By the time of their debut album, 1980's Crocodiles - a moderate UK hit - the drum machine had been replaced by Pete de Freitas. Their next, the critically-acclaimed Heaven Up Here, reached the Top Ten in 1981, as did 1983's Porcupine and '84's Ocean Rain. Singles like "The Killing Moon" (later used in the soundtrack to Donnie Darko, a film whose imagery owed much to the artwork of the band's early records.), "Silver," "Bring on the Dancing Horses," and "The Cutter" helped keep the group in the public eye as they took a brief hiatus in the late 1980s. Their 1987 self-titled LP was a small American hit, their only LP to have significant sales there.
McCulloch quit the band in 1988. De Freitas was killed in a motorcycle accident one year later. The others decided to continue, recruiting Noel Burke to replace McCulloch on vocals in Reverberation (1990), which did not generate much excitement among fans or critics. Burke, Sargeant and Pattinson split after that, but the surviving three fourths of the original band reformed in 1997 and released Evergreen (1997), What are You Going to Do with Your Life? (1999), Flowers (2001) , Siberia (2005), and the latest addition, The Fountain (2009). The group's old audience liked the return to their classic sound, and they also managed to gain a number of new, younger listeners.
Echo and the Bunnymen were managed early on by Bill Drummond, who went on to be a founder member of The KLF.
Think I Need It Too
Echo & the Bunnymen Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How to forget how to be true
Covered myself in nothing
Don't touch me and i won't touch you
Tryin' to remember something
Why am I here and who are you?
You must admit something
Animals came in two by two
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
I think I need it too
I think I need it too
I think I need it too
Just as I thought I'm thinking
How can I change when I don't want to
Kept getting caught
Kept drinking
How can I blame what I got to
Putting the wheels in motion
Autopilot I can't drive
Covered in chalomine lotion
Scratching my ? bee stung
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
I think I need it too
I think I need it too
I think I need it too
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
Whatever you want
Whatever you need
I think I need it too
I think I need it too
I think I need it too
In “Think I Need It Too”, Echo & the Bunnymen bring forth an introspective insight into their thoughts and emotions. The lyrics present the universal theme of the search for personal identity, lacking meaning and purpose in life, and addiction. Through the song, the band expresses a sense of dissatisfaction and confusion, a feeling of having lost their way and questioning the world around them.
The lyrics start with the singer admitting to forgetfulness and a lack of authenticity. He covers himself in nothing, implying that he is vulnerable, naked, and exposed. The lyrics then move on to his search for an answer to his existence, asking himself why he is here and who he is. The reference to animals coming in two by two is an allusion or an allegory to the biblical story of Noah's Ark, a metaphor for isolation or the feeling of being solitary.
The chorus, “Whatever you want, Whatever you need, I think I need it too” suggests that the singer is searching for something, and perhaps the answers he seeks will be found in whatever the other person wants or needs, thus longing for something to fill the void inside him. He is struggling with his addictive nature, reflected in the line “Kept getting caught, Kept drinking” and how he uses clothes, drugs, and alcohol to mask his true self. He is searching for something that will satisfy him, perhaps a sense of purpose or belonging.
Echo & the Bunnymen’s “Think I Need It Too” speaks to the human condition of feeling lost and struggling to find one’s identity, purpose, and place in the world. The song is an exploration of the dark side of human psyche, touching on themes such as addiction, isolation, vulnerability, and confusion.
Line by Line Meaning
Must've forgotten something
I seem to have lost something important.
How to forget how to be true
I am struggling to remember how to be my genuine self.
Covered myself in nothing
I feel empty and vulnerable.
Don't touch me and i won't touch you
I am afraid to get too close to anyone, for fear of getting hurt.
Tryin' to remember something
I am attempting to recall something important.
Why am I here and who are you?
I am questioning my purpose and identity, as well as the motives of those around me.
You must admit something
You must confess something.
Animals came in two by two
This is a reference to the biblical story of Noah's Ark.
Just as I thought I'm thinking
As soon as I think I have it figured out, my thoughts spiral once again.
How can I change when I don't want to
I know I should change, but I am unwilling to do so.
Kept getting caught
I kept getting into trouble.
Kept drinking
I kept turning to alcohol as a coping mechanism.
How can I blame what I got to
I cannot make excuses for my circumstances; I must accept responsibility for them.
Putting the wheels in motion
I am taking action to try to rectify my situation.
Autopilot I can't drive
I feel as though I am going through the motions without any direction or control.
Covered in chalomine lotion
I have applied medicine to soothe my itchy skin, likely from a bee sting.
Scratching my ? bee stung
I am scratching at the site of the bee sting.
Whatever you want
I am willing to give you whatever you desire.
Whatever you need
I am willing to provide you with whatever you require.
I think I need it too
I am realizing that I also need the things that I am offering to you.
Whatever you want
I am willing to give you whatever you desire.
Whatever you need
I am willing to provide you with whatever you require.
Whatever you want
I am willing to give you whatever you desire.
Whatever you need
I am willing to provide you with whatever you require.
I think I need it too
I am realizing that I also need the things that I am offering to you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: IAN MCCULLOCH, JOHN MCLAUGHLIN, SIMON PERRY, WILL SARGEANT, DAVID THOMAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind