The band’s key member is guitarist/singer/composer Kevin Shields, a reclusive perfectionist and radically inventive guitarist/engineer. The band’s other original member is drummer/studio maven Colm Ó Cíosóig; during their heyday MBV also included singer-guitarist Bilinda Butcher and bassist Debbie Googe. Their band shares its name with a low-budget Canadian slasher film.
MBV influences include The Velvet Underground, Sonic Youth, Cocteau Twins, late-1970s Wire, The Jesus and Mary Chain, and independent artists such as The Pastels. Kevin Shields has also named The Beach Boys and The Ramones as a personal influence.
After leaving Creation Records in 1992 and signing with Island Records, the band fell into a creative black hole. Rumors spread among their fans of albums being recorded and then shelved. Debbie Googe left the band to form Snowpony; she had not played bass on their recordings since You Made Me Realise. Colm Ó Cíosóig eventually left and formed a band with Hope Sandoval, formerly of Mazzy Star, called Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions. Kevin Shields sporadically collaborated with other artists, most notably Experimental Audio Research, Curve, and Primal Scream. He revealed in a fall 2003 National Public Radio interview that Island Records quit financing his My Bloody Valentine endeavors after he spent half a million pounds of their money.
As of 2006, many rumors mentioned the possible reformation of MBV for a new studio album, but none of these were true. On November 15 2007, My Bloody Valentine announced three upcoming live gigs in the UK for 2008. On June 13 and 14, the band played in public for the first time in thirteen years, offering a pair of "Live Rehearsal" presentations at the ICA in London and officially starting their series of comeback performances. The band went on to play a slew of festivals in Summer and Fall of 2008. Following their appearance at the 2008 All Tomorrow's Parties festival, the New York Times reported that Shields was planning to complete the unfinished album.
On 2 February 2013 they self-released the self-titled album m b v as a download with both vinyl and CD copies shipping on 22nd Feb 2013. The Huffington Post reported that it caused such a public stir that the official MBV website crashed when fans attempted to access the site to purchase a copy.
Can I Touch You
My Bloody Valentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And look out at the sky
Still, you're out on your own at night
I can hear you, I can hear you
And the make up
Is going to go along
The things we have done that are wrong
Can I touch you, can I touch you
Look into your eyes
I never ever wondered why
I need you to blame
I feel, I can feel the same
Look into my eyes
I bet you never thought that I'd feel
Things I thought I'd take
Were not there that way
And we sit up
And look out at the sky
The year as we (wished) flew bye
Can I touch you, can I touch you
The lyrics to My Bloody Valentine's "Can I Touch You" paint a picture of two people who are alone at night, perhaps sitting outside, looking up at the sky. The first verse sets the scene: "You can sit up and look out at the sky, still, you're out on your own at night. I can hear you, I can hear you." The imagery is simple but powerful, and it conveys a sense of quiet intimacy between the two people.
The second verse introduces the theme of regret: "The things we have done that are wrong." The singer is acknowledging past mistakes but also seems hesitant or unsure about how to proceed. They ask, "Can I touch you, can I touch you?" which could be interpreted as a request for physical closeness but also as a plea for emotional connection.
The chorus emphasizes the idea of looking into each other's eyes: "Look into your eyes, I never ever wondered why. I need you to blame, I feel, I can feel the same. Look into my eyes, I bet you never thought that I'd feel things I thought I'd take were not there that way." The repetition of "look into my eyes" suggests a desire for transparency and understanding, and the lyrics hint at a sense of surprise or revelation that has occurred between the two people.
Overall, "Can I Touch You" is a moody and introspective song that showcases My Bloody Valentine's trademark sound: ethereal vocals, layered guitar work, and a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere.
Line by Line Meaning
You can sit up
You have the ability to sit up
And look out at the sky
You can observe the sky
Still, you're out on your own at night
Despite your ability to sit up and observe the sky, you are alone at night
I can hear you, I can hear you
I am able to hear you
And the make up
The situation or circumstances
Is going to go along
Will continue as is
The things we have done that are wrong
Mistakes we have made in the past
Can I touch you, can I touch you
May I make physical contact with you?
Look into your eyes
Gaze deeply into your eyes
I never ever wondered why
I've never questioned why I feel this way
I need you to blame
I require you to take responsibility
I feel, I can feel the same
I feel as if I can relate to you
Look into my eyes
Gaze deeply into my eyes
I bet you never thought that I'd feel
You likely didn't assume I was capable of feeling this way
Things I thought I'd take
Things I thought I could handle
Were not there that way
Didn't end up the way I expected
And we sit up
We both sit up
And look out at the sky
We both observe the sky
The year as we (wished) flew bye
As time passed, it seemed to go quickly
Can I touch you, can I touch you
May I make physical contact with you?
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kevin Patrick Shields
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Minty
You can sit up
And look out at the sky
Still, you're out on your own at night
I can hear you, I can hear you
And the make up
Is going to go along
The things we have done that are wrong
Can I touch you, can I touch you
Look into your eyes
I never ever wondered why
I need you to blame
I feel, I can feel the same
Look into my eyes
I bet you never thought that I'd feel
Things I thought I'd take
Were not there that way
And we sit up
And look out at the sky
The year as we (wished) flew bye
Can I touch you, can I touch you
Minty
You can sit up
And look out at the sky
Still, you're out on your own at night
I can hear you, I can hear you
And the make up
Is going to go along
The things we have done that are wrong
Can I touch you, can I touch you
Look into your eyes
I never ever wondered why
I need you to blame
I feel, I can feel the same
Look into my eyes
I bet you never thought that I'd feel
Things I thought I'd take
Were not there that way
And we sit up
And look out at the sky
The year as we (wished) flew bye
Can I touch you, can I touch you
River Gastélum Garibaldi
One of the best mbv tracks
worldwidehey
That’s a “nice jangly” guitar there... to quote Syd Barrett
Abbas Tarik
Nice song... MY BLOODY VALENTINE, thank's.
Saverio Grandolfo
Pura gioia per i cultori della musica intesa come arte.....
Pink Raven
Miss Bilinda is so cute :x
Jelly
I agree!! She is so very cute
le gars pelot
Shoegaze forevever
Texturas75
Did the Soupdragons rip off the bass intro on Pleasure?
danilo ferreira c
no way, not touching dude