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)
Thought I Was a Spaceman
Blur Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Digging out my heart
In some distant sand dunes
In a car park
'Cause the desert had encroached upon
The places where we live
People like me fighting
But we never succeeded
We never succeeded
In fact we failed
I thought I was a spaceman
Digging out my heart
In some distant sand dunes
In a car park
By the empty harbour
Where the phantoms fall
Fight for happy valley
Sadly, the line broke
I thought I found my black ball
Washed up on the shore
All night lying on us
It was the landfall
I thought I found it
But that was not true at all
I'd walked into a bar
Raise town
Cut the calves without me
Always and always the same
But the ghost is waiting
And let it be
I thought I was a spaceman
Digging out my heart
In some distant sand dunes
In high park
I thought I was a spaceman
Digging out my heart
In some distant sand dunes
You again
I thought I was a spaceman
Digging out my heart
In some distant sand dunes
You again
You again
You again
The lyrics of Blur's song "Thought I Was a Spaceman" describe a sense of isolation and detachment from reality. The opening line of the song, "I thought I was a spaceman," suggests a feeling of being removed from the rest of society, perhaps even an otherworldly existence. The singer then describes "digging out my heart in some distant sand dunes in a car park," which could be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggle to connect with others and find meaning in life.
The mention of the desert encroaching on the places where people live and individuals fighting to keep the demons in suggests that the singer is battling with their own inner demons, trying to keep them from taking over. However, they acknowledge that they have failed in this task. The line "fight for happy valley, sadly, the line broke" further emphasizes the sense of defeat and despair.
The reference to the black ball washed up on the shore and lying on it all night could symbolize the search for something, such as meaning or purpose, and the frustration of not finding it. The final repetition of "you again" could suggest a cyclical nature to this struggle, with the singer feeling as though they are constantly coming back to the same feelings of detachment and isolation.
Overall, the lyrics of "Thought I Was a Spaceman" express a sense of disillusionment and frustration with the world and a struggle to find one's place within it.
Line by Line Meaning
I thought I was a spaceman
Believing oneself to be an alien, distant from others and their emotions
Digging out my heart
Trying to understand and fix one's feelings
In some distant sand dunes
In a remote location, feeling isolated
In a car park
A mundane, unremarkable place suggesting a lack of direction
'Cause the desert had encroached upon
The barren landscape and unforgiving nature of life, gradually overtaking one's emotions
The places where we live
The environments and relationships we create
People like me fighting
Struggling to maintain a sense of self and control over our lives
To keep the demons in
Avoiding our inner demons that threaten to take over
But we never succeeded
Despite our efforts, we couldn't achieve our goals
In fact we failed
Our efforts were unsuccessful
By the empty harbour
Surrounded by a lifeless, abandoned area
Where the phantoms fall
Haunted by memories and ghosts of the past
Fight for happy valley
Struggling to find happiness and peace
Sadly, the line broke
Our journey to find happiness was disrupted and stopped
I thought I found my black ball
Looking for something important and valuable
Washed up on the shore
Stumbling upon it unexpectedly
All night lying on us
Endlessly thinking and worrying about it
It was the landfall
The discovery of something big and meaningful
But that was not true at all
The discovery wasn't as big and meaningful as originally believed
I'd walked into a bar
Going into a place of distraction and avoidance
Raise town
Creating disruptions and chaos
Cut the calves without me
Taking action without regard for my well-being
Always and always the same
Experiencing the same problems and patterns of behavior
But the ghost is waiting
Our past continues to haunt us, waiting to take over
And let it be
Accepting the past and moving on
In high park
Feeling a sense of elevation and freedom
You again
A recurring presence in one's life, whether positive or negative
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Steven Alexander James, David Rowntree, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind