They met at a Sheffield party, when Murphy had no prior professional singing experience. Meanwhile, Brydon had a thirteen-year musical résumé, first with Chakk / Hula pioneering EBM (then, aka big beat). Subsequently, within dance music, he formed and produced various pop and house acts, e.g. producing Krush's hit "House Arrest" (1987, FON) and his 1993 Cloud Nine project. Murphy approached Brydon with the chat-up line "Do you like my tight sweater? See how it fits my body!", hence their debut album's title. Respectively, 'Moloko' originates from the Nadsat slang word for "milk" (from the Russian, молоко), in Anthony Burgess' novel "A Clockwork Orange".
Recorded while the pair were dating, Do You Like My Tight Sweater? gained notice on underground dance and trip-hop scenes, then more so with I Am Not a Doctor (Jul 1998, Echo). The latter yielded "Sing It Back", which broke Moloko into the mainstream. Remixed by house producer Boris Dlugosch, "Sing It Back (Boris Musical Mix)", was a massive Ibiza hit and entered the top-five of 1999 weekly UK singles charts, helped by a psychedelic video featuring Murphy in a very short metallic flapper dress and cap. "Sing It Back" was eventually featured on more than 110 music compilations. Dlugosch's remix also appears on faux radio station Rise FM in the action-adventure game "GTA: Liberty City Stories" (2005, Rockstar Games).
In 2000 Moloko started touring as a full band along with percussionist Paul Slowly, keyboardist Eddie Stevens, and guitarist Dave Cook.
The band also had chart success with "The Time Is Now", the first single from their third album, Things to Make and Do. This album had relied less on the leftfield beats of the previous albums, and featured more organic instrumentation.
Murphy and Brydon ended their relationship in 2001. After their breakup they recorded and released their fourth and final studio album, Statues, in 2003. Statues continued a segue into more traditional instrumentation, along with electronica elements from their earlier releases. The album majorly incorporated the theme of the couple's split: all of the songs deal with a troubled and/or ending romance.
In 2004 Moloko released a live DVD, 11,000 Clicks, recorded on stage at the Brixton Academy. It contained many of their well known songs including "Indigo", "Sing It Back", and "The Time Is Now".
After concluding the tour supporting Statues, Moloko mutually parted ways, with Róisín Murphy launching a solo career.
A "best of" album, Catalogue, was released in 2006. Murphy and Brydon, along with long-time Moloko guitarist Dave Cook, played a select number of acoustic radio performances to promote the album.
Since 2006 they have been on an indefinite hiatus.
Bankrupt Emotionally
Moloko Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Can I send it back
You splash out on some fancy perfume
In a beautiful, but a rented room
And it takes bitter grapes to make it
Our finest wine.
And your far out, far-flung philosophies
Could not be further from my mind
In actuality
Bankrupt emotionally
You promised me you'd fly me to the moon
You are late, I'm still waiting
All of one we need to
but seriously, that drift with me
Get off my cloud
It's reserved for an angel with darker wings
If it's so important to you, Can't you wait
Can't you just give in
In actuality
You're just playing with me
The facts are there to see
Bankrupt emotionally
In actuality
You're just playing with me
The facts are there to see
Bankrupt emotionally
In actuality
You're just playing with me
The facts are there to see
Bankrupt emotionally
You're just playing with me
Bankrupt emotionally
The lyrics of Moloko's song Bankrupt Emotionally are a reflection of a dysfunctional relationship between the singer and the person they are addressing in the song. The singer talks about receiving cold hearts and dead flowers from the other person, perhaps as a metaphor for their emotionally unresponsive or unloving behavior towards the singer. The singer, in turn, contemplates if they should "send it back" to the other person, indicating a mutual lack of emotional investment in the relationship.
The other person's attempts to make up for their shortcomings are perceived as lacking substance, such as their splurging on fancy perfume while residing in a rented room. The singer seems to acknowledge the potential for something meaningful between them, represented by the metaphor of bitter grapes producing the finest wine. However, the other person's far-fetched philosophies fail to resonate with the singer's perspectives and experiences.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's realization that they are emotionally bankrupt themselves, despite being led on by the other person's promises of taking them to the moon. The singer urges the other person to get off their "cloud" and give in to the singer's perspective, highlighting the power dynamic that exists between them. Ultimately, the singer concludes that the other person is just "playing" with them and that the facts of their emotional bankruptcy are evident.
Line by Line Meaning
So you sent me cold hearts and dead flowers
You hurt me deeply with your lack of love and expression
Can I send it back
I wish I could return the hurt and pain you have caused me
You splash out on some fancy perfume
You spend money on things that don't matter, rather than investing in our relationship
In a beautiful, but a rented room
Our relationship is shallow and temporary, lacking any real commitment or depth
And it takes bitter grapes to make it
Our love is built on negativity and disagreement, rather than mutual understanding and respect
Our finest wine.
Despite our struggles, we continue to find value and beauty in our relationship
And your far out, far-flung philosophies
Your unrealistic beliefs and ideas are not compatible with mine
Could not be further from my mind
I am preoccupied with more important matters than your impractical thoughts
You promised me you'd fly me to the moon
You offered grand promises and possibilities, but failed to follow through
You are late, I'm still waiting
You have let me down, leaving me alone and disappointed
All of one we need to
We must be united and committed if we want our love to survive
but seriously, that drift with me
Let's be honest with each other and work on our issues together
Get off my cloud
Stop relying on me for your own happiness and fulfillment
It's reserved for an angel with darker wings
I am waiting for someone who is complex and real, rather than someone pretending to be perfect
If it's so important to you, Can't you wait
If our relationship means something to you, why can't you show patience and understanding?
Can't you just give in
Why can't you compromise with me and meet me halfway?
In actuality
In reality
You're just playing with me
You are toying with my emotions and not taking our relationship seriously
The facts are there to see
The truth is obvious and cannot be ignored
Bankrupt emotionally
Our relationship is bankrupt and lacking in real depth and meaning
You're just playing with me
You are not being genuine or honest with me
The facts are there to see
The truth is obvious and cannot be ignored
Bankrupt emotionally
Our relationship is bankrupt and lacking in real depth and meaning
You're just playing with me
You are not being genuine or honest with me
Bankrupt emotionally
Our relationship is bankrupt and lacking in real depth and meaning
Contributed by Elena W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
dio52
I think this is their best song. Shocking to think it was almost never released.
snowball1988
i love this one, luckily it wasnt lost forever as it was recorded for statues and didnt appear for 3 years until the greatest hits
jk2outcast
"In actuality, you’re just playing with me.
The facts are there to see, bankrupt emotionally.
You're just playing with me.
Bankrupt emotionally"
Jam the Ooze
I really feel this track.
Alersis
love this album
sako vartan
Dear Moloko I'm your big fan since 1999 love all your songs
m3ph15t0
Excelente, un deleite
Roy Villafuerte
"Get off my cloud, it's reserved for and angel with darker wings"
Tiziano Parola
I Love this fantastic SONGS!!!! Is incredibile. Thanks Moloko for Ricycle this song in the Antology.....
modifiedcontent
Re-release Statues as a double vinyl, include this somewhere in the middle, Take My Hand as closing track.