Hot Chip's official site is http://www.hot-chip.co.uk/.
Out at the Pictures
Hot Chip Lyrics
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It's fuckin' cheap,
Sometimes you find up in your mind...
Are you at the pictures,
Or out at sea?
It's better this way,
Trust you, believe me
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(There's a whole world in there)
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(Just don't stop and stare)
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(You will find gel there)
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(There's a hole in the world there)
We like it for what we just got,
It's better still,
It's something hot
Out at the pictures,
I cannot see,
It's better this way,
Trust you, believe me
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(There's a whole world in there)
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(Just don't stop and stare)
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(You will find gel there)
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
(There's a hole in the world there)
The lyrics of Hot Chip's song "Out at the Pictures" is a mixture of seemingly nonsensical phrases and a few meaningful ideas. The song starts by saying "it's on every street, it's fuckin' cheap, sometimes you find up in your mind." This suggests that the singer is talking about something that's easily accessible, maybe even mundane, but can take over one's thoughts.
The chorus then brings up two unrelated things - being "at the pictures" or "out at sea" - and claims that it's better to be unsure of where you are. The repetition of "trust you, believe me" is a bit ominous, as if the singer is trying to persuade someone to do something that might not be in their best interest. The lines "we like it for what we just got, it's better still, it's something hot" could refer to a drug or some other sensation that's fleeting but enjoyable.
Throughout the song, there are these strange interjections of "whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather" followed by different phrases. It's difficult to make sense of what these phrases mean, but they seem to point to a world that's full of possibility and mystery. The line "there's a hole in the world there" could suggest that there's a void that needs to be filled, and maybe the things the singer is suggesting are ways to fill it.
Overall, the song seems to be about the allure of something that's easily available but potentially dangerous, and the fear of being stuck in a mundane life without any excitement or adventure.
Line by Line Meaning
It's on every street,
The thing we're talking about is ubiquitous and can be found everywhere.
It's fuckin' cheap,
It's very affordable and doesn't cost a lot of money.
Sometimes you find up in your mind...
It can be a thought or an idea that occurs to you randomly.
Are you at the pictures,
Are you currently at the cinema watching a movie?
Or out at sea?
Or are you on a ship in the middle of the ocean?
It's better this way,
The current situation we're in is more favorable or advantageous.
Trust you, believe me
I'm asking you to trust me on this.
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
The sound of a repeating weather forecast.
(There's a whole world in there)
Within the weather forecast, there is a wealth of information.
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
The sound of a repeating weather forecast.
(Just don't stop and stare)
While listening to the forecast, it's best not to stop and linger on any particular part of it.
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
The sound of a repeating weather forecast.
(You will find gel there)
There may be a discovery or something of interest within the weather forecast.
Whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-whe-the-weather weather weather weather
The sound of a repeating weather forecast.
(There's a hole in the world there)
There may be a gap or an opening in the information provided by the weather forecast.
We like it for what we just got,
We enjoy or appreciate it for what we recently received.
It's better still,
This new thing is even better than the previous thing we enjoyed.
It's something hot
It's something trendy or popular at the moment.
Out at the pictures,
Once again, referring to being at the cinema watching a movie.
I cannot see,
The artist is in a dark theater or cinema and cannot see much else around them.
It's better this way,
Once again, the current situation is preferred over other possibilities.
Trust you, believe me
The artist is still asking for trust in their judgement.
Lyrics © DOMINO PUBLISHING COMPANY, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOSEPH GODDARD, ALEXIS BENJAMIN TAYLOR, FELIX MARTIN, OWEN CLARKE, AL DOYLE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind