Man Next Door
Massive Attack) Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There is a man that live next door
In my neighborhood
In my neighborhood
And he gets me down

He gets in so late at night
Always a fuss and fight
Always a fuss and fight

All through the night

I've got to get away from here
This is not a place for me to stay
I've got to take my family
We'll find a quiet place

Hear the pots and pans they fall
Bang against my wall
Bang against my wall
No rest at all

He gets in so late at night
Always a fuss and fight
Always a fuss and fight
All through the night

I've got to get away from here
This is not a place for me to stay
I've got to take my family
We'll find a quiet place

There is a man that live next door
In my neighborhood
In my neighborhood
And he gets me down

He gets in so late at night
Always a fuss and fight
Always a fuss and fight
All through the night

Got to get away

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Man Next Door by Massive Attack describe the frustration and despair of living next door to a noisy, disruptive neighbor. The singer of the song expresses their exasperation at the man's constant late-night disturbances, which include shouting, fighting, and clanging pots and pans. They resolve to leave this neighborhood and find a new, quieter place for themselves and their family.

The song's lyrics also suggest a deeper sense of social isolation, as the singer appears to be trapped in their current circumstance and unable to escape the man next door's disruptions. This sense of social and physical entrapment is captured beautifully in the repetition of the line "I've got to get away from here," which serves as both a statement of intent and a plea for escape.

Overall, the lyrics to Man Next Door are a powerful testament to the frustrations of urban life and the need for peace and quiet in a noisy, chaotic world.

Line by Line Meaning

There is a man that live next door
There's a person living next door to me

In my neighborhood
In the same residential area as me

And he gets me down
And he makes me feel unhappy

He gets in so late at night
He arrives home very late

Always a fuss and fight
There's usually an argument or commotion

All through the night
Occurs during the night

I've got to get away from here
I need to leave this place

This is not a place for me to stay
This location is not suitable for my needs

I've got to take my family
I need to take my loved ones with me

We'll find a quiet place
We'll locate somewhere peaceful

Hear the pots and pans they fall
Hear the sounds of kitchenware clanging or dropping