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.
Small Time Shoot 'em Up
Massive Attack Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dropped a line
Turned me on
We never leave each other
'cause we leave each other so cold
Makes it melt away
The easy part is taking yourself in
It's wartime everytime
Shot away
Wipe the smile from your face
It's getting in the way
It's wartime everytime
She cut me a line and she turned me on
She made it cool
you couldn't do it if you wanted to
It's wartime everytime, small talk everytime
It's my favorite chloroform
It's pill talk everytime, get it out the way
Friction wound
Shot away
Ricochet
We're like identical twins
Sucking on the same teat
Spitting out the same things
It's wartime everytime, small talk everytime
It's my favorite chloroform
It's pill time everytime, get it out the way
Friction wound
Ricochet
Line 'em up and knock 'em down
Shot way
The lyrics of Smalltime Shot Away by Massive Attack revolve around the theme of a relationship that is self-destructive yet addictive. The singer recalls how he got involved with his partner and what ties them together. The song suggests that their relationship is like being in a perpetual state of war; they both seem to enjoy the pain that it causes them.
The opening lines "Took her in, dropped a line" suggest that the singer initiated this relationship. He was attracted to her and was the one who 'dropped a line' to get her attention. The next line "We never leave each other, 'cause we leave each other so cold" suggest that although they are together, they feel disconnected from one another. The line "It's wartime everytime" implies that their relationship is characterized by conflict and tension.
When the chorus begins, the song erupts into a sound of chaos and destruction. The lyrics "Shot away, wipe the smile from your face, it's getting in the way" suggest that he prefers that his partner doesn't smile or show any emotion, perhaps to avoid getting too close. The phrase "It's my favourite chloroform, pill talk every time" suggests that he views their relationship like a form of drug addiction; he finds comfort in it. The verses that follow continue to explore the self-destructive tendencies of their relationship, comparing their likeness to "identical twins sucking on the same teat" and mirroring each other's behaviour.
Line by Line Meaning
Took her in
I invited her inside my life
Dropped a line
I communicated with her
Turned me on
I became infatuated with her
We never leave each other
We always stay together
'cause we leave each other so cold
But our relationship lacks warmth and intimacy
Makes it melt away
Our problems disappear when we're together
The easy part is taking yourself in
It's easy to become absorbed in oneself
It's wartime everytime
Every moment feels like a battle
Shot away
Let go, surrender
Wipe the smile from your face
Stop pretending everything is okay
It's getting in the way
Our relationship is interfering with other aspects of life
She cut me a line and she turned me on
She provided a drug and I became addicted to her
She made it cool
She made addiction seem trendy
you couldn't do it if you wanted to
You can't resist addiction, even if you try
small talk everytime
Our conversations lack depth
It's my favorite chloroform
Our relationship is like a drug that puts me to sleep
It's pill talk everytime
Our conversations revolve around drugs
get it out the way
Let's deal with the addiction so it doesn't interfere anymore
Friction wound
Our relationship is causing emotional pain
Ricochet
Our actions boomerang back onto us
We're like identical twins
We're too similar, and it's becoming suffocating
Sucking on the same teat
We're too dependent on each other
Spitting out the same things
We're not growing or evolving in our conversations or actions
Line 'em up and knock 'em down
Let's get rid of our addictions and destructive patterns of behavior
Shot way
Let go and move forward
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GRANTLEY MARSHALL, GRANTLEY EVAN MARSHALL, NEIL DAVIDGE, ROBERT DEL NAJA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind