Blue Skin
Hawkwind Lyrics


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No ball point pen
No type set in
The ultra-sonic tapping machine
Takes control, takes control
Issues its command
Clicking and clattering into the black
Indian ink or night, ahh ahh !!!
Hyrogliphic ancient scrawl, ahh ahh
Dot to dot I'm bleeding for you
Bleeding for you my blood is blue
Penetration stainless steel
Surgically screened the needle machine

Sliced the flesh like the Teko-Teko's stare
Cut statistics on my face on my face
Name, age, place of birth, race,
Village and tribe, carve deeply
Erase doubt, as to who I am
Who I am who I am
Prick, prick ow, transfea inscribed
Images of sweet roses red
Blood drips blood drips
The emporium
The tatoo hole in my skin




Drains the blood
Pain Ahh Ahh

Overall Meaning

The song "Blue Skin" by Hawkwind seems to be about the act of getting a tattoo, specifically a traditional or tribal tattoo. The opening lines suggest the absence of traditional writing instruments like pens and typewriters, and instead describe the use of an "ultra-sonic tapping machine" to issue commands. This machine creates a clicking and clattering sound as it tattoos the skin, with the ink appearing as a "hyrogliphic ancient scrawl" that could be mistaken for Indian ink or the darkness of night.


The lyrics then detail the pain of the tattooing process, with the singer bleeding for the person they are getting the tattoo for. The use of stainless steel needles and surgical screens suggest a sterile process, but the reference to the Teko-Teko's stare and the cutting of statistics on the face suggest a link to traditional, cultural tattoos. The tattoo is deeply carved, erasing any doubt about the identity of the person receiving it, and images of sweet red roses are inscribed along with the transfea (presumably a misspelling of "transferrable") ink. Finally, the blood drains from the "tatoo hole" in the singer's skin, causing pain.


Overall, "Blue Skin" can be interpreted as a meditation on the ways in which tattooing can simultaneously represent pain and identity, as well as the connections between traditional and modern tattooing techniques.


Line by Line Meaning

No ball point pen
There is no traditional pen used in the process that is being described.


No type set in
Similarly, the process does not involve typesetting.


The ultra-sonic tapping machine
The machine doing the work is very advanced and high-tech.


Takes control, takes control
The machine has complete control over the process.


Issues its command
The machine is in charge and dictating what happens next.


Clicking and clattering into the black
The machine makes a lot of noise as it works.


Indian ink or night, ahh ahh !!!
The ink used is deep and dark, like the night sky.


Hyrogliphic ancient scrawl, ahh ahh
The symbols being created are reminiscent of ancient hieroglyphics.


Dot to dot I'm bleeding for you
The process is painful and involves bleeding.


Bleeding for you my blood is blue
The resulting tattoos are a dark, almost blueish color due to the bleeding.


Penetration stainless steel
The needle used is made of stainless steel and penetrates the skin.


Surgically screened the needle machine
The machine is very precise and accurate, almost surgical in its execution.


Sliced the flesh like the Teko-Teko's stare
The process is very painful and feels like the intense stare of the Teko-Teko, a Maori monster.


Cut statistics on my face on my face
The tattoos are being applied to the face and part of the process involves cutting into the skin.


Name, age, place of birth, race,
The tattoos are marking important information such as name, age, place of birth, and race.


Village and tribe, carve deeply
Even deeper details such as village and tribe are being marked into the skin.


Erase doubt, as to who I am
The tattoos act as a form of identification and eliminate any confusion about the person's identity.


Who I am who I am
The tattoos are a clear representation of the individual's identity.


Prick, prick ow, transfea inscribed
The process involves a lot of pain from the pricking of the needle, but the resulting tattoos are transferred onto the skin.


Images of sweet roses red
Some of the tattoos are beautiful and depict images of red roses.


Blood drips blood drips
The process is bloody and results in a lot of bleeding.


The emporium
The tattoo parlor is being described as an emporium.


The tatoo hole in my skin
The process involves creating a hole in the skin for the tattoo ink to enter.


Drains the blood
The process results in a lot of blood being lost.


Pain Ahh Ahh
The process is very painful and causes a lot of discomfort and agony.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: ALAN PHILIP DAVEY, DAVE BROCK, RICHARD GUY CHADWICK, RON TREE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Nick Madness

This is absolutely one of the best Psychedelic/Space albums ever made in history!!!!
💊🍄🚀🌈🚬 👍

Valley Robot

Best tune on the album by far

Mark Harwood

That's 24 years ago and I still think of the album as being a later one. Perhaps I am full of years. Fascinating album.

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