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.
No More Sorry
My Bloody Valentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And again
And then again
And again
[Loved/Left] me black and blue
No more sorry
Pleasure(able)
Not alone
You're not alone
Waiting by the telephone
Whatever you do
Don't call daddy
In my hair
Everywhere
Everywhere
And everywhere
For the prints of you
Filthy daddy
Wash and mend
And wash and mend
Some kind of friend
You septic heart, your deadly hand
[Love/Left] me black and blue
No more sorry
Possible interpretation:
The song seems to be narrated by a survivor of abusive and manipulative relationships, who addresses both a former partner and presumably a parental figure. The singer seems to have been hurt physically and emotionally by someone who repeatedly discarded and reclaimed them: "They'll have you now / And again / And then again / And again". This cycle of leaving and returning has left the singer damaged but determined: "Loved/Left me black and blue / No more sorry". The use of "loved/left" in this line creates an ambiguity that suggests that the singer might have been loved at some point, but also abandoned or betrayed.
The second half of the song shifts to a warning and a declaration of independence. The singer encourages someone not to call "daddy", implying that this person is toxic or dangerous in some way. The use of the word "daddy" reeks of infantilization and manipulation, reinforcing the theme of controlling relationships. In contrast, the singer offers comfort to someone else who might also feel alone and vulnerable: "Not alone / You're not alone/ Waiting by the telephone". However, the singer also admits to being haunted by memories of their abuser, with whom they apparently had a sexual relationship: "In my hair / Everywhere / Everywhere / And everywhere / For the prints of you / Filthy daddy". The repetition and proliferation of the word "everywhere" underscores the pervasiveness and intrusiveness of the abuser's influence.
The last lines of the song convey a mix of resignation, bitterness, and defiance. The singer acknowledges the need to heal and recover from the trauma, but also points out the hypocrisy and hypocrisy of the abuser: "Wash and mend / And wash and mend / Some kind of friend / You septic heart, your deadly hand". The use of the word "septic" suggests that the abuser is not just emotionally toxic, but also physically contagious or poisonous. The final line, "No more sorry", can be read as a vow to stop apologizing for surviving and assert one's agency and dignity.
Overall, "No More Sorry" is a haunting and powerful testimony to the ambiguities and complexities of abusive relationships, and the lasting impact they can have on a person's psyche and sense of self-worth.
Line by Line Meaning
They'll have you now
You are being taken by someone/thing
And again
They will keep coming back for you
And then again
They will keep coming back for you again and again
And again
They will keep coming back for you
[Loved/Left] me black and blue
They have hurt you either physically or emotionally
No more sorry
You don't want them to apologize anymore
Pleasure(able)
You find pleasure and comfort in something/someone
Not alone
You are not lonely
You're not alone
You have someone/something with you
Waiting by the telephone
You are eagerly waiting for a call/text
Whatever you do
No matter what you do
Don't call daddy
You don't want to call or have any kind of relation with 'daddy'
In my hair
Something or someone is on your mind
Everywhere
It is all around you
Everywhere
It is all around you
And everywhere
It is present in every aspect of your life
For the prints of you
You are leaving traces of yourself everywhere
Filthy daddy
The one represented as 'daddy' is 'filthy'
Wash and mend
Trying to heal and recover
And wash and mend
Continuing to heal and recover
Some kind of friend
The person/people you trusted are not behaving like friends
You septic heart, your deadly hand
The person being addressed has caused harm and hurt
[Love/Left] me black and blue
They have hurt you either physically or emotionally
No more sorry
You don't want them to apologize anymore
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: BILINDA BUTCHER, KEVIN SHIELDS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind