Famed for his largely improvised shows, that see Jamie constructing his tracks live, voicing and layering right in front of your eyes, effortlessly whipping them out of the air and forging them into clanking electro riffs and deathprod funk grooves.
Likened to Sly Stone, Prince and Little Richard, he is Britain's voice of soul for the new era.
Jamie is/was half of the Super_collider project. He has also helped write and produce on the albums of Mocky, who in return drums in his live band.
Coma Chameleon
Jamie Lidell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Break your own silence or just just walk away
Twist this avarice around you like a ring
You can't blame what you can't feel on anything
Coma chameleon
If you ever wake up, you will see what you have done
Coma, coma chameleon
Patent leather and the weather's doin' fine
Abandoned ambulance somewhere down the line
Tried to speak your language, now I've lost my tongue
All you had to give, you gave it to no one
Coma chameleon
If you ever wake up, you will see what you have done
Coma, coma chameleon
If you ever wake up, you will see what you have done
If you ever wake up, you will see what you have done
If you ever wake up, you will see what you have done
Ahh, ooh
Ahh, ooh
The lyrics of Jamie Lidell's Coma Chameleon seem to address the inaction and apathy that can come with comfort and complacency. The first stanza encourages those who have nothing to say to speak up or at least remove themselves from the situation. The line "twist this avarice around you like a ring" implies that greed or self-centeredness can be suffocating, and the singer suggests taking responsibility for one's own emotions rather than blaming outside forces.
The chorus, "Coma chameleon, if you ever wake up, you will see what you have done," suggests that being in a "coma" (i.e. a state of ignorance or self-absorption) can blind people to the consequences of their actions. The repetition of the phrase "you will see what you have done" reinforces the idea that personal responsibility and awareness are important.
The second verse describes a contrast between luxury and abandonment, perhaps suggesting that even those who have everything can feel lost or disconnected. The singer seems to have attempted to communicate with the subject of the song, but has been unsuccessful. The final repetition of the chorus feels almost like a warning or a plea for the subject to wake up and recognize the impact of their choices.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise your hand up if you have nothing to say
If you don't have anything meaningful to contribute, just admit it by raising your hand and don't pretend to have a voice
Break your own silence or just walk away
Either speak up with sincerity or leave the situation to avoid being a disruptive force
Twist this avarice around you like a ring
Don't let greed consume you and control your actions
You can't blame what you can't feel on anything
You can't justify your actions or lack of empathy for others by claiming ignorance or lack of awareness
Coma chameleon
Referencing the adaptability and appearance-changing abilities of a chameleon, but likening it to someone in a coma who needs to wake up and take control of their life
If you ever wake up, you will see what you have done
Once you finally come to terms with reality and take responsibility for your actions, you will see the impact of your choices
Patent leather and the weather's doin' fine
The seemingly superficial and materialistic things in life are going well, but true happiness cannot only come from external factors
Abandoned ambulance somewhere down the line
A metaphor for leaving one's own well-being behind and neglecting it until it's too late to do anything about it
Tried to speak your language, now I've lost my tongue
Attempting to connect and relate to someone but failing to do so, possibly due to a language barrier or lack of understanding
All you had to give, you gave it to no one
You may have had something valuable to offer, but you chose to keep it to yourself instead of sharing it with others or making a positive impact
Ahh, ooh
Vocalizations used for rhythmic effect and emotional emphasis
Contributed by Caleb M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ciosborn
Awesome track. The thing I love about Jamie is his ability to be so different even when combing all the songs as a whole on Compass, my favorite album since it's release. Because he's so fresh...It's like having breakfast, lunch, appetizer, dinner and dessert on one album. Each song offers something different, yet totally satisfies.
Cindy M
Beck Hansen produced this album, Beck is genious, and if you enjoy this you should check him out, hes extremely versatile and every album is different and intruiging. :)
sadisticplatypus
Tom Waits meets Prince... Pure genius !
Eu-san
Toonami baby. Bring back the 6.5 hour run!
Ultralight 1232
what genre is this ?
Toonami326
Toonami Says: We won't be intimidated by criminal threats.
Dermot Moriarty
Beck had a big hand in this song... No credit to him here though.
Ultralight 1232
dont be so aggressive
Kenny
I don't even know
Tom Swingler
ok