"It’s called that because 36 degrees is close to body temperature. I guess it’s all body metaphors" Brian Molko explains in 1998. In the 'Once More With Feeling' DVD commentary, the band revealed they were held down with weights, and would only play their instruments for 30 second bursts, receiving oxygen from the tanks of professional divers.
36 Degrees
Placebo Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Waxing with a candlelight, and burning just for you
Allocate your sentiment, and stick it in a box
I've never been an extrovert, but I'm still breathing
Someone tried to do me ache
Someone tried to do me ache
Someone tried to do me ache (it's what I'm afraid of)
With hindsight, I was more than blind, lost without a clue
Thought I was getting carat gold, and what I got was you
Stuck inside the circumstances, lonely at the top
I've always been an introvert
Happily bleeding
Someone tried to do me ache
Someone tried to do me ache
Someone tried to do me ache (it's what I'm afraid of)
Someone tried to do me ache (it's what I'm afraid of)
4, 7, 2, 3, 9, 8, 5, I gotta breathe to stay alive
And 1, 4, 2, 9, 7, 8, feels like I'm gonna suffocate
14, 16, 22, this skin that turns to blister blue
Shoulders toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees
Shoulders toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees
Shoulder toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees
Shoulders toes and knees, 36 degrees
The lyrics of Placebo's 36 Degrees reflect on a relationship that once seemed strong and tight but has now fallen apart. The opening lines of "We were tight, but it falls apart as silver turns to blue" describe the transition from something beautiful to something cold and unfeeling. The singer likens the relationship to a candle that has burned out, indicating that the love they once had is now gone. The line "Allocate your sentiment, and stick it in a box" suggests that the singer has perhaps tried to move on and put their feelings away in a metaphorical box. Despite this, the singer acknowledges that they are still living, even if they are not as outgoing as they once were.
The chorus of "Someone tried to do me ache" is repeated throughout the song, underscoring the pain that the singer has experienced. They admit that they are "afraid of" this ache and that it is something that they are actively trying to avoid. The next verse describes how the singer was blind to their situation and did not realize that what they thought was "carat gold" turned out to be something else entirely. They feel stuck and lonely, even though they may have been successful in other areas of their life. The final lines of the song focus on the singer's physical state, particularly their body temperature. "Shoulders toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees" is a way of saying that they are cold and alone, perhaps isolated from the warmth of love and companionship.
Line by Line Meaning
We were tight, but it falls apart as silver turns to blue
We were once close, but it deteriorated as things changed.
Waxing with a candlelight, and burning just for you
I was putting in effort and dedication solely for you.
Allocate your sentiment, and stick it in a box
Put your feelings in a specific place and leave them there.
I've never been an extrovert, but I'm still breathing
I've always been an introvert, but I'm still alive and standing.
Someone tried to do me ache
Someone tried to harm me emotionally or physically.
With hindsight, I was more than blind, lost without a clue
Looking back, I realize that I was clueless and completely in the dark.
Thought I was getting carat gold, and what I got was you
I expected something valuable and precious, but instead, all I got was you.
Stuck inside the circumstances, lonely at the top
I found myself in a difficult situation where I was successful but lonely.
I've always been an introvert happily bleeding
I've always been someone who prefers isolation, even while going through difficult times.
4, 7, 2, 3, 9, 8, 5, I gotta breathe to stay alive
In order to continue living, I need to keep breathing.
And 1, 4, 2, 9, 7, 8, feels like I'm gonna suffocate
I feel trapped and like I can't breathe in this situation.
14, 16, 22, this skin that turns to blister blue
This skin is turning blue from the blistering cold.
Shoulders toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees
My entire body is freezing and I'm at a dangerously low temperature.
Shoulders toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees
My entire body is dangerously cold and I'm struggling to stay warm.
Shoulder toes and knees, I'm 36 degrees
Every part of my body is freezing at 36 degrees.
Shoulders toes and knees, 36 degrees
Every inch of me is lethally cold at 36 degrees.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal, Robert Schultzberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@eloi6235
This made me remember when I was around 8yo and my mom would put this best off placebo CD in the car full speed windows open, i was feeling like the coolest kid on earth.
@h00d3dcrow
You were, bro.
@asdrubalrojas8443
amazing story...
@KattVaughan98
Same 🥰 she would also blast them when she would clean the house. still love listening to them till this day!
@francotorielli9793
Your Mom👍🌹
@MattMorgasmo
You were the coolest kid. And your mom was the coolest mom.
Proud to be the one giving you the 100th thumbs up, btw. 😀
@indiciaobscure
My favorite Placebo song. I've been a fan for 15 years now. I was a teenager and everyone was into music. I kind of listened to ska, because my sister did, but didn't love it. I felt embarrassed because I was lying when people asked me what kind of music I liked. Then my friend played Pure Morning and something hit. I bought the CD on a whim, and played it all weekend. I had found the music I loved, and through them became a fan of the Smiths and the Cure, and developed my own taste. Of course, I had a huge crush on Brian Molko and bought the Velvet Goldmine, and the CD for the movie (his cover of 20th Century Boy and The Whole Shebang were my favorites.) I wasn't able to see them live for three years, but it was fine.
There was no Youtube then, so I would wait an entire day on Napster to watch a video. Very few people in the US listened to Placebo, so they weren't in our magazines- I would buy any article I could find on Ebay. It was harder being a fan then, not just of Placebo, but any not mainstream band, but it was beautiful because every little thing was precious. Falling asleep to Without You I'm Nothing on my walkman at summer camp, running to beat while the lyrics Every You and Every Me played in my head during track practice, putting on a top hat and reenacting Brian's scene from the Velvet Goldmine. It was being a teenager, and it was magnificent.
@jamesmiller6851
I grew up in Scotland and still love placebo to this day i was a teenager in that era too!loved it.
@guidoparco2851
Im a fan for over 20 years they are amazing,
@night1247
this gave me goosebumps as if Id feel your nostalgia