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.
Sly
Massive Attack Lyrics
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It makes life much easier for me
It's hard to decide what is real these days
When things look so dizzy to me
I already know my children's children's faces
Voices that I've heard before
There's always more
Wandering leaving the sea behind
To my home which everybody owns
Wandering, wandering
Where we can do what we please
Wandering
I feel like a thousand years have passed
I'm younger than I used to be
I feel like the world is my home at last
I know everyone that I meet
Somewhere in the music I can hear the bells
I heard a thousand years before
There's always more
There's always more
Wandering is this there all there is
Since I was since I began to be
Wandering, wandering
Where we can do what we please
Wandering
The first verse of Massive Attack's song Sly talks about the struggle of deciphering reality. The singer tries to believe what they feel to make life simpler, but it's challenging to determine what is genuine when everything appears out of focus. The line "When things look so dizzy to me" suggests confusion and a loss of direction. However, in the following lines, the singer contemplates the future where they know their "children's children's faces" and the "voices" that they have "heard before." The lyrics differentiate between the present and future, where the latter is more clear-cut and defined. The "always more" repetition could signify the singer's longing for clarity amidst the turmoil of the present.
The second verse implies that the singer enjoys their freedom, wandering aimlessly, and doing as they please. The lyrics, "To my home which everybody owns" could be a nod to society's shared responsibilities, and the "wandering" represents the journey to discover the singer's place in the world. The song's chorus suggests that the singer has aged but feels younger and more contented than they've ever been before. They can hear the bells ringing in the music, a metaphor for their trust in life, and they know that there's always more. The last line, "Wandering," offers a sense of hope - the freedom to continue exploring the world.
Line by Line Meaning
I try to believe what I feel these days
I attempt to trust my current emotions
It makes life much easier for me
Embracing my feelings simplifies my life
It's hard to decide what is real these days
Determining what's genuine is a challenge
When things look so dizzy to me
When things appear chaotic and perplexing
I already know my children's children's faces
I am certain of the appearance of my distant descendants
Voices that I've heard before
Familiar sounds from my past
There's always more
There's an endless abundance
Wandering leaving the sea behind
Roaming away from the ocean shore
To my home which everybody owns
Towards my shared dwelling place
Where we can do what we please
Where we can enjoy complete freedom
I feel like a thousand years have passed
I sense an extensive period has elapsed
I'm younger than I used to be
Despite time passing, I feel more youthful
I feel like the world is my home at last
I sense belonging to the entire planet
I know everyone that I meet
I am familiar with every person I encounter
Somewhere in the music I can hear the bells
Within the song, I recognize the sound of bells
I heard a thousand years before
I have heard the identical chimes many centuries ago
Wandering is this there all there is
Is aimless wandering the sole existence?
Since I was since I began to be
From the moment I came into being
Wandering, wandering
Roaming, endlessly
Where we can do what we please
Where we can revel in complete liberation
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andrew Lee Isaac Vowles, Grantley Marshall, Nellee Hooper, Nicolette Suwoton, Robert Del Naja, Vivien Goldman
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind