Lead-singer Grog would never define Feline's music any more than acknowledging those dark elements within it, but admitted to some influences such as Sonic Youth, Iggy Pop, and The Pixies. A classically trained pianist, Grog wrote the bulk of Feline's material; some of the songs she recorded with Feline were written by her prior to the band's formation.
Generally getting good write-ups in the rock press, such as NME and Kerrang!, they released a number of singles, a limited release album and a single full-length album between 1997 and 1998 but were not as successful as their potential showed. Their record company dropped them in 1999 as part of a company-wide roster clear out, and they split, with several members moving on to form Ultraviolet, and then, the relatively more successful Die So Fluid (who have to date released 4 albums with a fifth slated for 2017).
The name "Feline" was also used by the Belfast-based band The Feline Dream between 1993 and 1995.
The female german singer Swantje Schneemann from Hamburg used the name "Feline" for her first and only single "Magic Carpet Ride"
Play With Fire
Feline Lyrics
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She felt herself falling
Down on her knees
It smokes then it catches
This house built of matches
Kissed by the breeze
She feels herself flying
A moth to the flame
The quicker we burn
The faster it turn
To ashes again
This furnace is your
Fuel and your desire
Your mother must have said
Don't play with fire
Play with fire
Play with fire
Play with fire
She's drawn to the brightness
That flickers his likeness
Across her face
Swept up in a blaze
Of a media daze
She's running a race
She sees her mistake
She sees it too late
She feels out of place
But the quicker she burns
The faster it turn
To ashes again
This furnace is your
Fuel and your desire
Your mother must have said
Don't play with fire
Play with fire
Play with fire
Play with fire
It seems you insist on
Learning the hard way
But you know in your heart
You do the same thing
Again- This furnace is your
Fuel and your desire
Your mother must have said
Don't play with fire
Play with fire
Play with fire
Play with fire
The lyrics of Feline's song "Play With Fire" are about the dangers of succumbing to temptation and the consequences that come after. The song starts off with the singer (a girl) falling in love with someone as soon as she sees him. She's so infatuated that she falls down to her knees. The metaphorical language of the next two lines indicates that the relationship between the two will be built on weakness and vulnerability. The house represents their relationship, and the matches are the people who ignite their passion. However, it's very fragile and can be easily destroyed by external factors.
The chorus of the song goes "This furnace is your fuel and your desire / Your mother must have said, 'Don't play with fire' / Play with fire, play with fire, play with fire." Here, the artiste uses a simile; the furnace is equivalent to the passion of the girl. In the line "Your mother must have said, 'Don't play with fire,'" the mother warns her daughter about the destruction that comes with playing with dangerous things. The girl's passion and desire grow stronger despite her mother's warning, and in the end, she ignites like a moth drawn to a flame. The consequences of playing with fire are catastrophic, and the singer realizes her mistake too late.
Line by Line Meaning
The moment she saw him
As soon as she laid eyes on him
She felt herself falling
She experienced a strong attraction towards him
Down on her knees
Her infatuation made her feel powerless and submissive
It smokes then it catches
The flirtation intensifies and ignites like a spark
This house built of matches
Their relationship is fragile and easily destroyed
Kissed by the breeze
Their love is fleeting and subject to external forces
The temperature's rising
Their attraction is getting stronger and more intense
She feels herself flying
She feels exhilarated and out of control
A moth to the flame
She is dangerously drawn to something that could harm her
The quicker we burn
The more intense our relationship becomes
The faster it turn
The quicker it ends
To ashes again
Like a destructive fire, their love will leave nothing but ruin
This furnace is your
The passion and intensity of your love
Fuel and your desire
What drives and motivates your attraction to each other
Your mother must have said
As a warning to stay away from danger
Don't play with fire
Stay away from things that could harm you
She's drawn to the brightness
She is attracted to his light and energy
That flickers his likeness
The way he moves and acts captivates her attention
Across her face
His effect is visible on her expression and demeanor
Swept up in a blaze
Caught up in the passion and intensity of their love
Of a media daze
The hype and attention surrounding their relationship affects them
She's running a race
She is trying to keep up with the pace and demands of their love
She sees her mistake
She realizes that her attraction was misguided
She sees it too late
She realizes this when it's already too late
She feels out of place
She is not comfortable in this intense and chaotic relationship
It seems you insist on
You repeatedly choose to
Learning the hard way
Understanding through painful experiences
But you know in your heart
You are aware deep down
You do the same thing
You continue to pursue dangerous relationships despite knowing the consequences
Contributed by Elijah V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.