Bonobo's first album - 2000's Animal Magic - was released via Tru Thoughts before being picked up by Ninja Tune. It announced him as a serious talent; able to bring a musician's edge to electronic music, with all the freedom that skill allowed. His subsequent albums for Ninja, Dial 'M' for Monkey and Days to Come, developed his sensibility, won him fans across the globe, and saw him develop his live show into a mesmeric re-working of his records.
He has also worked hard as a DJ, a part of Green's arsenal that perhaps truly came into its own at the same time as 2010’s Black Sands. 2012 saw him take the uptempo, club re-edits of Black Sands from a seminal Boiler Room performance in London to dance floors across the world, and unveil a new light show that further enhanced the impact of these stunning songs. A remix album was released featuring reworkings by fans and peers such as Machinedrum, Floating Points, Mark Pritchard, Lapalux and FaltyDL.
Later the same year, he finally settled down in his New York studio to write his fifth album. The North Borders was another long stride forward - both a natural evolution and a continuation of the electronic palette of Black Sands. With vocal features from Erykah Badu, as well as Grey Reverend (The Cinematic Orchestra) and Cornelia (Portico Quartet) it's another finely balanced body of work.
Bonobo has a long history of unearthing new talent (Andreya Triana, Bajka) and The North Borders saw him do so once again. The vocals of new collaborator Szjerdene are sprinkled across the album.
Since the album’s release, Green has gone on to play over 175 shows across three continents and 30 countries, wowing audiences with the hypnotic, extended live versions of his songs. He performed sold out shows at The Sydney Opera House and Brixton Academy, and his very own, day long festival at London’s Roundhouse. 2014 saw him and his band play the iconic Coachella, Sonar, Glastonbury and many more. This period of extensive touring came to a breathtaking close with his largest show to date at London’s Alexandra Palace in November. In celebration, Ninja Tune released The North Borders Tour. — Live. in October. A deluxe release including a live album, hardback book and a DVD of seminal live performances from a truly memorable tour.
In January 2016, Bonobo announced on Twitter that he intended to release a new album sometime in 2016. Bonobo released his sixth album, Migration, on 13 January 2017 via Ninja Tune. It was announced on 3 November 2016 with the release of the single "Kerala", and an official video. The album features Nick Murphy (fka Chet Faker), Rhye, Innov Gnawa and Nicole Miglis (Hundred Waters).
The Plug
Bonobo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I guess you've got to know
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you've got to know
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you've got to know
Didn't mean to tell you
Still no way from what I've got to do
Broke me down, what you did
But you were never there
But I guess you've got to know
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you've got to know
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you've got to know
The lyrics to Bonobo's song The Plug are somewhat cryptic and open to interpretation. One possible interpretation is that the singer is revealing something important to someone else, something that they perhaps didn't want to reveal but felt compelled to. The repeated lines "Didn't mean to tell you, but I guess you've got to know" convey a sense of reluctance or hesitation.
The second half of the lyrics hint at some kind of personal betrayal or disappointment - "Broke me down, what you did, but you were never there". This could refer to a past relationship or friendship that ended badly, or perhaps a business deal gone wrong. The feelings of hurt and frustration are palpable, and it seems that the singer is struggling to come to terms with what has happened.
Overall, these lyrics suggest a sense of vulnerability and honesty, as well as a willingness to confront difficult emotions and share them with others. The repetitive nature of the chorus reinforces the idea that sometimes, even if we don't want to, we have to speak our truth and face the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Didn't mean to tell you
I did not intend to reveal this information to you
But I guess you've got to know
However, you now need to be informed
Still no way from what I've got to do
I am still struggling to accomplish what I need to do
Broke me down, what you did
Your actions caused me significant emotional harm
But you were never there
You were not present to witness or understand the impact of your actions
But I guess you've got to know
Despite this, I need you to be aware of what happened
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@s333.
"The Plug"
Didn't mean to tell you,
But I guess you got to know.
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you got to know...
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you got to know.
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you got to know.
Stole me away from your backdoor,
Brought me down with shame,
But you'll never bare my name,
But I guess you got to know...
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you got to know.
Didn't mean to tell you
But I guess you got to know.
@TabMcLain
Tonight I was walking through a remote village in Sapa, Vietnam and this song was playing inside a shack called the Color Bar. I immediately recognized it and thought I'd come here to share with everyone how neat I thought that was.
@mezzanine9275
i know this was posted three years ago, but i love this. its so cool how music can connect people from completely different places.
@gotoalex100
It's always great to catch people listening to exciting music in out-of-the-way places. Some people are undeterred.
@Cynthia-rc6rl
Cool if you run into Malkovich tell him nenah said hi@tab mcclain
@ShugaSigga
.......and you real-eyes’d how old you and we all really are....?
@TheWhippetmaster
I wish I was with you 6 years ago in not the usa
@VoxAcies
This is my favourite Bonobo song.
@r0conscious
Same 🙏🏻
@DanniRudie
Bonobo you have not only summed up my soul but refreshed my inner self as well as hundreds of beautiful human beings out there that have felt the emotions through your art. Thank you- you beautiful, intelligent person.
@siyambonani8802
❤