Mansun came to prominence in the mid-nineties British indie/ guitar-rock resurgence, despite pursuing their own path away from any of the emerging scenes. Their first album Attack of the Grey Lantern could easily have been lost amidst the wave of new music in the British (Britpop) scene at that time if it had not been for the majestic Wide Open Space. The single charted at number 15 in the UK. The album then went on to reach no. 1 in the UK charts. Many of the tracks from the album and the associated EP's formed part of a grand concept piece. The band created a twisted town inhabited by bizarre characters such as "Dark Mavis", "Stripper Vicar", "Flourella" and "Egg-Shaped Fred".
Between their 1st and 2nd album they released the Closed for Business EP which departed from the themes that had run through all Mansun's previous releases, while musically very similar to the tracks from Attack of the Grey Lantern.
The band's second album Six was a radical departure from the first album. The tracks segued into each other creating two musical sections which were separated by an "intermission". Musically, the songs were far more produced in sound. The album artwork was also very complex containing many references to the cult (and often surreal) 60's TV show "The Prisoner". This perfectly suited the music which had the feeling of a nonsensical prog extravaganza. The artwork together with the way that the complex structure of the songs/time signatures blended into each other gave the impression of a very ambitious progressive rock concept album, though lyrically there is little to suggest that there is a central theme to the album. While generally critically appreciated, Six was not a huge commercial success, though the album did reach no. 6 in the UK album charts.
For their third album, Little Kix, Mansun again changed direction. This time the songs were slickly produced (over-produced in some senses) with strong pop sensibility. The album was obviously an attempt by the band to produce an album with more maturity, but was perhaps too polished. Little Kix reached no. 12 in the UK charts.
Mansun disbanded in May 2003. This was a culmination of band tensions which had seen one of the original members leave (Stove King). Disappointed by the poor reception of their 3rd album, the band folded with little fanfare of their passing.
Due to pressure from their fans, EMI released the posthumous "4th album", Kleptomania, which was a three CD set containing rough recordings of tracks slated to be on the unfinished 4th album, b-sides and rarities.
SLIPPING AWAY
Mansun Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I drink myself into a state,
Wherever you bring love you bring conditions,
And so I drink to make you go away.
My fear is slipping away from me,
My lazy feeling filling my skin,
My doubts are slipping away from me,
Move on,
Move on,
Come on baby move on.
My bones have broke and left me shattered,
And my thoughts keep going off the rails,
Whenever you brought love you brought restrictions,
And so I drink to make you go away,
My fear is slipping away from me,
My lazy feeling filling my skin,
My doubts are slipping away from me,
My conscience keeps on saying move on,
Move on,
Move on,
Come on baby move on.
My fear is slipping away from me,
My lazy feeling filling my skin,
My doubts are slipping away from me,
My conscience keeps on saying move on,
Move on,
Move on,
Come on baby move on.
Move on,
Move on,
Move on,
Come on baby move on.
Move on,
Move on,
Move on,
Come on baby move on.
The lyrics to Mansun's song Slipping Away speak to the struggles of a relationship where love is conditional, and one party is unwilling to let go. The opening lines, "No no no this isn't happening, so I drink myself into a state," suggest a sense of denial and coping mechanism for the pain the singer is feeling. They turn to alcohol to numb themselves and find a way to make the other person go away.
As the song progresses, the singer reflects on their emotions and how they are changing. They describe their fear, lazy feeling, and doubts slipping away from them. This could be interpreted as their emotional armor breaking down, and they are beginning to let go of their fear and doubts in order to move on. However, their conscience is urging them to continue to move forward, even though it is difficult.
The repeated chorus of "move on" is a mantra that the singer is trying to remind themselves of, though it is clear that it is not an easy task. They feel broken and shattered, with their thoughts going off the rails. This could suggest that the relationship has caused some emotional damage, and the singer is struggling to deal with it.
Overall, Slipping Away is a song that speaks to the complicated emotions and struggles that come with a difficult relationship. It emphasizes the need to move on from a situation that does not bring happiness or fulfillment.
Line by Line Meaning
No no no this isn't happening,
I can't believe this is happening
So I drink myself into a state,
I drink to escape from reality
Wherever you bring love you bring conditions,
Your love always has restrictions or demands
And so I drink to make you go away.
I drink to cope with the pressure you bring
My fear is slipping away from me,
I am losing my fear
My lazy feeling filling my skin,
I am overcome with laziness
My doubts are slipping away from me,
I am becoming more confident
My conscience keeps on saying move on,
I know I need to move on
Come on baby move on.
I am urging myself to move on
My bones have broke and left me shattered,
I feel broken and shattered
And my thoughts keep going off the rails,
My thoughts are becoming chaotic
Whenever you brought love you brought restrictions,
Your love always comes with demands or barriers
And so I drink to make you go away,
I drink to cope with the pressure you bring
Move on,
I need to move on
Come on baby move on.
I need to urge myself to move on
Move on,
I need to move on
Come on baby move on.
I need to urge myself to move on
Contributed by Tristan R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Luke Simmons
Bring back Mansun, totally obsessed with this band! :) They had something genuinely different to all the other bands from the UK, while the Oasis Vs. Blur battle was being fought in public during the britrock scene, Mansun were overlooked...what a shame, i'm a fan of both Oasis and Blur also, but Mansun mean so much more...
Lovin Life
@Laz Loco I completely agree
Sam Haynes Music
Their last album, unfinished, is better than most albums could do. This is an amazing song.
Aaron Li
This song is so underrated!
The Last Guitar Hero
This had a killer riff
Dirk Chucklebutty
Great track from a top band
smackmyfishup666
What an album this would have been
テキオカイ
Kleptomaniaがまったく世の中に知られてないアルバムだなんて、本当もったいない。神アルバムなのに。mansunはoasisやblurになり得たバンドだったと今でも思います
benjamin bonilla
They deserved to be been so big
8Dazmic8
What a tune this is