Mull is an island off the west coast of Scotland — the name comes from an actual genealogical society on the island, who have since changed their name to the Mull Historical and Archaeological Society.
Mull uses a lot of unusual techniques and instruments. For example, Colin is credited to have played 'Seagulls' and 'Fire Extinguisher' for the song Gravity, and played 'Beer Kegs' on the song Death of a Scientist, which was written about the late Dr David Kelly. Also, Colin frequently samples the sounds of the world around him into his songs. For example, an public announcement from the Glasgow Subway in Public Service Announcer and the end of Final Arrears features part of the shipping forecast.
A staple of Colin's tours and album art—which is itself usually very diverse, featuring everything from arty shots to plain landscapes and usually has MS Paint drawings by Colin himself—is 'The Giant Dog With The Wig', an oversize model of a dog with a large comedy blue wig on. The dog has become such a symbol of Colin’s music that in the video for How 'Bout I Love You More, Colin's 'spaceship' is the dog itself.
Breaking with tradition, February 2008 saw the release of Colin's fourth LP, 'The Water', under his own name, and produced by Lemon Jelly's Nick Franglen. In July 2009 he released 'Island', also under his own name. Island was a more acoustic album written in St Augustine, America, but recorded back on Mull in his old classroom, now An Tobar arts centre. His latest record, 2012's 'City Awakenings', saw him reprise the Mull Historical Society moniker.
Colin has toured with The Strokes, Elbow, REM. And has performed in diverse locations such as the Millennium Wheel and The Scottish Parliament.
Gravity
Mull Historical Society Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I wanna' hear you say it
I wanna' see the laugh lines
I wanna' see your lifelines
Get set
Get set ready don't stall
Don't stall at all and your feelings
We regurgitate the teardrops and bellyaches
And the star signs the star signs tell the lies on you
And where's your, where's your sense of gravity
If you drown, at least I saw you down
At least I saw you..
Fake it
I wanna' feel you fake it
My love is in the out-house
My love is in the house now
Strip down
I wanna' see you strip down
Down like a clown now
I wanna' see his hair shine
Get set
Get set ready don't stall
Don't stall at all and your feelings
Your feeling will collide
We regurgitate the teardrops and earthquakes
And the star signs the star signs tell the lies on you
And where's your, where's your sense of gravity
If you drown, at least I saw you down
At least I saw the top of
The top of what you want from me
Saw you drown, at least I saw you down
The bellyaches are here
We will syndicate the teardrops and bellyaches
And the star signs the star signs tell the lies on you
And where's your, where's your sense of gravity
If you drown, at least I saw you down
At least I saw the top of
The top of what you want from me
Saw you drown, at least I saw you down
At least I saw the clown now
At least I saw the clown
The bellyaches are here
The lyrics to Mull Historical Society's song Gravity express the desire for honesty and authenticity in a relationship. The singer wants their partner to be open and genuine with them, to show their true self, and to stop putting on a façade. They urge their partner to let go of their fears and insecurities, and to trust their love enough to be vulnerable. The reference to "teardrops and bellyaches" and "star signs" suggest that the partner has been hiding their true feelings and personality behind an image they've constructed based on societal expectations or astrology. The line "where's your sense of gravity" speaks to the partner's lack of groundedness and stability in their identity.
The chorus, "if you drown, at least I saw you down," suggests that the singer is willing to stand by their partner even in difficult times. They want a real, deep connection with their partner, even if it means experiencing pain and heartache along the way. The use of the word "fake it" in the second verse further reinforces the theme of wanting authenticity, and the line "the bellyaches are here" suggests that the singer is ready to face any uncomfortable truths that may arise.
Overall, the lyrics of Gravity encourage us to be true to ourselves and to others, to let go of our fears and insecurities, and to trust in the power of honesty and vulnerability.
Line by Line Meaning
Say it
Express yourself and communicate with me
I wanna' hear you say it
I desire to hear your voice and your truth
I wanna' see the laugh lines
I want to see the evidence of joy and happiness in your face
I wanna' see your lifelines
I want to understand who you are through the experiences that shaped you
Get set
Prepare yourself
Get set ready don't stall
Be ready and don't hesitate
Don't stall at all and your feelings
Don't procrastinate on expressing how you feel
Your feeling will divide
Your emotions will become conflicted
We regurgitate the teardrops and bellyaches
We repeatedly anguish over our pains and sufferings
And the star signs the star signs tell the lies on you
Astrology is not a reliable source for truths about a person
And where's your, where's your sense of gravity
Where is your awareness and responsibility for your actions?
If you drown, at least I saw you down
If you fall or fail, at least I witnessed your struggle
Fake it
Pretend for me
I wanna' feel you fake it
I want to experience the facade you put up
My love is in the out-house
My love is not within reach or easily accessible
My love is in the house now
My love has arrived and is present now
Strip down
Take off your defenses
I wanna' see you strip down
I want to witness your vulnerability
Down like a clown now
To be vulnerable in a foolish or comical way
I wanna' see his hair shine
I want to appreciate your unique and beautiful traits
Don't stall at all and your feelings
Don't delay expressing how you feel
Your feeling will collide
Your emotions will clash and cause a tense situation
We regurgitate the teardrops and earthquakes
We repeatedly express our sadness and fears
And the star signs the star signs tell the lies on you
Astrology is not a reliable source for truths about a person
And where's your, where's your sense of gravity
Where is your awareness and responsibility for your actions?
If you drown, at least I saw you down
If you fall or fail, at least I witnessed your struggle
At least I saw the top of
At minimum, I saw a glimpse of
The top of what you want from me
I understand your expectations and desires from our relationship
Saw you drown, at least I saw you down
I was present and witnessed your low moments
The bellyaches are here
The pains and sufferings are present and affecting us
We will syndicate the teardrops and bellyaches
We will repeatedly express and share our sadness and hardships
At least I saw the clown now
At minimum, I witnessed the vulnerable and comical side of you
At least I saw the clown
At minimum, I witnessed the silly and playful side of you
Where's your, where's your sense of gravity?
Why aren't you taking responsibility for your actions or behavior?
Contributed by Sarah O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.