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)
Shimmer
Blur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Rhythm rhythm rhythm and soul
Spin me around until I fall
Rhythm rhythm rhythm and soul
Take me to the big big wheel
Put me on the big big wheel
Spin me around until I'm ill
Rhythm rhythm rhythm and soul
Rhythm rhythm rhythm and soul
Spin me around until I fall
Rhythm rhythm rhythm and soul
Take me to the big big wheel
Put me on the big big wheel
Spin me around until I'm ill
I'm on a big big wheel
Shimmer
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
Rhythm rhythm
Shimmer
The lyrics to Blur's song Shimmer seem to be about the emotional and physical experience of being on a carnival ride, specifically the big wheel. The repetition of the phrase "rhythm and soul" suggests that the ride represents not just a thrill but an emotional release, an escape from the ordinary. The lyrics also suggest a sense of surrender to this experience: "Spin me around until I fall/I'm on a big big wheel." The word "shimmer" at the end of the song could signify the transcendent quality of this experience, a moment when everything else falls away and the world begins to glow.
There could also be a darker interpretation of the lyrics. The phrase "spin me around until I'm ill" suggests that the carnival ride isn't just a source of pleasure, but something that can make you physically sick. The repetition of the phrase "rhythm and soul" could represent an attempt to find some kind of meaning or redemption in this temporary escape from reality. The word "shimmer" could then be seen as a desperate attempt to hold onto that feeling of escape, even as it starts to fade away.
Overall, the lyrics to Shimmer are open to interpretation, but they suggest a complex emotional experience that is both exhilarating and potentially dangerous.
Line by Line Meaning
Rhythm rhythm rhythm and soul
The singer is emphasizing the importance of rhythm and soul as they repeat it multiple times.
Spin me around until I fall
The singer is asking for an experience where they are completely immersed in the music and lose themselves.
Take me to the big big wheel
The singer wants to be taken to a place where they can experience something larger than themselves.
Put me on the big big wheel
The artist wants to be placed in the middle of something grand and exhilarating.
I'm on a big big wheel
The artist is now experiencing the thrill they asked for earlier.
Shimmer
The single word represents the feeling of being caught up in the moment and being completely in awe of the experience.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the singer is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the artist is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the artist is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the artist is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the singer is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the artist is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the idea that the singer is fully immersed in the music and the moment.
Rhythm rhythm
The repetition of rhythm emphasizes the importance of it in the experience the singer is describing.
Contributed by Gabriella S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ronald Retana
graham is a really underated guitarist
Carl Andrew
Really great song, love the changes in tempo and rhythm. and one of Albarns first compositions....nice
Thanks for the upload, not heard it in 15 yrs methinks...
K-leb
It's so old and yet it sounds more like the matured, experimental era of Blur - the self-titled album onwards.
John Harvey
The tempo and rhythm change is bliss.
John Harvey
Good guitaring throughout.
out of fcks to give
from the Seymour era.. not included in Blur 21 special boxset, like "Dizzy" and "Fried"
Alex
A great hidden song
FacultyBob
genius
gnatbum
awesome! *___*
CommonUnity
is that dog a new member? i've seen it on another album...