Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol… Read Full Bio ↴Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol by Robert "3D" Del Naja, Adrian "Tricky" Thaws, Andrew "Mushroom" Vowles and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall.

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.

United Snakes
Massive Attack Lyrics

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Light Bulb
Light Bulb
It's Matter
Matter
Take It With You
My Prowl
For Your Prowls
It's Too High

Too High
Lost words
Light Bulb

Aspect (Aspect)

Take It With You
My Prowl

Take it With You
My Prowl
For Your Prowls

Aspect (Aspect)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Massive Attack's song United Snakes are quite enigmatic and can be interpreted in various ways. The repetition of "Light Bulb" and "Matter" throughout the song could be a metaphor for coming to a realization, shedding light on a situation, or seeing through the surface and revealing the underlying truth. The lines "Take it With You/My Prowl/For Your Prowls/It's Too High/Lost words" can be interpreted as a journey of self-discovery or as a warning about the dangers of climbing too high without fully understanding the consequences. The word "Aspect" repeated twice could represent different perspectives or angles of viewing a situation.

The lyrics and the title of United Snakes have a clear political meaning, criticizing the United States' foreign policy and imperialism. The word "Snakes" is a derogatory term for Americans and suggests deceit, cunning, and treachery. The song's title is a play on the national motto of the United States, "E Pluribus Unum," which means "Out of many, one." The song's lyrics are a call to unity and resistance against the United States' hegemony and militarism.

Line by Line Meaning

Light Bulb
An idea or realization

It's Matter
It's important

Matter
Something important

Take It With You
Remember it

My Prowl
My territory

For Your Prowls
For your territories

It's Too High
It's out of reach

Too High
Unrealistic or impossible

Lost words
Something unspoken or forgotten

Aspect (Aspect)
Different perspectives or viewpoints

Take It With You
Remember it