"Sometimes if somebody you feel you need… the whole universe tells you that you have to have her, you start watching her favorite TV shows all night, you start buying her the things she needs, you start drinking her drinks, you start smoking her bad cigarettes, you start picking up her nuances in her voice, you sleep in safe sometimes the most dangerous thing… this is called Mojo Pin.“
- Astoria, London, UK, 18/01/95
Mojo Pin
Jeff Buckley Lyrics
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Oh-oh, ah-ah, ah-ah
Uh, uh-uh, uh, uh
Oh-oh, uh-uh
I'm lying in my bed
The blanket is warm
This body will never be safe from harm
Touch my skin to keep me whole
Oh, if only you'd come back to me
If you laid at my side
Wouldn't need no mojo pin
To keep me satisfied
Don't want to weep for you
Don't want to know
I'm blind and tortured, the white horses flow
The memories fire
The rhythms fall slow
Black beauty, I love you so
Oh, precious, precious silver and gold
And pearls in oyster's flesh
Drop down we two to serve and pray to love
Born again from the rhythm
Screaming down from heaven
Ageless, ageless, I'm there in your arms
Don't want to weep for you
I don't want to know
I'm blind and tortured, the white horses flow
The memories fire
The rhythms fall slow
Black beauty, I love you so
So, so, so
So
Oh, the welts of your scorn, my love, give me more
Send whips of opinion down my back, give me more
Well it's you I've waited my life to see
It's you I've searched so hard for
Don't want to weep for you
Don't want to know
I'm blind and tortured, the white horses flow
The memories fire
The rhythms fall slow
Black beauty, I love you so, so
Black, black, black beauty
The lyrics to Jeff Buckley's song "Mojo Pin" explore themes of longing, love, and desperation. The opening verses describe a sense of vulnerability and a desire for safety and protection. The persona longs for the touch of a lost love, invoking a sensual image of black ribbons of coal touching his skin to "keep me whole." He expresses a yearning for the return of this former love and suggests that if only they were together he wouldn't need the "mojo pin" to keep him satisfied. The lyrics then take a more introspective turn, as the persona grapples with his feelings of loss, pain and uncertainty. The white horses flow, creating a tone of melancholy and the sense that something has been lost or has passed beyond reach. The persona's love is described as a "black beauty," which creates a stark contrast between the beauty and the darkness.
The third verse introduces the image of precious metals and pearls found within an oyster, dropping the two lovers to "serve and pray to love." This contrasts with the sense of longing that has characterized the lyrics so far and brings in ideas of worship and reverence. The persona is then described as "ageless," suggesting that he is beyond time and mortal concerns. The chorus returns as a refrain, with the persona expressing his unwillingness to give in to his emotions and his pain. He describes the welts of his love's scorn as giving him "more," suggesting that he is willing to withstand any torment or torture if it means he can be with this love. Finally, the song ends on a repeated refrain of "Black beauty I love you so" emphasizing the depth and intensity of the persona's feelings.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm lying in my bed
The singer is in bed.
The blanket is warm
The blanket is providing warmth to the singer.
This body will never be safe from harm
The singer's body will always be vulnerable to harm.
Still feel your hair, black ribbons of coal
The singer remembers the feeling of the person's hair, which was black like coal.
Touch my skin to keep me whole
Physical touch is important to the singer's emotional well-being.
If only you'd come back to me
The singer desires for the person to return.
If you laid at my side
The singer wishes for the person to be physically close.
Wouldn't need no mojo pin
The singer wouldn't need a magical charm to feel satisfied if the person were present.
To keep me satisfied
The mojo pin is a substitute for the person's presence.
Don't want to weep for you, don't want to know
The singer does not want to mourn or acknowledge the person's absence.
I'm blind and tortured, the white horses flow
The singer is blinded by pain and emotion, while memories of the past haunt him.
The memories fire, the rhythms fall slow
The memories are intense and overwhelming, while time seems to pass slowly.
Black beauty I love you so
The singer is speaking to someone, calling them "black beauty" and expressing love.
Precious, precious silver and gold and pearls in oyster's flesh
The presence of the person is rare and valuable, like precious metals and pearls inside an oyster.
Drop down we two to serve and pray to love
The singer and the person are devoted to each other and to their love.
Born again from the rhythm, screaming down from heaven
Their love is rekindled through the power of the music and the intense emotions it evokes.
Ageless, ageless, I'm there in your arms
The love between the singer and the person transcends time and is eternal.
The welts of your scorn, my love, give me more
Even though the person may have caused the singer pain, he still desires them.
Send whips of opinion down my back, give me more
The singer is willing to endure pain and criticism, as long as he can be with the person.
Well it's you I've waited my life to see
The person is the one the singer has been waiting for his entire life.
It's you I've searched so hard for
The singer has actively searched for the person.
Black, black, black beauty
The singer repeats the phrase as a term of endearment for the person.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Jeffery Buckley, Gary Michael Lucas
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind