Psyche
Massive Attack Lyrics


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I'm looking for you in the woods tonight, I'm looking
Looking for you in my flashlight, I'm searching
From in the high or down the ocean
And I pace myself in reason
Gain the wolf
Gain the wolf

Conjure me as a child
Slipping down a web side
Stretch up, I cannot reach him
Jumping up, they drag him from the water

I watch them march him into life
I watch them take him from the pale
Look to the sky for your eagle eye
The sun seeds a sickle and a scythe

Ridicule they won't allow
Quench abuse and let love flower
Rip the cage out of your chest
Let the chaos rule the rest

Show without showing
What you know without knowing
Twigs snap, I catch no canoe only you and me
Alone on the old teal sea

Dissolving who we are
Call out for yesterday's destiny come
We're on a foreign shore

It was your mark of falling
I was the car still running
And when you call and be your shield for life
And if you feel it you will fly
The sun should have been with me

And I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in




As I was set to fall in
As I was set to fall in

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Massive Attack's "Psyche" are moody and cryptic, invoking a sense of searching and longing. The first stanza sets the scene: the singer is looking for someone in the woods at night, using a flashlight to search. The second stanza is more surreal, with imagery of a child slipping down a web side and trying to reach something just out of reach. The third stanza brings in more social commentary, speaking of ridicule and abuse not being allowed, and letting chaos rule instead. The final stanza brings a sense of resolution, with the singer calling out for destiny and offering to be someone's shield for life.


Overall, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what the lyrics are supposed to mean. They are purposefully vague and open to interpretation, allowing the listener to bring their own experiences and feelings to the song. However, one could surmise that the singer is searching for something in themselves or in the world around them, while simultaneously acknowledging the difficulties and challenges that come with that search.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm looking for you in the woods tonight, I'm looking
I'm searching for you in the dark, hoping to find you.


Looking for you in my flashlight, I'm searching
Trying to find you with light in the darkness.


From in the high or down the ocean
Looking for you high and low, far and wide.


And I pace myself in reason
Trying to stay calm and focused while searching.


Gain the wolf
Get the courage and strength of a wolf.


Conjure me as a child
Remember me as a child.


Slipping down a web side
Running through a maze of webs like a spider web.


Stretch up, I cannot reach him
Trying to reach someone or something that is out of reach.


Jumping up, they drag him from the water
Jumping up to try and save someone from drowning.


I watch them march him into life
Observing someone's journey into adulthood.


I watch them take him from the pale
Seeing someone leave their old life behind.


Look to the sky for your eagle eye
Be watchful and alert like an eagle in the sky.


The sun seeds a sickle and a scythe
A symbol of how the sun can both bring life and take it away.


Ridicule they won't allow
Not tolerating or accepting ridicule.


Quench abuse and let love flower
Stopping abuse and allowing love to grow.


Rip the cage out of your chest
Breaking free from emotional constraints and letting your heart fly free.


Let the chaos rule the rest
Allowing chaos to reign in life.


Show without showing
Expressing something without revealing it openly.


What you know without knowing
Knowing something without actually realizing it.


Twigs snap, I catch no canoe only you and me
The two of us are alone in nature without any equipment or means of travel.


Alone on the old teal sea
Feeling alone on the vast, deep blue sea.


Dissolving who we are
Breaking down and losing our individual identities.


Call out for yesterday's destiny come
Requesting the destiny of past times to come back.


We're on a foreign shore
Being in an unfamiliar place.


It was your mark of falling
A sign or indicator of someone falling down.


I was the car still running
Being the only one still functioning in a situation.


And when you call and be your shield for life
Being there for someone to protect them.


And if you feel it you will fly
If you have a certain feeling, you will be able to fly.


The sun should have been with me
Feeling that the sun should have been there to guide or support them.


As I was set to fall in
In the process of falling or losing control.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Robert Del Naja, Martina Topley-Bird, Neil Davidge, Grantley Evan Marshall

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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