime
I've swallowed too much oily water
It's slipping down my spine
A sense of self in decline
I'm lying on my back
@davidpar2
No song on this album disappoints. It's their best one
@chrisedge4540
davidpar2 agreed
@Monty-or9sb
Man, so right.
@andrewgrice5390
Best album turn it up might just disappoint a little tho ;)
@mar15115
True
@popolbruh8263
@@andrewgrice5390 what are you on, turn it up is awesome
@mladent1464
This song probably has my favorite Blur outro. I still think it's not long enough.
@davidblack6792
You're right.
@rudmanpaul2812
I'm not crying your crying
@scottmasson3039
Couldn’t agree more. I wish I just kept doing that for another 10 minutes. What’s so wild is Blur did “shoegaze” better than most actual shoegaze bands.