While Molko was brought up in a strict household that disapproved of artistic expression (his father wanted him to become a banker) he rebelled by affecting an androgynous image, wearing nail polish, lipstick and eyeliner, and listening to punk and glam rock. In his late teens, he came out as bisexual.
Molko and Stefan Olsdal both attended the International School of Luxembourg in Luxembourg, but they were never friends. When Molko moved to London to study drama at Goldsmiths College, where he graduated with a degree, he met Olsdal at South Kensington Tube Station. Molko invited Olsdal to one of his gigs in a club, which he played with Steve Hewitt. Olsdal was impressed with Molko's voice, and together they formed Ashtray Heart; eventually they changed the name to Placebo. Together with drummer Robert Schultzberg (a friend of Olsdal's from Sweden) performed together in 1996. Schultzberg did not fit in the band, however, and was soon replaced with Steve Hewitt, who played on Placebo's demo tracks.
Molko's musical influences include David Bowie, Iggy Pop, Dead Kennedys, Bad Religion, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Nick Drake, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joy Division, The Cure and The Pixies. Molko taught himself to play guitar. At the age of 16 he got a Telecaster replica as a present from his parents. Soon After, he bought a real telecaster. He plays other instruments such as bass, harmonica, keyboard, saxophone, drums and turntables. Occasionally, Molko works as a disc jockey at clubs, he's definately not very good at it. Nowadays Molko listens to electro-clash artist Peaches, his old favourite, the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and many others.
Along with Hewitt and Olsdal, he had a small role in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine, for which Placebo performed the T. Rex song 20th Century Boy. He played Malcolm, a singer of the fictional glam rock band, The Flaming Creatures.
In 2005, Molko's long-term partner, Helena Berg, gave birth to his first child, Cody. He said he named the child after his long-time friend who died in a car accident.
He has performed as a guest vocalist on tracks by:
Timo Maas - Pictures, Like Siamese and First Day
Alpinestars - Carbon Kid
Trash Palace - The Metric System, Je t'aime, moi non plus (duet with Asia Argento)
the AC Acoustics - Crush
Kristeen Young - No Other God
Dream City Film Club - Some
Jane Birkin - Smile.
He also wrote the English lyrics to 'Pink water' version 3, a song by Indochine from the album that is due to be released at the end of 2006. Molko is friends with David Bowie, with whom he sang Placebo's Without You I'm Nothing and 20th Century Boy live. He has used a Fender Jaguar, Fender Thinline Telecaster, Gibson SG in the past and currently plays Gretsch guitars .
He lives in London but frequently travels to Paris.
The April 17th, 2007 Placebo show in Omaha, Nebraska, at the Sokol Auditorium was canceled after Molko was rushed to the emergency room after fighting flu symptoms for a number of days. The band has promised to re-schedule that show near the end of the summer.
Running up That Hill
Brian Molko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You want to feel how it feels?
You want to know, know that it doesn't hurt me?
You want to hear about the deal I'm making?
You
(If I only could, be running up that hill)
You and me
And if I only could
Make a deal with God
And get him to swap our places
Be running up that road
Be running up that hill
Be running up that building
If I only could, oooh
You don't want to hurt me
But see how deep the bullet lies
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder
And there's a thunder in our hearts, baby
There's so much hate for the ones we love
Tell me we both matter, don't we?
You
(If I only could, be running up that hill)
You and me
(If I only could, be running up that hill)
You and me, won't be unhappy
(If I only could, be running up that hill)
And if I only could
Make a deal with God
And get him to swap our places
Be running up that road
Be running up that hill
Be running up that building
If I only could, oooh
C'mon, baby
C'mon, c'mon, darling
Let me steal this moment from you now
C'mon, angel
C'mon, c'mon, darling
Let's exchange the experience, oooh
And if I only could
Make a deal with God
And get him to swap our places
Be running up that road
Be running up that hill
With no problems
And if I only could
Make a deal with God
And get him to swap our places
Be running up that road
Be running up that hill
With no problems
If I only could
Be running up that hill
If I only could
Be running up that hill
If I only could
Be running up that hill
If I only could
Be running up that hill
If I only could
Be running up that hill
If I only could
Be running up that hill
If I only could
Be running up that hill
"Running Up That Hill" by Brian Molko is a song about the difficulties in communication and understanding in a relationship. Molko describes a desire to connect with his partner and understand their experience, even if it means swapping places with them. The powerful chorus repeats the line "If I only could, be running up that hill" to express this yearning for understanding and connection. Molko also touches on the theme of pain and its presence in both love and hate. He recognizes that even though his partner doesn't want to hurt him, there is still a deep pain at the center of their relationship.
The chorus, with its repetition and driving rhythm, creates a sense of urgency and desperation. Molko's vocals are raw and emotional, conveying a deep longing for connection. The bridge, which begins with "C'mon, baby," is a plea for his partner to meet him halfway and work towards understanding each other. The song ends with the repetition of the chorus, emphasizing the idea that this desire for connection is an ongoing struggle.
Overall, "Running Up That Hill" is a complex and emotionally powerful song that explores themes of pain, understanding, and connection in relationships. Molko's lyrics and vocal performance convey a deep yearning for connection that is both raw and relatable.
Line by Line Meaning
It doesn't hurt me
The situation doesn't cause me pain.
You want to feel how it feels?
Do you wish to experience what I'm going through?
You want to know, know that it doesn't hurt me?
Are you curious about the fact that the situation doesn't cause me any pain?
You want to hear about the deal I'm making?
Do you want to hear about the arrangement I'm trying to make?
You (If I only could, be running up that hill) You and me (If I only could, be running up that hill)
If only it were possible, both of us would be running up a hill.
And if I only could Make a deal with God And get him to swap our places Be running up that road, Be running up that hill Be running up that building If I only could, oooh
If only I had the ability to make an arrangement with God to switch positions with me, I would be running up a road, hill, or building.
You don't want to hurt me
You don't want to cause me pain.
But see how deep the bullet lies
However, you may not be aware of the extent of the situation's impact on me.
Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder
You may not realize that the situation is causing a rift between us.
And there's a thunder in our hearts, baby There's so much hate for the ones we love
We're experiencing so much anger and resentment towards each other, despite the love we share.
Tell me we both matter, don't we?
We both have worth, don't we? Can you acknowledge that?
You (If I only could, be running up that hill) You and me (If I only could, be running up that hill) You and me, won't be unhappy (If I only could, be running up that hill)
We would both be happier if we could run up a hill, but it's not possible.
C'mon, baby C'mon, c'mon, darling Let me steal this moment from you now C'mon, angel C'mon, c'mon, darling Let's exchange the experience, oooh
Hey, let's put everything aside and share this moment together. Let's exchange our experiences with each other.
And if I only could Make a deal with God And get him to swap our places Be running up that road Be running up that hill With no problems
If only I could ask God to switch us and we could run up a hill together with no problems.
If I only could Be running up that hill
If only it were possible to run up a hill.
Contributed by Evelyn G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.