The debut Massive Attack album Blue Lines was released in 1991, with the single "Unfinished Sympathy" reaching the charts and later being voted the 63rd greatest song of all time in a poll by NME. 1998's Mezzanine (containing the top 10 single "Teardrop") and 2003's 100th Window charted in the UK at number one. Both Blue Lines and Mezzanine feature in Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
The group has won numerous music awards throughout their career, including a Brit Award—winning Best British Dance Act, two MTV Europe Music Awards and two Q Awards. They have released five studio albums that have sold over 13 million copies worldwide. Throughout their history, Massive Attack have been supporters and activists for political, human rights and environmental causes.
Blue Lines
Massive Attack Lyrics
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Spliff in the ashtray, red stripe, I pull the lid
Her touch tickles, especially when she's gentle
But I don't hear her words 'cause I slide the instrumental
Keep the girl in the distance, moves are very hazy
No sunshine in my life the way I deal is shady
Skip hip data to get the anti-matter
To the sound of silence surrounded by the mass
Her face is on the paper, not the strangers that I pass
The ones that are looking back to see if they are looking back at me
Are you predator, or do you fear me?
Yeah, while I'm doing this, I know
The place I really wanna go
The one I love but never gets near me
It's a beautiful day well, it seems as such
Beautiful thoughts means I dream too much
Even if I told you, you still would not know me
Tricky never does, Adrian mostly gets lonely
How we live in this existence, just being
English upbringing, background Caribbean
It's the way that we billety
Sharing a soliloquy
We cut the broken thread from flexibility
Mi chiamo 3D si sono Inglese
No sunshine in my life because the way I deal is hazy
And every day's a daisy 'cause I'm on my toes
While contemporaries of mine remaining comatose
There's a looking glass she's looking through
She hated me, but then she loved me too
I'd lie, not try, so I lost faith
Then turn to her to keep the faith
She told me, take an occupation, or you lose your mind
And on a nine-to-five lemon, looking for the lime
Box clever, watch your system come together
Crazy weather at the end of my tether
Massive in the area, murderer
Attack in the area, murderer
Some go softly, softly round the habitat
Ratchet in the right hand
They got no one to stab it at
Take a walk, Billy, don't be a hero
Effort's on minimal though almost touch zero
Excommunicated from the brotherhood of man
To wander lonely as a puzzled anagram
Car paint blue, green, primer and zinc
Take it to extremities, my purple and pink
I feel the colors fill my room beneath the patter of the rain
I can't stand the drops that dribble down my windowpane
They wash away my shadow and don't even leave a mark upon my soul
They leave the rainbows in the dark
Blues get big, Massive are even larger
Save enough space into the tricky Tardis
We'd trawl what I saw from down in Darren's hall
People laying their claim
In stormy weather it's rain
But you're living on a see-saw
I try to see more
Somebody da-ditty, nobody
Walking on sunshine, but, still, we're treading water
The son of many reasons searching for the daughter
Seeking knowledge, not acknowledging the jet-set
Silver papers of the sound within my Budakon headset
The solar system watches in wisdom
The children dance as the moonlight kissed them
To Massive Attack, Matt Black appear wearing beads
Two hours traveling, so I wrote this on repeat
Always living fast, people getting jumpy
Where on Gruggy falls I just do the Walter Crumpy
Microphones held close, crouching far apart
Take my peace of mind and sign my name across your heart
The lyrics of Massive Attack's song Blue Lines reflect a sense of disorientation and a search for meaning in life. The song opens with the lines "Can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with," which suggest a sense of resignation and a willingness to settle for less than ideal circumstances. The next lines describe a scene of drug use and isolation, with the singer lost in the music and disengaged from his surroundings.
As the song progresses, the lyrics touch on themes of identity, race, and class. The lines "English upbringing, background Caribbean / It's the way that we billety / Sharing a soliloquy" suggest a sense of cultural hybridity, while the lines "Excommunicated from the brotherhood of man / To wander lonely as a puzzled anagram" reflect a feeling of social alienation.
Throughout the song, the lyrics are full of references to duality and ambiguity. The lines "Skip hip data to get the anti-matter / Blue lines are the reason why the temple had to shatter" speak to the idea that there are multiple ways to understand reality, and that the truth is often elusive. The song ends with the lines "Microphones held close, crouching far apart / Take my piece of mind, and sign my name across your heart," which suggest a desire for connection and communication, even in the face of the many obstacles that stand in the way.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't be with the one you love, then love the one you're with
If you aren't able to be with the one you love, make the best of the situation and love the one you're with.
Spliff in the ashtray, red stripe, I pull the lid
I have a joint in the ashtray and a bottle of Red Stripe beer which I am going to open.
Her touch tickles, especially when she's gentle
I enjoy when she touches me softly because it's mysterious to me.
But I don't hear her words 'cause I slide the instrumental
I play music while she speaks to me, so I don't hear what she's saying.
Keep the girl in the distance, moves are very hazy
I don't want to get too close with the girl and my emotions are unclear.
No sunshine in my life the way I deal is shady
I don't have any happiness in my life and the way I deal with things is not always honest.
Skip hip data to get the anti-matter
I skip over the popular information and go straight to the deeper meaning behind it all.
Blue lines are the reason why the temple had to shatter
The blueprints for this place caused it to fall apart in the end.
To the sound of silence surrounded by the mass
I'm surrounded by a lot of people, yet it's silent.
Her face is on the paper, not the strangers that I pass
I notice her face on the paper instead of people passing by.
The ones that are looking back to see if they are looking back at me
I wonder if those who look my way are doing so because they see me or if it's incidental.
Are you predator, or do you fear me?
I'm not sure if this person is intimidated or a threat.
Yeah, while I'm doing this, I know
The place I really wanna go
The one I love but never gets near me
Despite what I'm doing now, I know where I need to be – with the one I love, but who is distant from me.
It's a beautiful day well, it seems as such
Beautiful thoughts means I dream too much
Even though it's a lovely day, I tend to dream and think more than I should.
Even if I told you, you still would not know me
Tricky never does, Adrian mostly gets lonely
Even if I tried to explain myself, you still wouldn't understand me. Tricky doesn't either, but Adrian relates to loneliness the most.
How we live in this existence, just being
English upbringing, background Caribbean
We live our lives by simply existing. I had an English upbringing, but my background is Caribbean.
It's the way that we billety
Sharing a soliloquy
We cut the broken thread from flexibility
Mi chiamo 3D si sono Inglese
No sunshine in my life because the way I deal is hazy
And everyday's a daisy 'cause I'm on my toes
While contemporaries of mine remaining comatose
We communicate differently, sharing all of our thoughts. We fix what's been broken, severing mistakes from options. I am called 3D and I am English. I don't have any happiness in my life because of my untrustworthy ways. Every day is a struggle because I have to be on my guard, while others are just coasting along.
There's a looking glass she's looking through
She hated me, but then she loved me too
I'd lie, not try, so I lost faith
Then turn to her to keep the faith
She is looking through a window because she is unhappy with me, but later decides she loves me nonetheless. I lied about my commitments and as a result, lost faith in myself. I then looked to her to renew my faith.
She told me, 'take an occupation, or you lose your mind.'
And on a nine-to-five lemon, looking for the lime
She advised me to find a job or lose my sanity. However, I now have a mundane job and I'm trying to find fulfillment within it.
Box clever, watch your system come together
Crazy weather at the end of my tether
I should be strategic and watch the system come together accordingly, but the weather is making me feel edgy.
Massive in the area, murderer
Attack in the area, murder
We are known for being a massive force in the area and a force to be reckoned with.
Some go softly, softly round the habitat
Ratchet in the right hand
They got no one to stab it at
Take a walk, Billy, don't be a hero
Effort's on minimal though almost touch zero
Some people quietly navigate the terrain, while others are violent without reason. I advise you to mind your own business and avoid unnecessary risks.
Excommunicated from the brotherhood of man
To wander lonely as a puzzled anagram
I've been expelled from the brotherhood of mankind and now wander alone without a clear sense of identity.
Car paint blue, green, primer and zinc
Take it to extremities, my purple and pink
I feel the colours fill my room beneath the patter of the rain
I can't stand the drops that dribble down my windowpane
They wash away my shadow and don't even leave a mark upon my soul
They leave the rainbows in the dark
My car is blue and green and has primer and zinc. My room is filled with vivid colors that move me when it's raining. The raindrops are so annoying, but they don't have any real impact on my life – they just create colorful reflections.
Blues get big, Massive are even larger
Save enough space into the tricky tardies
We'd trawl what I saw from down in Darren's hall
People laying their claim
In stormy weather it's rain
The blues are getting bigger and we're even larger than that. We need to save files in tricky ways, like Darren's hall. We need to navigate situations where people claim different territories. Sometimes the weather is as tumultuous as the blues.
But you're living on a see-saw
I try to see more
Life can be an uphill battle, but I'm still trying to get a better perspective on things.
Somebody da-ditty, nobody
Walking on sunshine, but, still, we're treading water
The son of many reasons searching for the daughter
Seeking knowledge, not acknowledging the jet-set
Silver papers of the sound within my Budakon headset
The solar system watches in wisdom
The children dance as the moonlight kissed them
I'm nobody in particular, while others seem to be living on cloud nine. I'm searching for meaning and constantly asking questions. I'm interested in learning, not just following the fashion-forward. The music in my headphones takes me elsewhere. The world observes us and the moon gives off a certain energy that moves people to dance.
To Massive Attack, Matt Black appear wearing beads
Two hours traveling, so I wrote this on repeat
Always living fast, people getting jumpy
Where on Gruggy falls I just do the Walter Crumpy
Microphones held close, crouching far apart
Take my piece of mind, and sign my name across your heart
Matt Black of Massive Attack is known for wearing beaded jewelry. I wrote these lyrics while traveling for two hours. People are always living fast and becoming anxious. In Gruggy Falls, I just dance and don't worry about anything else. We hold our microphones close but stay far apart. I sign my lyrics with my heart.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adrian Nicholas Matthew Thaws, Andrew Lee Isaac Vowles, Grantley Marshall, Joe Sample, John P. Guerin, Larry E. Carlton, Max R. Bennett, Robert Del Naja, Thomas Wright Scott
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind