Bubblegum
Mystery Jets Lyrics
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It's where I've always been
But the edge is where all the sparks fly
When the wheel spins
I swear someone is leaving messages for me
Under my feet
In bubblegum on the sidewalks of my street
On the sidewalks of my street
Deep down I know I should leave the past behind
Maybe in time
If only I could learn to let go of the hand that first held mine
Took a walk down memory lane
Just to see what still remained
Only to find out just about everything had changed
We will splinter and we will divide
We will disappear to two different sides
And I hope that the world in which you find
Yourself is better than the one you leave behind
One day we'll return and we'll take a look around
See the me and you of every town
The dreamers who are yet to learn
That everyone will try to shoot them down
Spilling their guts down the radio wire
Like preaching to the Christmas choir
But they wouldn't piss on you
Even if you were on fire
We will splinter and we will divide
We will dissapear to two different sides
But I hope that the world in which we find
Ourselves returning to is better than the one we left behind
Better than the one we left behind
Is better than the one we left behind
Better than the one we left behind
The lyrics of Mystery Jets's song Bubblegum convey feelings of being an outsider and looking in from the edge. The singer expresses a belief that messages are being left for them in the bubblegum on the sidewalks of their street, representing a sense of insight that they possess but struggle to share with others. The song explores themes of nostalgia and the difficulty of letting go of the past. The singer takes a walk down memory lane but finds that everything has changed. The lyrics suggest that people will splinter and divide, but there is hope that the world we return to will be better than the one we left behind.
The line "I'm always on the outside looking in" reflects the recurring theme in the band's music of feeling like outsiders. The band was formed by childhood friends Blaine Harrison and William Rees, who often felt isolated growing up in Eel Pie Island, an area in Twickenham, England. The song includes a reference to David Bowie's song "Changes" with the line "When the wheel spins," which echoes the line "Ch-ch-changes" from Bowie's song. The reference is not accidental, as Bowie was a major influence on the band's music.
The song was released as a single in 2008 and received critical acclaim. The music video for "Bubblegum" was directed by Sophie Muller, who has also directed videos for Radiohead and Coldplay. The song features guest vocals by the late Laura Marling, who was a close friend of the band. Mystery Jets invited Marling to appear on the song after hearing her perform at a local open mic night.
The song has been covered by several other artists, including Marika Hackman and The Wandering Hearts. In 2017, the band released a new version of the song called "Bubblegum (The Wild Bunch)," which features additional instrumentation and backing vocals. The band also performed the song on Later... with Jools Holland in 2008.
Chords:
Verse: Em G D A (x2)
Chorus: G D A Em G D A
Overall, "Bubblegum" is a poignant and reflective song that speaks to the feeling of being an outsider and the desire for a better future. The song has resonated with many fans of the band and continues to be a beloved track in their discography.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm always on the outside looking in
I have always felt like an outsider
It's where I've always been
Feeling like an outsider is my normal state of being
But the edge is where all the sparks fly
Excitement and creativity can be found in unconventional places
When the wheel spins
In times of change, new opportunities arise
I swear someone is leaving messages for me
I often feel like there are hidden messages or signs meant for me
Under my feet
These messages or signs are hidden or subtle
In bubblegum on the sidewalks of my street
These messages or signs can be found in unexpected places
Deep down I know I should leave the past behind
I understand that holding onto the past is not healthy
Maybe in time
I hope that I can eventually move on from the past
If only I could learn to let go of the hand that first held mine
If only I could learn to let go of the past and move on
Took a walk down memory lane
I revisited the past
Just to see what still remained
I wanted to see how much of the past is still with me
Only to find out just about everything had changed
I discovered that very little of the past is still present in my life
We will splinter and we will divide
As time goes on, we will grow apart
We will disappear to two different sides
We will go our separate ways
And I hope that the world in which you find
I wish you the best in your future endeavors
Yourself is better than the one you leave behind
May your future be better than your past
One day we'll return and we'll take a look around
One day we will revisit our past
See the me and you of every town
We will see our younger selves in every place we visit
The dreamers who are yet to learn
We were once naive and inexperienced dreamers
That everyone will try to shoot them down
We will remember how others tried to discourage us from following our dreams
Spilling their guts down the radio wire
People are willing to share their personal stories on the radio
Like preaching to the Christmas choir
These stories are often shared with an audience who already agrees with the message
But they wouldn't piss on you
Despite sharing their stories and message, these people often won't care about you personally
Even if you were on fire
They wouldn't help you even in desperate times
We will splinter and we will divide
As time goes on, we will grow apart
We will disappear to two different sides
We will go our separate ways
But I hope that the world in which we find
I hope that our future worlds will be better
Ourselves returning to is better than the one we left behind
May our future be better than our past
Better than the one we left behind
May our future be better than our past
Is better than the one we left behind
May our future be better than our past
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT,
Written by: Blaine Harrison
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@fernandagzz8347
I'm always on the outside looking in
It's where I've always been
But the edge is where all the sparks fly
When the wheel spins
I swear someone is leaving message for me
Under my feet
In bubblegum on the sidewalks of my street
On the sidewalks of my street
Deep down I know I should leave the past behind
Maybe in time
If only I could learn to let go of the hand that first held mine
Took a walk down memory lane
Just to see what still remained
Only to find out just about everything had changed
We will splinter and we will divide
We will disappear to two different sides
And I hope that the world in which you find
Yourself is better than the one you leave behind
One day we'll return and we'll take a look around
See the me and you of every town
The dreamers who are yet to learn
That everyone will try to shoot them down
Spilling their guts down the radio wire
Like preaching to the Christmas choir
But they wouldn't piss on you
Even if you were on fire
We will splinter and we will divide
We will dissapear to two different sides
But I hope that the world in which we find
Ourselves returning to is better than the one we left behind
Better than the one we left behind
Is better than the one we left behind
Better than the one we left behind
@SamuelEMPowell131
I miss these indie days, felt like a band who wrote and performed their own songs could change the world and influence a generation, my music producer friend and I used to jam to the Mystery Jets all the time, I wanna throw him some love as we've been through so much together over the years, try searching Lonely Gimmick - Beaches, its got that old school indie sound and its one of those songs that makes me happy when I listen to it. I'm honestly so impressed he made it, did it all himself on his laptop
@TanishiVerma
Why are they so underrated? They sound so marvelous
@Amazons19
There are a lot of nice bands underrated 😕
@JanaJohnes
Underrated means to underestimate and not see the importance of said something. Almost everyone I've spoken to regarding MJ really appreciate or love what they do, I'd say in the high eighty percent or so...
@jenking5306
@Alex U Rock they refuse the cult
@cordlessbungee
yes surprised this isn't in the millions of plays. A perfect song
@stevenospam4216
I just discovered this band a couple of months ago (summer of '22). Indeed: Why hadn't I heard of them earlier? SO MANY GOOD SONGS!
@jdgonzo1982
honestly, one of my favourite songs of all time...the lyrics mean so much to me!!
@hollymathers7252
i love it, this is totally class. i'm so proud of this band but they deserve more recognition 🙏
@the.middle.of.90s
I'm so blessed those band are ever exicst on my life!